Ok To Board Everything You Need To Know About Otb For Emirates Visa

4 min readApr 4, 2023

OK to Board: Everything you need to know about OTB for Emirates Visa

If you are planning a trip to the Emirates, you should know everything about Ok to Board also known as OTB. While travelling to the Emirates, Indian citizens do not only need to get their Visas approved but also need the ‘OK to Board’ approval.

You must be hassled by reading so many technical words. We urge you not to be. We will be jotting down all the required information you need to know and understand regarding the concept of emirates otb.

Overview

Concept of OK to board
Why is an OK to Board required?
OTB required Documents
Application and Process of OTB
How to check OK to Board status?
Frequently Asked Questions

Concept Of OK To Board

OK to board is an airline requirement that is required to board your flight to the Emirates. The very first step, in order to visit the Emirates, is obviously to Apply Emirates Visa. Once your Emirates Visa is approved and is granted to you, it is shared with the airline authorities, with whom you have booked your flight tickets. The airline further scans your Emirates Visa and if no objections are raised, then they mark OK to Board on your flight PNR.

Countries That Require An OK To Board

Countries like:

India
Sri Lanka
Bangladesh
Pakistan

Indian Passport holders travelling to the Emirates who require OK To Board are categories into the following:

Passengers holding ECR (Emigration Check Required) passports.
Passengers who are travelling with a print-out of Labor & Work e-visa are required OK to Board

Indian Passport holders travelling to the Emirates who do not require OK To Board are categories into the following:

Passengers who hold a Resident Permit or have their passport stamped with Resident Visa.
Passengers who have the facility to use ‘Visa on Arrival’ do not require OK to Board
Passengers with an ECNR passport.

Travellers travelling to the GCC countries too require the OK to Board approval to continue with their journey. The following are the categories of Indian Passport holders who require and do not require the OK to Board in the GCC countries (Qatar).

Read Also: Emirates 14 Days Visa

Following are the categories of Indian Passport holders who are travelling to Qatar require OK To Board:

Passengers travelling through the Indigo Airlines, Air India, Air India Express with ECR (Emigration Check Required) passport.
Passengers who are travelling with a print-out of Labor & Work e-visa.
All passengers travelling through Oman Air, Spice, SriLankan Airlines.

Following are the categories of Indian Passport holders who are travelling to Qatar and do not require ‘OK to Board’:

Travellers who hold a Resident Permit or have their passport stamped with a Resident Visa.
Passengers who have the facility to use ‘Visa on Arrival’, do not require OK to Board.
Passengers travelling through the following airlines holding an ECNR (Emigration Check Not Required)
Airlines, Air India, Air India Express

Why Is An OK To Board Required?

Due to the ongoing rise of the scam involving the forgery and fraudulent activities by making fake or forged visas, a lot of people are being deported by their respective countries. To reduce and eventually get rid of this Visa scam the airline authorities have started checking the Visas before the departure of the flight.

OTB Required Documents

To apply for an OK to Board, you are required to submit the following documents:

A Scan copy of the applicant’s passport’s first & last page (the Bio page)
A scan of the applicant’s Visa copy
A copy of the applicants confirmed onward & return ticket
Pan card or any Identification proof copy of the applicants

Application And Process Of OTB

Application and the process of OK to Board is no longer a hassle. All you are required to do is, submit all the required documents (passport size photograph with white background, passport front and last page scan copies and return air ticket) and fill the application form on https://www.emiratesvisaonline.com/ for applying for Emirates Visa.

Once your Visa is approved and granted, the visa copy along with your return air tickets will be sent to the respective airline to get OK to Board in your PNR. Here on you can enjoy a worry-free trip to the Emirates.

Emirates Ok To Board

“Emirates Ok to Board” (OTB) is a process where passengers travelling to certain countries must have their visa and other travel documents checked and approved by the airline before they are allowed to board the flight. The OTB process is mandatory for travellers from certain countries, such as India and Pakistan, who are travelling to the UAE, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait, among others.

The airline will verify the passenger’s visa and other travel documents to ensure that they are valid and meet the requirements of the destination country. Once the documents are approved, the airline will update the passenger’s booking with an “Ok to Board” status, which allows the passenger to board the flight. It’s important for passengers to check with their airline whether an OTB process is required for their travel and to ensure they have all the necessary documents in order before departure.

How To Check OK To Board Status?

You no longer need to be dependent on your travel agents to check you’re OK to Board status; you need to coordinate with the Airline through which you’ve booked your flight. You are required to call the airlines 48 hours before your scheduled flight.

Read Also: Emirates Visa for Sri Lanka