Visa basics

There are different types of visas available for visiting the UAE depending on purpose and duration of visit, country of residence and citizenship. Visas for residence require a health check; there is no need to obtain a health certificate in order to enter the country, however, unless you have been in areas at high risk for yellow fever, malaria and rabies.

There are a variety of different visas for different purposes, but most people will want one of the main types described below. Note that the detailed requirements mentioned here are subject to change – you are advised to check the current situation with the Department of Naturalization and Residency or with a local UAE Embassy.

Visit visa

Citizens from a list of acceptable countries (see the box) will normally get a visit visa automatically on entry to the UAE – it’s a stamp in the passport delivered when you arrive. There’s no charge.

All citizens obtaining a visit visa should have evidence of medical insurance prior to arrival – for UK residents, for instance, proof of National Insurance will do. In theory you may be asked to produce this, but it’s not usual. The following categories of people are either granted a visit visa on arrival into any Emirate of the UAE or do not need one for travel into the UAE:

• Citizens of Arab Gulf Co Operation Council (GCC) countries that include Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar do not require a visa. They will need to produce their passport for identification purposes at the port of arrival.
• Expatriate residents of GCC countries with acceptable qualifications (managers, accountants, doctors, government employees, businessmen, auditors etc.), their families and staff get a renewable 30-day visit visa on arrival into the UAE for a nominal fee. This visa can be extended for another 30 days by payment of AED 500.
• UK citizens and others with a Right to Abode get a free renewable 30-day visa on arrival into the Emirates. This visa can be extended by an additional 30 days for a small fee. The rule also applies to British Overseas Citizen Passport holders.
• Citizens of some privileged countries (see the list) can get a 30-day non renewable visit visa to the UAE for a small fee. The list of countries is subject to change; check with your local embassy before travelling.

Visitors that do not fall into the above categories are required to apply for and obtain a valid visa prior to their arrival into the UAE.

Tourist visa

Visitors from some other countries not in the list in the box will need a Tourist visa.

A tourist visa can be obtained within a week by a valid sponsor before arrival into the UAE. Sponsors can include hotels, tourist companies, travel agencies, other companies, UAE nationals or UAE residents. For a UAE resident to be able to sponsor a relative or friend, his income must exceed AED 4000 a month. For a hotel-sponsored visa, the requirement is that the visitor stays the hotel. A refundable deposit of AED 1000 must also be made to the authorities.

Tourist visas are issued in advance by hotels and tour operators; as with Visit visas, they entitle the holder to a 30-day stay and are non-renewable.

There are no additional requirements for health tests or certification.

Multiple-entry visa

For an AED 2000 fee, a valid sponsor can also obtain a Multiple Entry Visa for possessing a Labour Contract and provided the nature of their job requires frequent travelling– so the Multiple Entry visa is intended for business visitors who are frequent visitors to the UAE and who have a relationship with a reputable company in the UAE.

The visa holder must enter the country at least once every six months for a stay of at least 14 days. The visitor must enter the UAE on a visit visa and obtain the Multiple Entry visa while in the country.

Residence or Employment visa

You’ll need a Residence visa to open a bank account, take on a long-term rental or buy property, and get a driving licence. More important, you’ll be allowed to stay in the country for longer than 90 days.

The Residence visa – a certificate in your passport, in practice – is issued by the Immigration Department and sponsored by the company where the person is employed. You will need to take a mandatory health screening test, specifically a blood test for AIDS and an x-ray for chest infections; there are prescribed testing centres for this.

Family visa

If you are coming to the UAE with family members, you should get a Family visa; this allows you to sponsor your spouse, children under 18, and parents.

To get a Family Visa you must meet one or more of these conditions:

• You earn a minimum salary. Currently this is AED 4,000 per month (AED 3,000 if your employer provides your accommodation)
• You are a teacher, a mosque imam, or a driver for a university, college, institution, or school bus
• You are a foreign female who works in a vocational specialisation such as medicine, engineering, or education (check the qualifying occupations with a local UAE embassy or the Department of Naturalization and Residency)

Before your family arrives, you’ll need to obtain a Residence Entry Permit for each dependent from the Department of Naturalization and Residency on 19th Street (Al Saada Street) between 2nd St (Airport Road) and 24th St (Al Karamah Road). The Residence Entry Permit entitles the holder to one entry into the UAE within a period of two months from the date of issue and to a stay of no more than 30 days from the date of entry.

You can either send the permit to your spouse/child and let them bring it into the country when they come, or you can submit it to the airport at which they will arrive. Take the permit and the flight details to the receiving counter in the main terminal at least three hours before the flight arrives.

To get the permit, a sponsor will need the following documents:

• A Residence Entry Permit application form, signed by you
• A copy of your marriage license, duly certified from the country of origin (the original certificate is not usually good enough: it needs to be separately validated by the issuing authority), authenticated from the consulate representing the country abroad or from the UAE-based embassy of the country which issued it (usually a formality with a smallish fee), and finally certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry is located in the building next to Carrefour on Airport Road; hand over the attested version of the marriage licence and AED 100; return the next day to pick it up, or pay another AED 150 to get it back the same day
• A salary statement and labour contract
• A copy of each dependent’s passport

Once your family has passed through immigration with their Residence Entry Permits, you’re ready to apply for their Residence Visas. Submit the following documents to the Department of Naturalization and Residency:

• An application signed and stamped by your employer (or other sponsor)
• A copy of your own residence visa
• Two passport-sized colour photos for each dependent Each dependent’s original passport, which must be valid for at least three months
• A Medical Certificate for each dependent older than 18 years (this must be no more than three months old)
• The original entry permit for each dependent

Other visas

Transit visas are given for a period of 96 hours and are sponsored by airlines operating in the country. To obtain this kind of visa, the visitor must have a ticket for an onward flight from the UAE. Transit Visas are valid for up to 14 days.

Student visas can be obtained for a period of 60-days for a fee of AED 1000 fee and AED 1000 refundable deposit. This period can be extended by 60 days until the student obtains a residence visa.

Qualifying ‘privileged’ countries for Visit visas

• Andorra
• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Brunei
• Canada
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hong Kong
• SAR
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Japan
• Liechtenstein
• Luxembourg
• Malaysia
• Monaco
• Netherlands
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Portugal
• San Marino
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom
• United States
• Vatican