Want to go to the UAE on a single visa many times or reside there without a sponsor?
All of these choices are available in the UAE, along with long-term residency visas for special categories and visas for investors and entrepreneurs.
Here are all of your visa options, whether you’re trying to start a business, go on vacation, or find employment in the UAE.
Visiting the UAE
Since some nations can obtain a visa upon arrival, you must determine whether you need to apply for a visit visa in advance before making travel arrangements to the UAE.
If you are not eligible for a visa on arrival, here are your options:
1. Transit visa – for 48 or 96 hours
You can apply for a 48-hour or 96-hour transit visa if you have a brief layover at an airport in the United Arab Emirates. The airline you are flying within the UAE or a travel agent could help you obtain the visa.
The only thing to keep in mind is that transit visas are only valid for 48 or 96 hours and cannot be renewed or extended.
2. Tourist visa – 30-day or 90-day
A 30-day or 90-day tourist visa can be given, with single or multiple entries permitted, depending on how long you intend to spend your vacation in the UAE. You can do the following to obtain a tourist visa:
- An airline
- Travel agencies or hotels
- Family or friends who can sponsor the tourist visa
- The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Ports Security (ICP) or General Directorate of Foreign Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai’s online platforms.
3. Five-year multiple entry visa
Choosing a long-term multiple entry visa is a simple method to visit the UAE without having to apply for a new entrance permit each time if you frequently go to the UAE for business or have family and friends who live there.
Through the ICP’s official website, icp.gov.ae, you can apply for a five-year multiple-entry tourist visa.
A visitor with this visa may stay for up to 90 days during each visit, according to the ICP website. This may be prolonged for an additional 90 days.
Having a bank statement for the previous six months that shows a balance of at least $4,000 (Dh14,700) or its equivalent in foreign currencies is one of the major requirements for the five-year multiple entry visa.
4. Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) residents’ e-visa
Residents of the GCC nations and their family members are eligible for this visa. Through the ICP or GDRFA website, you can submit an online application for a GCC e-visa. Make sure your passport and GCC resident visa are both valid for at least three months after the date of arrival if you’re applying for a visa.
The 30-day validity period of the entry permit and the 30-day stay period are both calculated from the date of admission.
5. Job seeker visa
On October 3, 2022, a new job seeker visa will go into effect, enabling travelers to the UAE to look into the job, investment, and business opportunities without the need for a host or sponsor.
You must fulfill the following requirements in order to apply for the visa:
- Those listed by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization as belonging to the first, second, or third skill level (MOHRE).
- Recent grads from the top 500 universities worldwide
- A bachelor’s degree or its equivalent should be the applicant’s minimal level of education.
Living in the UAE
1. Company-sponsored visa
Make sure you have obtained an offer letter from a company in the UAE if you wish to work and reside there. The business will first issue entry permission to allow you to travel to the UAE after you have accepted and signed the offer letter.
Your employer will start the visa application procedure once you arrive in the UAE. This entails undergoing a medical fitness test, providing your fingerprints for the Emirates ID’s biometric system, getting the visa stamped in your passport, and receiving the Emirates ID itself.
Click here for a step-by-step guide to applying for a residence visa in the UAE.
It’s also crucial to remember that, in accordance with UAE labor law, the employer is responsible for paying all fees associated with hiring and obtaining a visa.
2. Sponsored by family
If you are employed in the UAE, a business owner or investor in the UAE, a property owner in the UAE, or a spouse or kid who wants to move to the UAE, you may sponsor your residence visa.
3. Golden Visa
The UAE government has expanded the categories eligible for the long-term visa beginning in April 2022, if you’re seeking long-term residency alternatives there.
With the Golden Visa, qualified residents can stay in the UAE for ten years while also sponsoring their spouses, children, and support personnel for the same period of time.
The list of categories for which a visa is available is as follows:
Exceptional talents in the fields of:
- Culture and art
- Investors and innovators
- Sports
- Digital technology
- Other vital fields
Scientists and professionals
- Scientists
- Chief executives and senior officials
- Science professionals
- Engineering professionals
- Health professionals
- Education professionals
- Business and Administration professionals
- Information technology professionals
- Legal, social and cultural professionals
Outstanding students and graduates
- Best performing students in secondary schools
- Best graduates from UAE universities
- Graduates of the best 100 universities worldwide
Humanitarian pioneers
Distinguished members of international and regional organizations
- Outstanding members of associations of public benefits
- Recipients of recognition awards in humanitarian fields
- Distinguished volunteers and sponsors of humanitarian efforts
Frontline heroes
- Frontline workers who made extraordinary efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you do fall under the eligible categories and are interested in applying for the Golden Visa, read our guide here, which will give you a breakdown on the entire process.
4. Green Visa
The green visa is an unsponsored, five-year resident permit for the United Arab Emirates. You can sponsor first-degree relatives and have a six-month grace period after your visa is canceled or expires if you have a Green Visa.
On October 3, the Green Visa will become available, and the following categories are eligible to apply:
Freelancers (self-employment)
- The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization must issue the applicant with a freelance/self-employment permit (MOHRE).
- A bachelor’s degree or specialized diploma should be the minimum need for education.
- Self-employment income for the past two years must have averaged at least Dh360,000 per year, or the applicant must demonstrate ongoing financial stability during their stay in the nation.
Skilled employees
- Candidates must have a current job contract.
- In accordance with MOHRE, they should be categorized at the first, second, or third occupational level.
- A bachelor’s degree or its equivalent is the minimum requirement for education.
- A salary of at least 15,000 dirhams is required.
Investors and partners
- The holder of the Green Residency will not need a sponsor in this category either.
5. Student visa
The UAE has developed over the past several years into an attractive location for higher education due to its wide range of foreign universities, diversified student body, and secure environment for students.
Although the university sponsors the student visa in the UAE, the relevant General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in each Emirate processes and issues the student visa.
The duration of a student visa is one year. The student must present formal documentation from their university proving that they are continuing their studies in order to have their visa renewed.
6. Retirement visa
The retirement visa is only issued and valid in Dubai because it is issued by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) of Dubai. The retirement visa has not yet been introduced in other Emirates.
The retiree must be at least 55 years old to apply for the retirement visa, which has a five-year validity period.
Investing in the UAE
1. Company shareholder visa
In the event that you intend to launch a business or are identified as a shareholder in the organisation. You can then apply for a standard investor visa. The duration of a corporation shareholder visa is three years.
2. Golden Visa for real estate investors
The UAE also provides the Golden Visa to people who invest in real estate there, but they have to fulfil one of the criteria in order to do so:
- Golden Visas are available to real estate investors who spend at least Dh2 million on a property.
- When investing in real estate with a loan from particular regional banks, investors are also eligible to apply for a Golden Visa.
- Investors can also get a Golden Visa if they purchase one or more off-plan homes from recognized local real estate firms for no less than Dh2 million.
3. Golden Visa for entrepreneurs
You may apply for a Golden Visa if you are an entrepreneur who intends to launch a business or make an investment in a start-up located in the UAE and you fulfill one of the requirements listed below:
- An entrepreneur must own or be a partner in a start-up that is classified as a small or medium enterprise (SME) in the UAE and that brings in at least Dh1 million per year in revenue.
- Additionally, getting the Ministry of Economy or the appropriate local authorities to approve a start-up idea. A business incubator is an organization that aids entrepreneurs or start-ups in developing their businesses.
- If the person was a founder or co-founder of a prior project that sold for at least Dh7 million in total value. For projects or ideas, the Ministry of Economy or the appropriate local authorities must give its approval.