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How to ok to board?

6 Answer(s) Available
Answer # 1 #

Ok To Board or OKTB is a procedure laid down by the Gulf countries for passengers entering any of the countries on a new visa / entry permit.

All passengers travelling to the gulf on tourist visa/visitor visa / new residency permit/employment/express visas/short work visas (travelling for the first time with a paper permit and not stamped on passport) need to get Ok-To-Board done before check-in for the flight at the departure airport counter.

‘OK TO BOARD’ PROCEDURE

Passengers need to follow the below procedure to get OKTB done:

United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi/Dubai/Sharjah/Ras Al Khaimah)

ICA Link -> https://smartservices.icp.gov.ae/echannels/web/client/default.html#/fileValidity

OKTB Exemption for US/Schengen visa holders

US/Schengen visa holders are eligible for an ‘On Arrival Visa’ and such passengers are exempted to travel without OKTB norm, provided such passengers are holding a valid passport with a minimum of 6 months validity.

Go First city offices in the UAE

Dubai

Al Naboodah Travel & Tourism Agencies,

Al Shoala Building, Al Ittihad Street, Deira, PO Box 1200, Dubai, UAE.

Contact Nos.: Ph - +971-42112550

E-mail              : [email protected]

Business Hours:   0900-1800 HRS (Monday to Friday)

0900-1300 HRS (Saturday)

Abu Dhabi

Ground Floor, Airlines Building, Liwa Street, Abu Dhabi

Email to forwarding documents: [email protected]

Telephone         : +971-24180841

Business Hours:  0900-1800 HRS (Monday to Friday)

0900-1300 HRS (Saturday)

Muscat

Oman follows the below process - For Travel Agents / Corporates/Passengers

The sponsor/Pre-employment is then required to approach Go First’s representative office in Muscat during office working hours, with the original visa deposit receipt and one photocopy each of visa and visa deposit receipt. If the passenger fails to follow these processes, s(he) won’t be allowed to board the flight. It is not applicable for visit visa.

OKTB Exemption for US/Schengen visa holders

US/Schengen visa holders are eligible for an ‘On Arrival Visa’ and such passengers are exempted to travel without OKTB norm, provided such passengers are holding a valid passport with a minimum of 6 months validity.

Muscat City Office Address:

M/s. Mezoon Travel LLC.

Way No. 2905/129

Ex Al-Harty Building No. 414

Next to Bank Muscat Rex Road Branch

P.O. Box No. 629, PC - 100,

Ruwi, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

Telephone : +968-24789333,

Email id:  [email protected]

Business Hours : 0900 - 1730 HRS from Saturday to Thursday (Friday – Office Closed)

Kuwait

The above is applicable for all visit visa passengers who are holding the original visa on arrival, irrespective of Travel Agent or Non-Travel Agent issued tickets.

Kuwait City Office Address

Go First Airlines (India) Limited

Sheikha Sabeeka Al Sabha Building

2nd Floor, Office Number-11

Fahed Al Salem Street, Al Qibla

Kuwait City

Email              :  [email protected], [email protected]

Telephone        : +965 22422400/22422477

Business Hours : 0900-1700 HRS (Sunday to Thursday)

0900-1400 HRS (Saturday)

We do not accept OKTB requests via e-mail or WhatsApp, as we need to verify the original visa, passport and ticket.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Go First City Office Address:

Arjaa Travel & Tourism

Fahad Centre, Prince Turkey Street

3rd floor Al Khobar 34412

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Business Hours:  0830–1730 HRS (Sunday – Thursday)

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Eliades Gfelner
Screenwriter
Answer # 2 #

The OTB or Ok to Board denotes a procedure to verify the authenticity of visa that a passenger possesses. The main purpose of this procedure is to ensure that a passenger is flying with valid travel documents only. Precisely, conducting such a check will prohibit people from traveling to UAE on fake visas and consequently getting expelled from the country.

It’s actually a prerequisite mandated by the airlines and not the UAE immigration. It’s applicable to all visitors traveling (on a new work visa or a tourist visa) to any of the emirates of the UAE, such as Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah. Apparently, even if you hold a valid UAE visa, your entry to board the airplane may be denied by your respective airline in the absence of an Ok to Board status.

An OTB is essentially relevant to passengers whose visa is sponsored and issued in the UAE. Once the processing of your UAE visa is successfully completed, your sponsor should send a copy of your approved visa, along with a copy of your airline ticket or PNR Number, to your airline service provider who will double check the visa, and accordingly, attach your airline ticket with the OTB message.

Usually, airlines require a minimum of two days to validate documents and update the OTB. So make sure that all the vital documents are forwarded to your airline at least three days before your travel date. After the verification, the airlines electronically insert the OTB message. Get in touch with your airline directly to know about your OTB status.

As the OK to Board is issued by the airlines, the best way to check its status is to call the airlines you are flying with. They would notify the same on the phone. If you have applied for Ok to Board through a travel agency, they would notify the same through phone or mail, at least 48 hours before your flight.

If your PNR does not reflect Ok to Board, you would probably be denied entry into the aircraft. The airline has the right to do so.

Which airlines require OK to Board?

Every airline that flies to UAE requires Ok to Board. While some offer it for free, several of them charge a nominal fee. Airlines like Emirates, Jet Airways, Saudi Airlines, Etihad Airways and Fly Dubai provide Ok to Board without charging any fee. However, when it comes to airlines like SpiceJet, Air India and IndiGo, you would have to pay a small fee to get the Ok to Board status.

OTB with Only Dubai Visa

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Shaka Ciesla
REED REPAIRER
Answer # 3 #
  • Make a copy of your visa and send it to the airlines you have booked your tickets with.
  • The airlines will recheck your visa.
  • The ticket will then be approved and checked for the information provided by the applicant.
  • When the approval is done, your flight PNR will be marked as OTB.
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Bitty Beecher
Chief Information Officer
Answer # 4 #

There is a set of countries that demand OTB. To take you to these countries, the airlines require you to get an OTB before boarding the flight. In order to obtain one, you need to apply to the airlines where you have booked your tickets. The process is carried out once you have acquired your visa and is done by the airlines itself. OTB for Indians who hold an ECR passport is a mandatory procedure.

There is a list of countries that compulsorily need OTB to allow the Indian passengers to fly to their country. The list of countries is given as follows:

The procedure for getting an OTB is not exactly complicated. It is done after you have your visa issued and must be done latest 48 hours before your flight. The step by step process is given as follows:

There are certain airlines that require an Okay to Board. The list of airlines that mandate OTB is given as follows:

There is a category of passport holders who mandate Okay to Board at the time of travelling to the six countries mentioned in the list previously. The ones who have an ECR passport are the ones who need to obtain an OTB before boarding their flight. An ECR passport is a category of the passport that means Emigration Check Required (ECR).

In order to get an OTB, you can apply to the airlines. However, if you had applied for the visa through a visa agency, you can get your Okay to Board from the same agency as well. We at BTW visa services ensure that we provide you with the OTB as soon as you have your visa issued from us. We may mainly provide visas but it is also quite important to us that you make it to the country you have applied visa for.

There are documents that are to be provided to the agency at the time of obtaining an Okay to Board. The documents hardly vary country-wise or airline-wise. The list of common documents required in the OK to Board procedure is given as follows:

The time taken for getting the confirmation for an OTB is dependent on certain factors and can vary from airline to airline. Normally, it will take quite some hours or a couple of days and will be provided between 3 to 24 before you board your flight.

There are six countries that require Okay to Board and about eight airlines as well that require you to obtain an Okay to Board. therefore, the fees for the same will vary accordingly. Mainly it differs because of the country you are travelling to, but charges also change as per the airlines from where you have obtained your airway ticket.

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Mani Alwar
MOLD POLISHER
Answer # 5 #

Also known as visa verification, Ok To Board (OTB) is a process of validating visa and updating the visa message in flight booking. It means that your paper-based visa (one that is not stamped in the passport) has been examined and confirmed, and your airline check-in staff can offer you a boarding pass, allowing you to board the flight. In short, Ok To Board indicates that your visa is verified and you can board the flight.

Owing to the rising number of fake visas to UAE, several Indian travellers were deported back to India in the past. To diminish such fake visa issues, airlines flying to UAE and the sponsors started re-checking the passenger’s UAE visa and the return airline ticket before the flight departure. If you fail to update ok to board message before the flight departure, then you will not be allowed to board the flight even though you have a valid UAE Visa. In other words, OK to Board is an airline prerequisite without which the passenger will not be permitted to board the flight to UAE.

The procedure for getting an OTB is not exactly complicated. It is done after you have your visa issued and must be done latest 48 hours before your flight. The step by step process is given as follows:

If the passenger’s passport has stamped from the embassy, they are not required to obtain Ok to board. For the paper visa such as  visit visa, tourist visa requires Ok to board.

Once you receive a valid UAE visa / other country who requires ok to board, after applying for a UAE visa / other country who requires ok to board, you have to send your visa copy to the airline you have booked your UAE flight ticket with. After rechecking your UAE visa, the airline approves your ticket and marks your flight PNR as OK to Board. You cannot board a flight if your PNR is not reflecting OK to Board.

Generally airlines take 24 to 48 hrs to update Ok To Board Message

UAE OK To Board Charge – Rs 650 for Indigo, Spice Jet, Air Arabia, Air India, Air India Express, Fly Dubai, Kuwait Airways, Gulf Air.

Qatar OK To Board Charge – Rs 650 for Air India, Air India Express, RS -800 for Indigo Airline.

Oman OK To Board Charge – Rs 650 for Indigo, Spice Jet,, Air India, Air India Express

Bahrain OK To Board Charge – Rs 950

Passenger travelling to Baghdad, Najaf / Basra requires Ok to board approval to travel through flight. The minimum time required to receive the approval is 72 hours. Ok to board approval needs to be obtained before check-in online.

An Ok to board approval from Baghdad or Najaf immigration authorities is mandatory for citizens of Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Afghanistan.

An Ok to board approval from Basra immigration authorities is mandatory for citizens of Ethiopia, Pakistan, India and Afghanistan.

Email[email protected] to get an ok to board approval

Flydubai requires an Ok to board approval for Pakistan citizens travelling from Faisalabad, Karachi, Multan, Quetta or Sialkot. Contact flydubai  to get the approval

Contact Centre in Pakistan: (+92) 21 111 225 539

Email: [email protected]

For more details, visit https://www.airarabia.com/en/oktoboard

Air Arabia OK to board charge / fee: AED 15

Passengers having Indian passport with ECR status and holding a tourist / visit visa must require Ok to board in Air India Express

For the travel related queries, please check here

For the travel related queries, please check here

Emirates passengers can get Ok to board approval automatically by the airline if you have booked the tickets through Emirates Airline website

Indian citizen requires an Ok to board approval

Passengers who are holding ECR Passport and Labor (Work) Visa will require Ok to board to travel in Spice jet airline. For enquiries, email [email protected]

For the travel related queries, please check here

For the travel related queries, please check here

For the travel related queries, please check here

Is there any problem / complaint with reaching the How to get Ok to Board (OKTB)? Please report any issues using the below comment form.

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Conleth Suk-Kyu
Physician
Answer # 6 #

Ok To Board or OKTB is a procedure laid down by the Gulf countries for passengers entering any of the countries on a new visa / entry permit.

All passengers travelling to the gulf on tourist visa/visitor visa / new residency permit/employment/express visas/short work visas (travelling for the first time with a paper permit and not stamped on passport) need to get Ok-To-Board done before check-in for the flight at the departure airport counter.

‘OK TO BOARD’ PROCEDURE

Passengers need to follow the below procedure to get OKTB done:

United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi/Dubai/Sharjah/Ras Al Khaimah)

ICA Link -> https://smartservices.icp.gov.ae/echannels/web/client/default.html#/fileValidity

OKTB Exemption for US/Schengen visa holders

US/Schengen visa holders are eligible for an ‘On Arrival Visa’ and such passengers are exempted to travel without OKTB norm, provided such passengers are holding a valid passport with a minimum of 6 months validity.

Go First city offices in the UAE

Dubai

Al Naboodah Travel & Tourism Agencies,

Al Shoala Building, Al Ittihad Street, Deira, PO Box 1200, Dubai, UAE.

Contact Nos.: Ph - +971-42112550

E-mail              : [email protected]

Business Hours:   0900-1800 HRS (Monday to Friday)

0900-1300 HRS (Saturday)

Abu Dhabi

Ground Floor, Airlines Building, Liwa Street, Abu Dhabi

Email to forwarding documents: [email protected]

Telephone         : +971-24180841

Business Hours:  0900-1800 HRS (Monday to Friday)

0900-1300 HRS (Saturday)

Muscat

Oman follows the below process - For Travel Agents / Corporates/Passengers

The sponsor/Pre-employment is then required to approach Go First’s representative office in Muscat during office working hours, with the original visa deposit receipt and one photocopy each of visa and visa deposit receipt. If the passenger fails to follow these processes, s(he) won’t be allowed to board the flight. It is not applicable for visit visa.

OKTB Exemption for US/Schengen visa holders

US/Schengen visa holders are eligible for an ‘On Arrival Visa’ and such passengers are exempted to travel without OKTB norm, provided such passengers are holding a valid passport with a minimum of 6 months validity.

Muscat City Office Address:

M/s. Mezoon Travel LLC.

Way No. 2905/129

Ex Al-Harty Building No. 414

Next to Bank Muscat Rex Road Branch

P.O. Box No. 629, PC - 100,

Ruwi, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

Telephone : +968-24789333,

Email id:  [email protected]

Business Hours : 0900 - 1730 HRS from Saturday to Thursday (Friday – Office Closed)

Kuwait

The above is applicable for all visit visa passengers who are holding the original visa on arrival, irrespective of Travel Agent or Non-Travel Agent issued tickets.

Kuwait City Office Address

Go First Airlines (India) Limited

Sheikha Sabeeka Al Sabha Building

2nd Floor, Office Number-11

Fahed Al Salem Street, Al Qibla

Kuwait City

Email              :  [email protected], [email protected]

Telephone        : +965 22422400/22422477

Business Hours : 0900-1700 HRS (Sunday to Thursday)

0900-1400 HRS (Saturday)

We do not accept OKTB requests via e-mail or WhatsApp, as we need to verify the original visa, passport and ticket.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Go First City Office Address:

Arjaa Travel & Tourism

Fahad Centre, Prince Turkey Street

3rd floor Al Khobar 34412

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

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