Visit Visa extension Dubai

[newtodubai]

Hi,

My partner and I arrived in Dubai on 3rd January 2009 on visit Visas (Australian passports). Our visa was stamped for 60 days. My partner has secured a job that he will be commencing shortly, and I am still searching for work. We went to do a visa run today to get an extension for 30 days and discovered that our passports were incorrectly stamped and we were only allowed 30 days (due to the new laws). Apparently this was the airports fault and we won't be charged the late fees if we got to the airport, but this could not be fixed at any of the border crossings. However does anyone know if it is possible to get this ammended at the airport without actually having to fly? The cost of a flight for a visa run this week is quite high, and we would prefer to either pay for an extension or drive across the border.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

[shawarma]

Hello newtodubai and welcome to the Dubai forums .

That's confusing, to say the least. Ever since the rules changed in August 2008, there have been different stories of a visit visa for Dubai being 30 days or 60 days but opposite numbers stamped in passports. Which border crossing did you go to? You could try a different one, or the same one at a different time. Sometimes there is a degree of flexibility in how rules are applied. Otherwise I'd suggest you try the DNRD and see if you get any help there (visit later in the afternoon or evening, it's not so busy then). I don't think you can do an airport visa run without flying. Have you tried Kish Island? Maybe that's a cheaper option?

[Researcher]

I was told when I went to extend my visa that all passports including British ones are 30 days on entry, extendable by 30 days, i.e. they have removed the 60 day entry rule.

[shawarma]

Hello Researcher and welcome to the Dubai forums .

Thanks for the update. I moved your post to this topic from the UAE labour department rules topic since it seemed more appropriate here .

[newtodubai]

Hi Shawarma,

Thanks for your advice. We went to the DNRD and after a bit of tooing and froing managed to get it sorted out. It was a mistake that teh airport had made, and they waived the fees and allowed us to pay for an extension for 30 days (giving us up unti lthe 13th March, so an additional 30 +10 on top of what we were supposed to get). From now on, we should be clear to do visa runs, and after speaking to them, they seem to think that on an Australian passport we are allowed to do as many visa runs as we wish. Fingers crossed, and I'm sure we'll find out in March!

Thanks again

[shawarma]

Ok, glad to hear it got sorted out, and thanks for coming back with an update. Good luck for March ... if the DNRD are saying you can renew indefinitely then you should be fine .

[Vsfchan]

Dear All

I came form Hong Kong and arrived on January 2, 2009. I went to do my visa extension this morning. The immigration gave me 10 more days. The officer explained it was new rules, only granted for 60+10 days.

[shawarma]

Hello Vsfchan, welcome to the Dubai forums and thanks for the update .

[Ian M]

Hi I am going to renew my Holiday visa this week and i want to do this via the SZR Visa Office In Dubai rather than border hopping. i have been here 25 days and I am a British citizen. There is no reason why my visa would not be extended and i need to change my flight asap, but can anybody please advise me if this is a garunteed service that the visa office offers.. at the price of AED500. or there is there any way they can decline my request? thanks in advance for your time and feedback.

[shawarma]

Hello IM and welcome to the Dubai forums .

I don't think visa issuance, renewal, or extension is guaranteed anywhere, but based on what you've said, you should get a visa extension. The only obvious restriction in this case that I'm aware of is that you can only get one extension, otherwise you have to leave the country.

[jasonxargo]

Hello,
just thought people should know this, it may help...
yesterday i went to renew my visit visa, from 30 days for another 30 days, went to the typing shop ,paid the fees, then went to the immigration dept,
i was told 30 days was now the limit and no extensions were granted beyond that, the rules seem to have changed again,
i asked if all i had to do was leave and come back, the immigration chief said yes, no problem, just go out and come back in again, but 30 days was now your limit! i have been here for a year or so now and thought it might be because i have been coming and going , but the didnt even look at my passport, and i also checked with the head of immigration at that office, it seems that the rules are changing every day!

i have also left out of sharjah apirport before now and was warned that i must really exit from the Emirate that i entered, that took 4 days to sort out on the UAE computer system!

[shawarma]

Hello jasonxargo, welcome to the Dubai forums and thanks for the update .

I think that sort of makes sense. When you go to the Dubai immigration department, you're applying for a visa extension, which was only possible once, as far as I know. When you cross the border and re-enter the UAE, then you're getting a new visa or visa renewal (although I think your file number with immigration remains the same), which is different from an "extension". The exit and entry from the same emirate isn't something I'd really thought of but I expect the difficulty might be because each emirate seems to run their own immigration departments and policies independently from other emirates (even though immigration rules are supposed to be federal) so perhaps the computer systems aren't hooked up to make the process easy? Good information you posted anyway - should help clarify things for other readers. Thanks.

[British visit visa]

I am british with a visit visia for 30 days, I called customer service on +97143980000, and have being told i can extend my visit visa for 1mth at a cost off 600aed. And they are open from 7am til 8pm and this can be done today. 9-1 on Monday, as they are going into the 2nd Eid.

( But this is amazing that they are even open as i have come from Kuwait and being there 3yrs and the ministry would have being closed a week ago as they know Eid is going to be called soon) back to point at hand!

Although my Visa does not expire until this friday. And he also said you get 30 days +10 grace period so in total 40days.....

Will let you know how easy it was to get later this evening.

Hope this will help someone, as all the information i found was 2yrs old, so who knows if still in date!

November 2010

[concerned]

hi, i was on a visit visa and had made an extension already for a month. the extension is about to expire by april 20. my employer has just asked for my passport, passport copy and pictures 2 days ago.how long will the employment visa take? what will happen to me if the employment visa was not yet processed before april 20? will I be at risk on this?

[Brit Abu Dhabi]

I came in on visitors visa and recently got it extended. The sticker in my passport now says "renewed up to 23/10/2011" now it was sent to be renewed on the 17th i got it back (from my moms PRO) on the 19th. I was expecting the sticker to say 18/19th as that would be exactly 30 days, i am also unsure if i get a 10 day grace period after the 23rd?

The reason i'm being picky about this is i have a flight booked to leave on the 28th if i get my grace period that's fine, if i don't i need to look at changing my flight or doing another visa extension.

please advise

thank you.

[Kapl]

Hello there,

I want to extend my tourist visa for 1 month, Is it compulsory to give original passport to the travel company?

Please advise. I need to know this on urgent basis

thanks

[Nick_Tomson]

Hello. I understand the tourist visa is 30 days and extendable once for another 30. Now the question, when the tourist visa expires, does the individual have to leave the country for 30 days before another tourist visa or a visit visa can be arranged?

[RedNosedReindeer]

From my understanding you would be paying AED700 to get a 30 day extension - cheaper to do a "U-turn" into Oman?