If a trip to the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf countries on your list, then you must know everything about the Ok To Board (OTB).

An OTB is a pre-condition of the airline to make sure that the visa holder is authorized to travel. All Indian passport holders require an Ok to Board while travelling most importantly to Dubai or going to any other part of the UAE. and other Gulf countries. Your PNR number must reflect OK to Board from the respective airline before you can be allowed to take off for the UAE & GULF Countries. Please note that you cannot board a flight if your PNR is not reflecting OK to Board.

What is Ok to Board?

Ok to Board is a verification procedure undertaken by the airline to check the authenticity of your E-visa. OTB is a message entered in the airline’s reservation system against your PNR number. In other words your paper-based visa (one that is not stamped in the passport) has been inspected and validated, as a result the airline check-in staff can issue you a boarding pass and allow you to board the flight.

Is Ok to Board mandatory?

Yes, the OTB is mandatory in some airlines. Till now all Indian passport holders visiting UAE & Gulf countries were supposed to update the OTB (Ok to Board) status before boarding the flight. However in a recent development, OTB for UAE & Gulf countries is not required now for Indians holding a ‘Non-ECR’ or ‘ECNR’ passport and intending to visit UAE & Gulf countries on a Tourist Visa or Employment E-Visa. However we recommend you check with our Visa Experts.

How will I receive the OK To Board message?

Once our team gets an update from the airline on OK to Board status, they will call or email you and update you on the same. However, you can also call the respective airline directly to reconfirm your OK to Board status 48 hours prior to your scheduled flight departure.

What happens if I have not updated the Ok to Board message?

In a scenario where OTB status does not get reflected in your PNR, the airline may reject or cancel your travel and consequently you will not be allowed to board the flight. Moreover you may also need to pay an additional liability or cancellation charge if any, to the concerned authority.