New visa rules Dubai

[shawarma]

UAE visit visa rules updated but will not take effect until 01 August 2008 - several reports in various newspapers this morning. Some conflicting information. Checked Gulf News, Khaleej Times, The National. Will look at more UAE newspapers later. Here are the conflicts I've found so far...

Visit Visas not renewable now. Except for GCC residents, and GCC nationals bringing visitors?
Mission Visa - cost is 200 dhs or 600 dhs? Renewable or not?
Multi-entry visit visa - valid 180 days or 6 months (presumably 180 days)? How long between visits do you have to remain outside the UAE? Cost is 1000dhs or 2000 dhs? Renewable or not?
Investor Visa? 300 dhs for 3 years?
Transit Visa? 96 hours or 14 days?

Dubai FAQ visa information pages

Dubai visa - general UAE and Dubai visa information
Dubai resident's visa - list of possible residence visa options
Free UAE arrival visa countries - list of nationalities that can get a free visit visa on arrival in the UAE
Dubai visa list - Table of visas available
UAE visa cancellation - procedure for cancelling residence visa and work permit
Visa run Dubai - renewing a visit visa by air or road from Dubai

Other UAE visa question topics

Abu Dhabi tourist visa
Blood test for residence visa
Cancellation of UAE visit visa
Dubai visit visa how long?
Friend visit visa Dubai
Renew visit visa - visa runs still possible for visit visa on arrival nationalities?
Retirement visa UAE
Transfer UAE residence visa to new passport
Old UAE visas and reciprocal visa rights

[skonde]

My visa is expirin on 19th June, please let me know, if i can renew my visa or not?

[shawarma]

Hello skonde and welcome to the Dubai visa forum . Whether or not you can renew your visa depends on what type of visa it is. If it's a 60 day Visit Visa, then yes, you should be able to since 19 June 2008 is before the new visa rules kick in. Have a look at the table of UAE visas to see which other visas can be renewed .

[shawarma]

After the new UAE visa rules started at the end of July 2008, there was mass confusion about what the rules meant and what would change (not helped by the rules taking effect a couple of days earlier than originally reported). Various officials were quoted in the press, with conflicting statements so nobody really knows what's going on. Some of the factors to consider when trying to solve the Riddle of the Desert Visa are:

DNRD - Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department
FNRD - Federal Natuarlisation and Residency Department

1. Dubai vs federal interpretations of the law. Presumably DNRD officials only speak for Dubai, but FNRD officials speak for the UAE (translation could be that visitors entering through a Dubai border crossing might be subject to different interpretations of the same laws).
2. There are two groups of nationalities applying for visit visas. Those who need to pre-apply and have a sponsor, and the free Dubai visit visa on arrival nationalities. Sometimes when officials say "all nationalities", they might only mean the first group. Or they might not, it's never very clear.
3. Visit Visas (applied for by relative, or free on arrival for some countries) are different from Tourist Visas (applied for by airlines and travel agencies).
4. As in any country and any situation, even if everyone is supposed to be equal, some end up being more equal than others in the eye of the beholder. This seems to be more noticeable in the UAE.
5. Negotiation usually works better than huffing and puffing (unless you have enough wasta to override decisions made by a border official).

Some UAE visa FAQ after the new visa rules (this is not official information, only my opinion):

1. Will free Dubai visit visa on arrival nationalities still be able to get one?
   Yes according to official statements in Dubai.
2. How long is a visit visa valid for?
   30 days (free or costs 500 dhs) or 90 days (costs 1000 dhs). Some comments that free visa on arrival nationalities still get 60 day visas, even though the stamp says 30 days. Unknown if correct, however there is a precedent - when the free visa on arrival rule was first established several years ago, the stamp said 30 days but the visa was good for 60 days.
3. Can residents still sponsor friends for a visit visa?
   First it was a no, then an official said yes but with restrictions - see the Dubai friend visit visa discussion.
4. Can visit visas be renewed?
   Yes, once, if it's a 30 day visa. Costs 500 dhs. No for 90 day visas.
5. Can tourist visas be renewed?
   Maybe (not confirmed), once. Costs 110 dhs.
   Update: It appears that only UAE tourist visas can be renewed, or visit visas obtained on arrival. Visit visas obtained in advance, whether 30 or 90 days, are not renewable. Please reply to this topic if you have experienced something different.
6. Can residents still do visa runs (the practice of crossing a border long enough to get a new visit visa stamped in your passport)?
   No, then yes if you're one of the free-visit-visa-on-arrival-nationalities, then yes according to tour operators, then back to no according to the FNRD (but still yes for visa on arrival nationalities)
7. Do visitors / residents have to return to their home country to renew a visa?
   Yes, then no, then yes again. Depending on which report and which official you listen to.

Any other questions? Or comments? Or opinions? Add your 2 cents worth here ...

[shawarma]

After expiry of your Visit Visa, you're supposed to stay out of the UAE for a month, in your home country, before coming to the UAE again. At least that's according to the Acting Director General of the Federal Naturalisation and Residency Department (FNRD), as reported in several UAE papers yesterday and Sunday, including this from The National 28 September 2008. The story was prompted by reports of several thousand Filipinos stranded in Iran (Kish Island) and Oman (Buraimi - near Al Ain) waiting to re-enter the UAE after expiry of their visit visas.

“The law is clear. Those who wish to apply for a new visit visa after their visa expires must return to their home country and stay there for one month before being issued another visa,” said Brig Gen Nasser al Minhali, acting director general of the Federal Naturalisation and Residency Department. “Tourist companies are misleading people by telling them that they can renew the visas once they expire,” he said. The Government “will blacklist the erring companies, stop issuing visas to their clients and even order their closure for repeated violations of UAE immigration laws” ...

... “Those whose visit visas have expired cannot get a new visit visa 10 days after leaving the country. They have to stay in their country for a month,” he said.

So for example, your family wants to visit you in Dubai on their way to Europe from the land of the vegemite sandwich. Then they want to return via Dubai and visit you again to give you some French cheese, German wurst, Russian dolls, and English weather. Except according to Brigadier General Al Minhali, they can't. They have to go home and eat vegemite for a month first. He says the law is clear. I expect this applies to nationalities who do not get a free visit visa on arrival. But that's not clear from the Brigadier's reported statements. The Gulf News also quoted him (29 September 2008), but this time he didn't say visitors had to return to their home country...

Speaking to Gulf News, following media reports about hundreds of people stranded in neighbouring countries after attempting visa runs, Brigadier Nasser Al Awadi Al Minhali, Acting Director-General of the Federal Naturalisation and Residency Department, said: "Those who enter the country on a visit visa cannot get new visas unless the person exits the country and stays out for at least a month."

As a follow up, The National (29 September 2008) surveyed some travel agencies and found their advice somewhat lacking. What exactly "entirely accurate information" is, I'm not quite sure yet, but it looks like The National thinks they know ...

Almost half of 25 travel companies contacted by The National yesterday provided false, misleading or out-of-date information about visas. Only four were able to provide entirely accurate information.

Until July people whose visit visas expired were able to take short trips to neighbouring countries such as Iran, Oman and Qatar to renew their visas. But under the new rules, the practice is no longer permissible for all but 33 exempt nationalities. Visitors from other countries cannot now expect to have their visas automatically renewed. In most cases they must return to their home countries for at least a month before being issued another visa.

The comments from the Brigadier about returning to your home country appear to conflict with a report in the Gulf News 20 August 2008, which said visitors don't have to go back to their home country although it was recommended (but the report didn't say if visitors had to stay out of the UAE for a month). Note that the DNRD is for Dubai only, not the rest of the UAE. The report also said that travel and tourist agencies were still sending people on visa runs, but didn't have any direct quotes from travel agents. Hence the comments from the FNRD earlier this week.

Major General Mohammad Al Merri, Director General of DNRD said nobody is banned from travelling to neighbouring areas like Kish in Iran or Oman to change their visas. "We have never stopped people from exiting to any country of their choice to get their visas changed or renewed," said Al Merri...

..."If he goes to a neighbouring country, what will happen to him if the visa gets delayed and the employer does not send the visa? It is to avoid such situations, we are encouraging people to go to their home countries," explained Al Merri...

...The clarification came in the wake of confusion among residents on rules pertaining to visa changes as the authorities had banned visa run to neighbouring countries a few months ago. However, tour operators and airlines said it is business as usual for them as people continue to travel to Kish island in Iran and Oman to change their visas or renew their visit visas.

[arpatel78]

I am coming to Sharjah from Saudi Arabia on Employment VISA. I plan to get VISIT VISA for my wife on GCC resident category. Will they issue her VISIT visa under this category? Once i get resident VISA and sponsro her for resident VISA will she required to go out for one month to come back on residence VISA sponsored by me? Please clarify as I plan to enter Sharjah on 07-10-08.

[shawarma]

Hi arpatel and welcome to the Dubai forum .

A husband with a UAE residence visa can sponsor their wife for a UAE residence visa. There is a minimum salary requirement - I think 4000 dhs per month, or 5000 dhs if paying for own accommodation. The 1 month exit is for those visitors wanting a new visit visa (and there's confusing information about that at present). For changing visit to residence visa I'm not sure but I don't think your wife would have to exit, unless she's here more than a month before the residence visa is issued (but you can extend it, or you can get a 90 day visit visa).

[arpatel78]

Thanks Shawarma,

As you said there is uncertainty hence i decided to send my wife to india and she will come back after I get her residency visa.

[hermanindubai]

What i dont get is we are South African, so we do not get visa on arival. My parents came to Fujeirah for a week, then to USA, then back here for 2 days with no problem. Emirates airlines did the visa for them. So is it because they are a mighty local company that the rules can be bend?

[shawarma]

Hello herman and welcome to the Dubai forums .

Are you sure they got a "Dubai Visit Visa"? Emirates Airlines and other airline companies can arrange "Dubai Tourist Visas" which are different.