How to Apply for UAE Visa
The different types of UAE Visa applied were a bit ambiguous due to incomplete and incorrect information on the internet.
But if you search hard enough, you will find that there are six different types of UAE visas issued by the government.
UAE Visa |
Each of these visas has slight differences in the procedures but the main difference lies in the purpose of these visas. Therefore, choosing a type of visa for the UAE will strictly depend on your goal if you are visiting the UAE.
First read the types of visa you want to apply for, then continue below to find out how to register your application. What are the required documents?
Different types of UAE visa
O no. UAE Tourist Visa
As the name suggests, a tourist visa is the visa that is issued to people visiting the UAE for leisure purposes. This visa is valid for 58 days from the date of issuance and grants the holder a 30-day entry permit to visit the UAE. Basically, a tourist visa is required to be obtained by an individual from a country who does not have a visa on arrival arrangement with the UAE or does not fall under the category of visa-free entry.
In accordance with the decision of the Council of Ministers in July 2018, the tourist is allowed to obtain a fee-free entry visa for his children under the age of eighteen years, and the fee-free period is valid only during the summer vacation period from July 15 to September 15 of each year.
Request a tourist visa through airlines in the UAE
Airlines impose some general or special conditions before they carry out the procedures for issuing a tourist visa on your behalf, the most important of which is to travel with the concerned airline. You can refer to the local airlines to check the terms and conditions through the following links:
- Visa services from Etihad Airways - Etihad Airways
- Visa services from Emirates Airlines - Emirates Airlines
- Visa services from flydubai - flydubai
- Visa services from Air Arabia - Air Arabia
Note: The UAE embassies or consulates abroad do not issue tourist or visit visas. A tourist wishing to visit the UAE must refer to the UAE airlines, licensed travel agents and hotels in the UAE and apply to them to obtain a tourist visa on his behalf through the official authorities responsible for issuing visas in the UAE.
Secondly. 14-Day Service Visa
This visa is issued to those who wish to stay in the UAE for up to 14 days and also have return tickets or confirmed tickets to some other destinations on Emirates Airlines. This visa is issued to the following persons and their family members who are with them: company representatives, sales managers, auditors, corporate delegations or those who need to visit the UAE for some business purposes.
Third. Entry permit for patients and their companions
This permit is for foreign patients who need to visit Dubai for treatment. You must be sponsored by some medical facility or hospital. There are two general types of medical permits; The first is a single entry permit with permission to stay for 90 days. The visa must be planned within 60 days of the permit being issued. An extension of this permit can be sought. The second type of this permit is a multiple entry permit with the same features as a single entry. The only difference is the option to extend into a multiple entry visa.
Required Documents:
- Patient's passport copy
- A letter from a licensed hospital stating the reasons for the visit
- Patient health insurance
- Financial guarantee
the conditions:
- The sponsor must be one of the licensed hospitals in the country;
- The entry permit can be extended to accompany the patient only once, provided that a duly certified medical report stating the patient’s need to continue treatment is provided;
Abu Dhabi and Northern Emirates visa
The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship provides patient entry permits services through the eChannels customers in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. The following are the visa services provided by the authority to enter patients:
- Single Trip Treatment Visa
- Single Trip Treatment Visa for a Family Group
- Multiple-entry treatment visa
- Multiple-entry treatment visa for a family group
Fourthly. UAE visa for residents of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries
Residents of GCC countries and their companions are required to obtain visas by applying online. This must be done before arriving in the UAE. They must ensure that the sponsor travels with them. This entry permit is valid for 30 days and the permit holder has permission to stay in the UAE for 30 days from the day he entered the UAE. There is an option to extend this permit once for another 30 days. Regarding escorts, the only difference is that the validity changes from 30 to 60, as well as the number of days of permission to stay, which also changes to 60 days and the extension is also 60 days.
the conditions
- The electronic visa is sent to the e-mail registered in the application after the completion of the processing, if approved.
- No visit visa application will be approved for any family member or assistance group for residents or companions of GCC citizens without the sponsor traveling with them.
- The validity of the entry permit for a GCC resident before entry is 30 days from the date of issuance, and the period of stay in the country is 30 days from the date of entry, and it can be extended once for a period of 30 days.
- The validity of the entry permit for the companions of citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries before entry is 60 days from the date of issuance, and the period of stay in the country is 60 days from the date of entry, which can be extended once for a period of 60 days.
- The holder of a GCC resident/accompaniment entry permit will not be allowed to enter the country if it is found that his residence is expired or canceled.
- The holder of a GCC resident entry permit will not be allowed to enter the country if it is found that the profession has been changed after the entry permit was issued.
- The validity of the residence permit in the State of the Cooperation Council must be more than 3 months upon arrival at the ports of the United Arab Emirates.
- The passport validity of the entry permit holder must be more than 3 months upon arrival at the ports of the United Arab Emirates.
V. Long-Term Residence Visa for Incoming Pensioners
The UAE government has adopted a new system that allows granting a long-term visa to retired residents over the age of 55.
Under the new system, the retired expatriate is granted a 5-year residence visa, which is automatically renewed if any of the following conditions are met:
- That the retiree owns an investment in real estate worth two million dirhams, or
- His financial savings shall not be less than one million dirhams, or
- Proof of income of at least 20,000 dirhams per month.
Sixthly. Transit visa
There are two different types of this visa; 48-hour visa and 96-hour visa. These must be sponsored by airlines that are based in Dubai. This is a non-extendable visa.
Agents of national airlines can apply for transit visas for their traveling customers through
- Smart Channels for Residency and Citizenship (E-channels, Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship)
- Or the smart application (ICA UAE eChannels) on the Apple and Android
- Or through all electronic channels or smart applications provided by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in the concerned emirate.
To be able to obtain a visa, the following must be available:
- The validity of the passport or travel document should not be less than three months before entering the UAE
- Provide a personal photo with a white background
- The traveler must have a ticket to continue his journey
- That the traveler is heading to a country other than the country from which he came.
A departure fee of (30) dirhams is collected for each passenger through the sea and land ports, with the exception of travelers who are citizens of the country and citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and who are coming to the country by tourist ferries through the sea ports.
Transit visas are issued in two types, and for a specific period of time for each of them: a 48-hour visa and the other for 96 hours. Please note that in the case of applying for a transit visa for a period of 48 hours, it cannot be extended from 48 to 96 hours.
vii. Student visa
This visa is for aspiring students who wish to study in colleges and universities in the United Arab Emirates. This visa is eligible for one year and renewal is required upon presentation of evidence that the individual will continue in education. A new student visa was recently introduced in November 2018, and it is applicable for five years.
Eligibility requirements for a five-year visa
School students : The student must graduate from high school with a grade of distinction, which represents an average of at least 95% in high school in public or private schools.
University students : The graduating student must obtain an excellent grade, which represents a GPA of at least 3.75 upon graduating from universities located inside or outside the country.
Benefits granted to outstanding students also extend to their families.
Student visa basic requirements
To apply for a student visa, the applicant must fulfill several requirements, including:
- An official acceptance letter from one of the accredited universities in the UAE, if the student is a newcomer, and a certificate of continuity of study for old students
- Passing a medical fitness test from a government medical center in the UAE
- A sponsor for a student visa, either the university itself, a parent or a relative
- Final approval of the visa application by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (the authority concerned with visa and visa affairs in the UAE).
A student visa in the UAE can be provided either by the parents of resident expatriate students who are sponsoring their children, or by one of the universities or colleges accredited in the country. Applications for entry permits, visas and visas are submitted through the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in the concerned emirate.
The price of a residence visa for one year is 100 dirhams, and it is renewed for another year with the same value. No financial guarantees are met from the sponsor in return for this visa. In order to benefit from this decision, the applicant must present educational certificates certified by the universities or schools in which the student studies, whether inside or outside the country.
Eighth. Entrepreneur visa
The Entrepreneur Visa is part of the golden residency system, which entitles individuals to obtain permanent residency and unprecedented benefits for entrepreneurs and their families, in a manner that enhances the environment attractive to business growth and success.
What are the procedures for obtaining an entrepreneur visa?
To obtain the Entrepreneur visa, you will need to have your nomination approved by an approved government incubator in the UAE (currently AREA 2071 in Dubai, or HUB71 in Abu Dhabi). After your candidacy is approved, you will be invited to apply for a visa through the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, Customs and Port Security.
Loss :
- If your nomination is accepted, you will receive a link to upload the required documents and complete your visa application.
- If your nomination is not approved, please allow 90 days before submitting your application again.
Entrepreneur visa benefits
When the visa is issued, the applicant is allowed to:
- Obtaining a multiple-entry permit for a period of six months, to study the start of his project in the UAE, and to complete the procedures for applying for a permanent visa.
- Nomination of 3 employees or partners in the project to obtain the golden residency.
All Entrepreneur visa holders are allowed to sponsor their dependents in accordance with the terms and requirements of the Federal Authority for Identity and Nationality, Customs and Ports Security.
Note : Citizens of the following constituent countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Kuwait - Bahrain - Sultanate of Oman Qatar - can enter the UAE without a visa and without a sponsor.
In the event that you are not a citizen of one of the former GCC countries, and you are not a citizen of a country whose citizens can obtain a visa on arrival, you must apply for an entry permit or an entry visa.
Ninth. Residence permits for virtual work
This trend will contribute to attracting minds and talents and employing expertise and human resources to work remotely to achieve and raise the level of productivity in the national economy and other vital sectors.
To apply, the applicant must hold a passport valid for at least 6 months, with valid health insurance covering the entire duration of stay in Dubai.
If you are an employee, you must also submit:
- Evidence of your employment with your current employer, with a work contract valid for one year
- A certificate of the last salary not less than 5,000 US dollars per month,
- Bank account statement for the last three months.
If you are the owner of the company (employer), you must also provide:
- Evidence that you have owned the company for a year or more
- Evidence of an average monthly income of at least $5,000
- Bank statement for the last three months