We all know that there are several formalities that are to be taken care of when you are travelling to a different country. However, there is one particular thing that needs to be taken care of travelling to certain countries, called ‘OK to Board’ or OTB in short. These are the guidelines are specified by the airlines that mainly work for the Gulf countries that request OTB.
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.
ECR Passport
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 are certain pointers that you must take into consideration in order to get an Emirates OK to Board. Also, once you have applied for the OTB, you don’t need to call the agency for a follow-up, you will have your visa verified in no time.
When you are applying for the Air India Express OK to Board, you must ensure to apply at least 72 hours before the departure of your flight. The OTB is linked to your PNR and your ticket will be updated.
As an Indian traveller, you will have to apply for Flydubai OK to Board if you have booked your flight from Flydubai. Extra charges mostly will be applied for the OTB.
If your tickets have been booked by Oman Air, make sure that you apply at least 48 prior to your flight for an OK to Board Oman Air.
In order to get OK to Board Air India, you need to apply to the air ticketing agency before the date of journey to be allowed to board the flight.
OK to Board Indigo is compulsory for its customers who are travelling with the print out of a labour or work visa.
You need to apply for OK to Board Spicejet at least 48 hours before you board the flight. You will be informed once your ticket is updated.
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.
Generally, you wouldn’t even need to check the status of your Okay to Board the process doesn’t take too long. Although even if you are willing to check the status of the Okay to Board, you can check the status by calling the customer care of the airlines from where you have booked your air tickets.
When you are considering flying to UAE as an Indian passport holder, you first need to check if you require an Okay to Board. In the case of UAE, Indian passport holders with following criteria require an Okay to Board:
There are certain conditions while travelling to Qatar from India. Some pointers are given below which will help you understand whether you need an Okay to Board for your visa or not:
At the time of travelling to Oman, Indian passport holders do require an Okay to Board. Some specific parameters for an OTB to Oman are given as follows:
Bahrain is a strict country and like some other passport holders, Indians also require an Okay to Board to board a flight to Oman, mainly Muscat. The criteria for OTB to Oman is given in the following:
Indian passport holders require an Okay to Board before boarding a flight to Kuwait. The parameters that are followed for an OTB to Kuwait are as follows:
Important Note: The instructions for obtaining an OK to Board differ from airline to airline, airport to airport and country to country. The information provided is correct up to an extent but there may be certain other requirements like the fees or additional documents and eligibility criteria as well for getting an OK to Board. It is duly recommended that you contact for consultation at -