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Dubai: Obtaining a visit visa for the UAE is a relatively simple process, although the rules will be changing on August 1.
A visit visa applies to all tourists that wish to spend longer than 14 days in the UAE, whether this is for leisure or business.
Under current rules, expatriate residents in the GCC may obtain a visit visa upon arrival.
British citizens can also obtain a visa upon arrival and it is valid for 60 days. This can be renewed for an extra 30 days at a cost of Dh500.
Current regulations also allow residents of 33 other countries to visit the UAE on the same arrival scheme and can also obtain a one-month non-renewable visit visa for Dh100 on arrival.
According to Dubai Government, current rules allow residents ('sponsors') to obtain visit visas for friends, as long as the resident earns no less than Dh10,000 a month (for procedure, see box). However, the new ruling states that only UAE nationals will be allowed to sponsor visitors that are friends.
New types
UAE residents will be allowed to apply for visit visas for their spouse or close relatives, while wider family members will need the approval of senior officials.
A total of 16 new visit visas are due to be introduced by the Federal Naturalisation and Residency Department (FNRD).
From August 1, visit visas valid for 30 days will cost Dh500, and cannot be renewed. If the visitor wishes to stay longer than 30 days, a visit visa valid for 90 days can be issued at a cost of Dh1,000.
Health insurance will also be mandatory, which includes a Dh1,000 deposit before the visa is issued.
A multiple-entry visit visa will also be introduced at a cost of Dh2,000, which is valid for six months, but only allows for visits of 14 days at a time.
A refundable deposit of Dh1,000 needs to be paid to the FNRD before any visit visa is issued and the Ministry of Interior is looking at exempting some nationalities from the charge, although no decision has yet been taken, as reported in Gulf News.
New visa fees
- Health visa: cost Dh1,000 for 90 days. Those wishing to undergo treatment in the UAE must obtain this visa, which can be renewed for a comparable period, costing Dh500.
- Business visa: cost Dh100. This visa is for those attending conferences or exhibitions in the UAE.
- Month-long tourist visa: cost Dh100 (unchanged). This can be renewed once.
- Transit visas will cost Dh100 and mission visas will be Dh200.
Documents required
- Typing form
- A copy of the sponsor's passport
- A copy of the sponsored person's passport and three passport photos
- Attested work contract if the sponsor is working in a private company or a salary certificate if working in government
Fees
- Dh110 + typing fee
- Additional Dh100 for urgent application fee (optional)
- Dh10 Empost sticker for non-urgent visa
- Dh1,000 refundable deposit (retain receipt to obtain refund)
Procedure
Go to any authorised typing office and have the forms typed. If an urgent visa is required, ask for urgent visa form to be typed & pay additional Dh100.
Go to any Naturalisation and Residency Department (NRD) branch or main office. If you are applying for non-urgent visa, go to an Empost Counter and purchase a Dh10 sticker before submitting the visa form. Urgent visas are given within 10 minutes.
Empost will courier non-urgent visas to you within two working days at the address you have listed on the sticker.
Send either the original or the copy to your friend. If only copy was sent, then deposit the original at a visa counter at the respective UAE airport at least five hours before the flight lands.
Source: Dubai Government web portal
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