How to get Visa

Prepare for your adventure in Dubai with our complete visa guide! Whether you’re planning a business trip, a family vacation, or a solo adventure, we have you covered.

Dive into this post to learn about entrance visa criteria, application methods, prices, and more. Prepare to go on your Dubai adventure well-informed and equipped for a pleasant visa experience!

Types of Dubai Entry Visa and How To Get One

happy people holding their resident visas with the iconic Dubai skyline in the background.

Introduction

Many alternatives are available via the UAE’s Dubai entry visa and special category visas for long-term residents and investors/entrepreneurs. In this article, we will list all the visa choices available, whether you are planning a trip, seeking employment to live in the UAE with Golden visa Dubai, or wanting to start a business.

Dubai Entry Visa Options For Visitors

Since certain nations are eligible for a visa on arrival, verifying Dubai visit visa requirements is important before planning a trip to the UAE. If you are unable to get a Dubai entry visa upon arrival, these are the alternatives available to you:

Dubai Transit Visa

Apply for a 48-or 96-hour Dubai transit visa if your stopover at an airport in the UAE is brief. A travel agency or the airline you’re flying with headquartered in the UAE might help you secure this Dubai entry visa. Be informed that your Dubai transit visa cannot be renewed or extended, and you must depart the UAE within 48-96 hours after your arrival.

Tourist Visa

The length of your vacation in the UAE will determine the kind of Dubai tourist visa you receive: single-entry or multiple-entry, valid for 30 or 90 days. A tourist Dubai entry visa may be requested by contacting:

Travel agency
Airline
Hotels
Friends or family sponsor

The establishment of the United Arab Emirates’ immigration agencies can also apply for your Dubai tourist visas, such as the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Ports Security (ICP) or Dubai’s General Directorate of Foreign Affairs (GDRFA).

Multiple-entry Visa (5-years)

Unlike a Dubai tourist visa, applying for a long-term multiple-Dubai entry visa allows you to enter the UAE every time without applying for a new entrance permit. This is convenient if you often visit the UAE for work or have family and friends there.

With the official website of ICP, icp.gov.ae, you can apply for this tourist visa. According to the ICP website, this tourist visa allows the bearer a maximum of 90 days of stay for each visit, with an additional 90 days of extension possible.

The five-year multi-entry visa primarily requires a 6-month bank statement showing a minimum balance of $4,000 (AED14,700) or its foreign currency equivalent.

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Visa

Those living in a GCC country or with family members living there may apply for this Dubai entry visa. Online applications for the GCC E-visa Dubai are available at the GDRFA and ICP websites.

Applicants must provide proof that their passports and GCC resident visas are valid for at least three months beyond the date of arrival.

You are permitted to remain with 30 days Dubai tourist visa beginning on the day of admission, and the entry permit is also valid for 30 days after that.

Job Seeker Visa

Started on October 3, 2022, a new kind of Dubai entry visa called a “job seeker visa” became available to visitors to the United Arab Emirates who want to investigate potential employment, investment, or business prospects there without first obtaining a sponsor or host.

You have to fulfill these conditions to apply for the visa:

According to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MOHRE), these individuals are categorized as belonging to the first, second, or third competence level.
Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree or higher and be recent graduates from one of the world’s 500 best institutions.

Dubai Visa Options For Residents

Employer-Sponsored Visa

Possessing an offer letter from a UAE-based employer is a prerequisite to working and living in the UAE. After you have accepted and signed the offer letter, the business will provide entrance permission to enable your travel to the UAE.

Your company will initiate the visa application procedure once you arrive in the UAE. After you’ve had your medical fitness test results and fingerprint biometrics taken for your Emirates ID, the next steps are to get the visa stamped into your passport and to receive your ID in the mail. The UAE Labour Law states that the employer must pay for all expenses linked to recruiting and visas.

Family-Sponsored Visa

Being employed, an investor, or a property owner in the UAE enables you to sponsor your spouse’s or children’s residence visa if they choose to immigrate to the UAE.

Golden Visa Dubai

The United Arab Emirates government widened the pool of applicants for the long-term Golden Visa Dubai in April 2022, so more people from more backgrounds can now apply for permanent residence there. With the Golden Visa Dubai, qualified citizens may remain in the UAE for a decade, and their spouses, children, and support personnel can also stay for the same time.

Green Visa

A green visa allows foreign nationals to remain in the United Arab Emirates for five years without a sponsor and is considered like a Dubai work permit. Sponsoring first-degree relatives and enjoying a six-month grace period following visa cancellation or expiration are benefits of Green Visa Dubai. The following classes can apply for it:

Freelancers

To obtain a freelance/self-employment authorization, applications must be submitted to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MOHRE).
A bachelor’s degree or specialized certificate should be the minimum educational level.
The applicant must demonstrate financial soundness throughout their stay in the nation or have an annual income from self-employment that exceeds Dh360,000, whichever is greater.

Skilled Workers

All applicants are required to have an active employment contract.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHRE) specifies that they fall into one of three vocational levels.
Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent to be considered.
A salary of at least Dh15,000 is required.

Partners and Investors

A sponsor in this category is also unnecessary for the Green Residency holder.

Student Visa

Due to its diversified student population, secure campus atmosphere, and abundance of prestigious international institutions, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has recently emerged as a top location for foreign students seeking a university degree.

Although universities in the UAE sponsor student Dubai entry visas, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in each Emirate is responsible for processing and issuing them. A student visa is valid for one year. To renew it, the student must provide formal documentation from their institution confirming their continued enrollment.

Retirees Visa

Because it is granted and valid only in Dubai, the retirement visa is a product of GDRFA. Other Emirates have yet to introduce a retirement E-visa Dubai. The minimum age to apply for a five-year retirement visa is 55.

Property Owners Visa

passport with a Dubai visa stamp, a property ownership document, and a happy property owner standing in front of a modern Dubai property.

An investment Dubai entry visa is available to Dubai residents with property valued at AED 1 million. But there shouldn’t be a mortgage on the home. If you are an investor in Dubai real estate, you are legally required to provide a passport copy and the title deed.

After receiving clearance from the Dubai Land Department, the Department will provide a trading license for that property. One may apply for a two-year resident visa at the Immigration Department after they get their business license.

If a property’s value is more than AED 5 million, an investor may apply for a 5-year renewable visa. The visa may be renewed as long as the owner maintains his property ownership status.

Two-year visas are available to investors who own properties worth AED 1 million or more. If the owner continues to have legal title to the property, the visa may also be extended.

Investors depositing AED 10 million into public projects may qualify for 10-year visas. However, up to 60% of this sum may be attributed to real estate. At least three years must pass before the investment may be sold.

Investors/Business Visa

If you own a company, you can obtain a Dubai work permit. All that is needed for the process are copies of your passport, a valid company license, photos, and medical exam results.

In addition to a refundable deposit of ($2,700) AED10,000, the applicant must own shares valued at more than ($19,000) AED 70,000 to be eligible for this visa.

elements such as a passport with a Dubai visa stamp, a businessperson shaking hands, a document with investment details, and iconic Dubai landmarks like the Burj Khalifa.

When the visa is revoked, you will get your money back. An entrepreneur may apply for a five-year multiple entry visa with an investment of at least ($136,000) AED 500,000 or with the permission of an incubator. A security deposit of ($5,400) AED 20,000 is required of applicants whose share capital is below ($19,000) AED 70,000.

Healthcare/Medical Visa

International nationals may enter the UAE to undertake medical procedures with a Medical Visa sponsored by the medical facility where the patient seeks treatment. Under UAE law, the sponsoring hospital must have a valid patient treatment license. Depending on the treatment plan, one or more patient or family entrance permits might be selected.

Conclusion

The average time to process a Dubai entry visa is three to four business days. U.A.E. immigration clearance is required for entry. Learn more about Dubai visit visa requirements by visiting our website.