Visa iRelated

Abu Dhabi Government has strict and frequently changing rules on Visa Implementation. Most nationalities are required to get permits to enter the country.

“An entry permit is a special document which permits a foreigner, accompanied by the persons mentioned in his passport or travel document, to enter the territories of the UAE. The General Directorate of Residence and and Foreigners Affairs - Abu Dhabi (GDRFA), UAE airport authorities and embassies abroad are the authorities responsible for issuing various types of visas and permits to foreigners who wish to enter the country depending on the type of visa and purpose of entry.” – as quoted from www.abudhabi.ae

Tourist Visas are usually available to all nationalities, except Israeli passport holders, and must be prearranged, often through a hotel but possibly also through an airline or other travel related company based in the UAE (new visa rules after July 2008). Hotels, travel agents, airlines and other companies will normally only arrange a Tourist Visa for a customer. Citizens of one of the free visa on arrival countries can obtain a UAE Visit Visa (different from a Tourist Visa) on arrival at any border entry point to the UAE simply by presenting their passport at passport control. To obtain a tourist visa for Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, our best understanding is you should do one of the following:

• If you are from one of the countries that can get a visit visa on arrival, do that.
• Otherwise contact the airline, hotel, or travel agent that you arranged your trip with and ask them if they can arrange a Tourist Visa (not all airlines can or will, and one could argue it's a bit of a racket but easily getting a tourist visa is one argument in favor of buying a ticket from a UAE based airline - Emirates, FlyDubai, Etihad, Air Arabia, RAK Airways). Fees will vary from one company to the next so check with more than one if you have a choice of options. Only travel agents and hotels based in the UAE can arrange a tourist visa.
• If you have a close relative in the UAE, they may be able to sponsor you for a Visit Visa (not a Tourist Visa).
• Entering the UAE with a pre-arranged tourist visa does not guarantee entry but most people most of the time have no problems. Dubai is likely to be the most hassle-free emirate (but Sharjah the highest risk of hassle). To minimise hassles at passport control (where they might ask awkward questions), if you don't have a hotel booking, at least know the name of a hotel in the emirate you are staying in in case they ask you where you are staying (they are very unlikely to ask for evidence, and if they do, just say you were just going to go to the hotel or ask at the airport tourist information desk for other possibilities if it is full). Don't say you are staying with a friend, especially of the opposite gender, especially in Sharjah - technically it is illegal for unmarried unrelated adult men and women to share private accommodation but it's not usually a problem (at least not for British football players visiting Dubai with their girlfriends) but don't volunteer those arrangements to anyone in authority.

Documents and requirements needed for sponsoring a relative's visit visa

• Resident's passport with valid UAE residence visa.
• Resident's labour contract or salary certificate as proof of minimum salary.
• Proof of relationship of family member (marriage certificate for spouse, birth certificate for children). Documents will probably need to be attested. For more distant relatives, an attested document from your embassy detailing the relationship should be sufficient.
• Proof of medical / health / accident insurance for the visitor.
• Copy of visitor's passport (should be valid for at least 6 months after expected date of entry to the UAE).
• Visa application form - obtain at the typing center at the immigration department (DNRD in Dubai, or other UAE immigration office).
• Visa fees of AED 620 for a one month visa ("short term visa") or AED 1120 for a three month visa ("long term visa"). Visa validity is actually 30 days and 90 days - slightly less than 1 month or 3 months.
• Refundable deposit of AED 1000 (previous to new visa rules either no deposit or 2000 dhs deposit was required - no that doesn't make sense to us either).
• Minimum salary requirement as follows:

Relationship	husband/wife	son/daughter	mother/father	brother/sister	other
Min Salary	AED 4,000	AED 4,000	AED 4,000	AED 5,000	AED 6,000-7,000

Procedure to obtain visit visa for relative

• Go to the immigration department of the emirate which issued your residence visa. You could try in a different emirate but you will usually be required to apply at the emirate from where you have your residence visa. If you do try elsewhere, bring a copy of your tenancy contract as proof you live in a different emirate, or labour card as proof you work in a different emirate.
• Start at the typing center where you pay the visa fees and the application form will be filled in. They'll direct you to to the next relevant counter for document submission and processing.
• Visit visa should be issued within a day or two, possibly the same day if you pay urgent processing fees.
• After receiving the visit visa, send either the original or a copy to your relative.
• If you send only the copy, then you'll need to deposit the original visa at the Dubai airport DNATA counter at least three hours prior to arrival of the visitor. Or you can use the Visa Delivery Service available at the DNATA counter at the DNRD (do this a day before).

For other emirates, ask when you collect the visa, where the visa needs to be deposited for collection by the visitor on arrival.

Renewing a visit visa

Conflicting information seen regarding whether a visit visa is renewable. The DNRD visa table says neither visit visa is renewable. Confusion might be due to mixup between two other common visa types used by visitors:

• UAE tourist visa - valid 30 days, renewable once, issued by tourist industry related organisations.
• UAE visit visa on arrival - valid 30 days, renewable once, issued on arrival to a restricted list of nationalities.

Visit visa cancellation and deposit refund

• When your guest leaves the country, the visa is automatically cancelled.
• Any overstaying fines are paid on departure - allow AED 100 for overstaying plus AED 200 per day (it might still be AED 100). Entry day and exit day are counted, and remember the "one month visa" is actually only valid for 30 days.
• After your guest has left, go back to the immigration department where the visit visa was issued, and present your deposit receipt to get a refund. Their computer system will be automatically updated when the visitor departs, you don't need to present proof of departure yourself.

However, rules are changed from time to time and it is advisable to check with the UAE embassy abroad or the airline company before coming to the UAE.

The following types of entry permits are issued according to the purpose of the visit:

Tourism Entry Permit: tourists can get a visa through a hotel in the UAE, or even through some accredited travel agencies. The visa is valid for one month and one time extendable after the approval of GDRFA.

Transit Permit: they are issued to individuals mainly by the UAE airport authorities. The transit visa is valid for 4 days (96 hours) after entry, non-renewable and can only be issued if the visitor is holding a valid ticket for an onward flight.

It is usually issued at a request made by an airline company for travelers staying in the country for not less than 8 hours. Citizens of Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Niger and Yemen are not eligible for the transit visa on arrival.

Visit Entry Permit: a visit visa can be issued to a company operating in the UAE, a UAE national sponsor or an expatriate resident in the country who can sponsor his first and second degree family members. This type of visa is valid for 30 days (short term visits) and 90 days (long terms visits).

While only UAE nationals can sponsor a visitor if he is a friend, expatriates need to have a minimum monthly salary of AED 3,000 with accommodation or AED 4,000 without accommodation to sponsor their family members. The required paperwork includes proof of kinship and 30-day or 90-day health insurance for the visa beneficiary, in addition to the payment of a refundable financial guarantee of AED 1,000.

Temporary Work Permits: expatriates can enter the country on temporary work permits to take up a temporary work or complete a project. This visa is valid for 90 days and can be extended for a similar period.

Entry Permit for Studying: these types of entry permits are useful for students who are sponsored by one of the licensed universities, colleges or academic or research institutions in the country to join short term courses. It is valid for 60 days and can be extended twice for a similar period.

Entry Permit for Medical Treatment: patients and those who have medical follow-up visits can apply for a 60-day entry permit extendable once for a similar period, provided that they are sponsored by one of the hospitals in the UAE.

Entry Permit for Attending Exhibition, Festival or Conference: this permit allows those who wish to attend an exhibition or conference held in the country provided that they are sponsored by an entity licensed by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA).  This non-extendable permit is valid for 30 days only.

Multiple-entry Visa: multiple-entry visas are issued to business visitors who have a relationship with either a multinational or a local company, and who are visiting the UAE frequently. This type of non-renewable visa is valid for six months from the date of issue, and the duration of each stay is 14 consecutive days.

Employment Residence Visa: the General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs - Abu Dhabi (GDRFA) can give expatriates permission to enter the country for work, provided that the concerned authorities have provided their approval, such as an employment contract from a private or public organisation. The entry permit allows its holder to enter the country once within 2 months of the date of issuing and stay for a maximum period of 30 days from the date of entry during which the employer should approach GDRFA for processing a residency visa for the employee which is usually valid for 2 years.

References/Sources: http://www.abudhabi.ae

                                    http://www.dubaifaqs.com/visa-transit-dubai.php

Photo Credits: http://www.123rf.com/photo_10831740_rubber-stamp--visa.html