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Dubai: An expatriate will need a visit visa to enter the country.
If the expatriate comes to the UAE on a visit visa, he/she can extend the visa without travelling outside the country by paying a fee to the Naturalisation and Residency Department which issued the visa.
Those who enter the UAE on visit visas and managed to land a job, they too can change their status without leaving the country.
But most people travel outside the country and then come back again on a work permit.
A visit visa to the UAE is valid for 60 days from the date of entry into the country. It can be extended before the end of the 60 days, for another month by paying a Dh500 fee.
Change of status
The visitor does not need to travel outside the country if he or she extends the visa before the end of the 60 days. A one-month extension will be granted. But if one completes the 60 days without renewing the visa, he or she should leave the country for one month.
Those who entered the country on a visit visa and wish to change it to a work permit have two options: either leave the country and come back on a new visa without paying any fees for the change, or they can pay Dh500 without leaving the country.
In Dubai, the change of status — from visit visa to employment visa — costs Dh1,100 which is Dh600 more than what other emirates charge. This includes Dh500 which has to be paid for the change of status, and another Dh500 because the person chose not to leave the country. An additional Dh100 is also charged as application fee.
If those whose visa is issued from Dubai prefers to leave the country for the change in the visa status, he or she will pay only Dh500 fees.
Those who enter the UAE on a tourist visa applied through hotels and tourist companies is valid only for 30 days. It cannot be extended or renewed.
All transactions should be done at the entry permit section at the Naturalisation and Residency Department at the emirate which issued the visa.
Documents needed for extending permits
Application form
Original entry permit
Original passport of the visitor
Dh500 extension fee to be paid by e-form (If the visitor prefers to leave the country and then re-enter again, he or she need not pay the fees).
Expatriates from some countries can get visit visa on arrival in the UAE, and can stay up to 30 days. According to a law passed on March 31, 2003, the citizens of 34 countries can only obtain a one-month non-renewable visit visa on arrival which costs Dh100.
However, those who entered the UAE through Dubai can extend the visa, while those who entered through any other emirate cannot extend it.
Penalties: If the holder of a tourist visa stays more than the 30 days allowed, there is a fine of Dh100 for each day as well as an additional Dh100 for an outpass.
If the holder of the visit visa stays more than 60 days or more than 90 days (after the extension) they will be liable to pay a fine of Dh100 per day, as well as an additional Dh100 for an outpass.
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