Before you travel to the UAE, please check your visa requirements and make sure you have a valid visa if needed. Holders of non-standard passports and travel documents may also have different entry requirements:
Citizens of the GCC nations of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia do not require a visa to travel to the UAE.
Citizens of the GCC nations of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia do not require a visa to travel to the UAE.
Dubai Residency:
Anyone can live and work in Dubai with a valid residency visa and work permit...
Husband can sponser his family if his salary is >AED 4000.
Wife can sponsor her family if her salary is >AED 6000.
The validity of the visa terms are depends upon the work profile.
Most of the employment visas are renewed in 3 years.
But House maid visas are valid for 2 years for an Emirati Sponsor and 1 year for an expatriate sponsor.
Visit Visas - Offer from Emirates Airlines:
Transit Visas- Validity 96 hours ( 4 days) , AED 190 non refundable
Tourist Visa - Validity 1 month, AED 275, Extendable ( Additional 30 days AED 710)
Visit Visa - Max 90 days , AED 1155 , Non Extendable
Important notes
The above visa types apply for family members and near relatives of UAE residents only.
- Entry into the UAE is subject to immigration approval.
- Visas types are valid for 59 days from the date of issue (except Service Visas, which are valid for 14 days from the date of issue).
- Typical minimum salary requirement
- AED 4000 - for sponsoring spouse/child/parent/parent-in-law
- AED 5500 - for sponsoring sister/brother/niece/nephew
- AED 7000 - for sponsoring brother-in-law and sister-in-law
(These salary requirements are examples only – salary requirements may vary according to other factors in the application.)
- The salary should match both the labour contract and the company service letter and upon any discrepancy the application will not be accepted.
Applying for a visa
Please ensure all of the following documents are submitted:- Applicant’s colour passport-style photograph (must be an original photograph, not a printout or photocopy).
- Applicant's passport copy. The passport must be valid for at least six months, and the copy must be fully legible.
- Original application form (available at all Emirates Travel Hubs) in Arabic or English – based on the applicant’s nationality, with addresses and contact numbers at both their originating country and in Dubai. Download the English or Arabic application form here.
- Sponsor’s passport copy with UAE residence visa page copy (copies must be fully legible).
- Sponsor’s labour contract and service letter (must be in Arabic).
- Sponsor’s trade license copy if self-employed.
- Copy of Emirates ticket issued in the UAE only.
- A refundable cash deposit of AED 1000 for each passport.
Conditions
- The visa fees must be paid upon application.
- The passenger must travel to and from Dubai on Emirates only, and the ticket must be purchased prior to application for the visa.
- The ticket is non-refundable if the visa has been issued and utilised.
- Visa processing time: three to four working days. NB: visa processing may take longer at peak periods, such as holidays.
Dubai Dnata Travel Centre (Sheikh Zayed Road).
Old Emirates Headquarters building in Deira, near Clock Tower roundabout.
Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khalid Al Nahyan Building, Mezzanine Floor, Corniche Street (02 6911777).
Al Ain Emirates Commercial Complex, Shop 16, Ground Floor, Khalifa Street (03 7062020).
Sharjah Al Soor Building, Emirates office (06 5690759).
Ajman Escape Tower, Shaikh Rashid Bin Humaid Street (06-7421500/7443732).
Ticketing counters that do not accept visa applications:
- Dubai Airport
- Dubai Jumeirah Town Centre
- Visa applications will only be accepted from 09:00 to 15:00 daily.
- Visas applications will not be accepted on Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays.
Note: It is your sole responsibility to obtain a visa where the same is required and we shall accept no liability for your failure to do so. Please also note that entry into the UAE is subject to immigration approval. All details provided on this page are for information only, and are subject to change without notice.
Other ways to obtain Dubai Visa
Otherwise, please visit the Dubai Department of Naturalization & Residency website to find out more about other types of sponsors, such as hotels or companies.
Dubai Immigration procedures:
As an added security measure, Immigration Authorities at Dubai International Airport are now conducting random eye screening for visitors to Dubai.
Visitors asked to proceed for eye screening are required to present a hard copy of their visa or a printed version of the visa number confirmation page at the screening counter. If you do not have a copy with you, a charge of AED 30 per copy applies - payable only in AED.
Glad news from Emirates Airlines: Shopping Festival offer
Emirates and Visa team up to offer free tourist visas during Dubai Shopping Festival ....
Emirates and Visa team up to offer free tourist visas during Dubai Shopping Festival ....
People looking to travel to Dubai to experience the excitement of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) and spend time with their families will benefit from a free one month tourist visa, when travelling on Emirates and paying with their Visa credit, debit or prepaid card in the UAE.
Valid for all Emirates destinations that require a visa for entry into Dubai, the promotion is open to passengers in any class of travel - provided a return ticket is purchased in the UAE and a valid family member sponsors their stay. Tickets must be booked and paid for in the UAE during the two week sale period from, 19th January till 1st of February 2010 inclusive.
Canadians face pricey visa for UAE after spat
Dec 29, 2010 at 09:01
Canada's diplomatic dispute with the United Arab Emirates will cost travellers to the Gulf state as much as $1,000 in new visa requirements.
The new fees kick in this weekend with the arrival of the new year, and were announced this fall at the height of a dispute between Canada and the UAE.
A 30-day, non-renewable visa will cost $250, a three-month visa $500, and a six-month multiple entry will be $1,000.
The UAE, particularly its city state of Dubai, is major travel hub linking Europe, Asia and Africa.
Camp Mirage military base, outside Dubai, was the key staging ground for the Canadian Forces mission in Afghanistan before the UAE issued an eviction notice.
It followed the Conservative government's refusal to grant extra landing rights to two major UAE airlines.
The decision exposed divisions in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's cabinet.
Transport Minister John Baird led the charge around the cabinet table to deny extra landing rights to Emirates and Etihad airlines.
The decision to deny greater access to the UAE airlines was based on the assumption that Canadian airlines would suffer, particularly if preferential access were given to Toronto's Pearson International Airport.
That view was opposed by Defence Minister Peter MacKay, who was concerned the decision would negatively effect Canadian relations with one of its closest Arab allies.
MacKay has publicly stated that Canada has "work to do" in repairing its relations with the UAE.
The cost of moving the Forces' supply mission from Camp Mirage has been pegged at $300 million.
A spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon indicated Tuesday the looming visa requirement would not change the government's decision.
"Canada is a sovereign nation, and we make our decisions based on what is in the best interests of Canadians," said Melissa Lantsman.
The UAE's ambassador to Canada could not be reached for comment.
Deputy Liberal Leader Ralph Goodale accused the Conservatives of botching relations with a strategically important partner in the Persian Gulf region.
"The cost of this is going right into the pocket books of individual Canadians and companies that make visits to and do business in the UAE," Goodale said Tuesday.
"It's obvious that stupidity and incompetence extracts a cost, and it's a cost this is coming home to individual Canadians."
The new rules will affect 25,000 Canadians living in the UAE as well as the 200 Canadian companies operating in the country.
The UAE is Canada's largest trading partner in the Middle East and North Africa with bilateral trade exceeding $1.5 billion, and with Canadian exports accounting for 95 per cent, according to the UAE.
Before the new visa, Canadians arriving in the UAE — widely considered to be the major airline hub in the Persian Gulf and Middle East — were given a rubber-stamped 30-day entry permit on arrival.
Canada was among 30 countries whose citizens did not require a visa to the UAE.
The new requirements allow for a 96-hour transit visa to be issued for travellers just passing through.
Emirates and Etihad airlines will offer an on-line visa application.
But people not travelling on those airlines or not staying in hotels will have to be sponsored by a family member, friend or business contact in country, who will then have to apply to the UAE's foreign ministry for the visa.
"Once visa approval is obtained, the sponsor will be required to transmit a copy of the visa by email or fax to the Canadian traveller, who will pick up their original visa on arrival in the UAE," says Canada's Foreign Affairs website.
Diplomatic passport holders will also have to apply for a visa in advance.
Recently, the UAE ambassador to Canada Mohamed Abdulla Al Ghafli said he was disappointed over the failure to secure extra landing rights for his country's airlines.
"Six flights per week does not service the economic needs of both countries or the potential for growth," the envoy said in a recent statement.
The new fees kick in this weekend with the arrival of the new year, and were announced this fall at the height of a dispute between Canada and the UAE.
A 30-day, non-renewable visa will cost $250, a three-month visa $500, and a six-month multiple entry will be $1,000.
The UAE, particularly its city state of Dubai, is major travel hub linking Europe, Asia and Africa.
Camp Mirage military base, outside Dubai, was the key staging ground for the Canadian Forces mission in Afghanistan before the UAE issued an eviction notice.
It followed the Conservative government's refusal to grant extra landing rights to two major UAE airlines.
The decision exposed divisions in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's cabinet.
Transport Minister John Baird led the charge around the cabinet table to deny extra landing rights to Emirates and Etihad airlines.
The decision to deny greater access to the UAE airlines was based on the assumption that Canadian airlines would suffer, particularly if preferential access were given to Toronto's Pearson International Airport.
That view was opposed by Defence Minister Peter MacKay, who was concerned the decision would negatively effect Canadian relations with one of its closest Arab allies.
MacKay has publicly stated that Canada has "work to do" in repairing its relations with the UAE.
The cost of moving the Forces' supply mission from Camp Mirage has been pegged at $300 million.
A spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon indicated Tuesday the looming visa requirement would not change the government's decision.
"Canada is a sovereign nation, and we make our decisions based on what is in the best interests of Canadians," said Melissa Lantsman.
The UAE's ambassador to Canada could not be reached for comment.
Deputy Liberal Leader Ralph Goodale accused the Conservatives of botching relations with a strategically important partner in the Persian Gulf region.
"The cost of this is going right into the pocket books of individual Canadians and companies that make visits to and do business in the UAE," Goodale said Tuesday.
"It's obvious that stupidity and incompetence extracts a cost, and it's a cost this is coming home to individual Canadians."
The new rules will affect 25,000 Canadians living in the UAE as well as the 200 Canadian companies operating in the country.
The UAE is Canada's largest trading partner in the Middle East and North Africa with bilateral trade exceeding $1.5 billion, and with Canadian exports accounting for 95 per cent, according to the UAE.
Before the new visa, Canadians arriving in the UAE — widely considered to be the major airline hub in the Persian Gulf and Middle East — were given a rubber-stamped 30-day entry permit on arrival.
Canada was among 30 countries whose citizens did not require a visa to the UAE.
The new requirements allow for a 96-hour transit visa to be issued for travellers just passing through.
Emirates and Etihad airlines will offer an on-line visa application.
But people not travelling on those airlines or not staying in hotels will have to be sponsored by a family member, friend or business contact in country, who will then have to apply to the UAE's foreign ministry for the visa.
"Once visa approval is obtained, the sponsor will be required to transmit a copy of the visa by email or fax to the Canadian traveller, who will pick up their original visa on arrival in the UAE," says Canada's Foreign Affairs website.
Diplomatic passport holders will also have to apply for a visa in advance.
Recently, the UAE ambassador to Canada Mohamed Abdulla Al Ghafli said he was disappointed over the failure to secure extra landing rights for his country's airlines.
"Six flights per week does not service the economic needs of both countries or the potential for growth," the envoy said in a recent statement.
