UAE is the most popular destination for many tourists and foreign workers from around the globe. There are many reasons why workers from around the world are attracted to this region, first one being tax-free income. In addition many employers provide many other benefits such as free accommodation, medical benefits, generous vacation time and opportunity to live work in a diverse culture.
Whether you are visiting UAE for a short period or planning a permanent move, you need to ensure what type of visa / sponsorship you require to enter and stay in UAE. You will find some useful information in this section regarding visa requirements for visiting or working in UAE.
Working in UAE
The decision to move and work abroad calls for a lot of planning and it is very important to familiarize yourself with the requirements and legalities involved with working and living in this region as a foreign worker.
Work Visa / Permit
There are two types of sponsors through which you can obtain a Work Permit in UAE.
Work Visa/ Permit - Foreign Worker sponsored by an Employer
In order to work in UAE, a foreign worker requires a job offer from a company that will also sponsor him/her to live and work in UAE. Work visa is required to enter UAE as a foreign worker. This Visa is issued by UAE Immigration after a positive assessment and approval from the UAE Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. There are other requirements to be met for professionals in the Medical, Education or other specialized fields.
Work visa allows a foreign worker to enter UAE for a period of 30 days with 2 months validity. Once a foreign worker enters the country on this Visa, their sponsoring company must complete the process of obtaining residency for the worker within the specified period. This requires obtaining a Medical Certficate from the Health Department and a Labour Card, which is issued by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
An application for Labour Card should be submitted to the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs within 30 days of entering the country on Work visa. Application for Labour card can only be submitted once the Medical Certificate has been issued by the health department. Employer must then submit the application to Immigration Department for stamping residency visa on the foreign worker's passport. Stamping of the residency visa on the foreign worker's passport is the final step in the process of finalizing foreign worker status in UAE.
Work Visa/ Permit - Families of UAE residents/ foreign workers
This form of work permit is issued to people sponsored by their families, typically the spouses or children of a foreign worker/ UAE resident. The sponsoree also needs to provide a non-refusal letter to work for the sponsor as well as a copy of their resident visa.
Visiting UAE
Visitor Visa - who is exempted
If you are a citizen of UK, France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Finland, Spain, Monaco, Vatican City, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Hong Kong SAR, holding a valid passport, you are eligible to get a free of charge One Entry Visit visa upon arrival in the UAE. In this case your stay may not exceed 30 to 60 days (depending on the stamp on your passport)
AGCC Citizens - Citizens of the Arab Gulf Co-operation Council member states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia) do not require a visa to enter UAE.
Visitor Visa - who needs it
If you are a visitor to UAE who does not meet the visa exemption criteria and wishes to stay more than 14 days (you may need an Entry Service Permit if your stay is no longer than 14 days), a visit visa must be obtained through a sponsor. This applies to tourists, people who are visiting their families as well as individuals entering UAE for long-term business visits. The sponsor can be an individual, such as a family member/ friend or your travel agency, hotel you will be staying at or an organization that you may have business relations with in UAE. A hotel will only provide a visa if you are a guest at their establishment in UAE. If an individual wants to sponsor your visit visa, their income must be over 4000 Dirhams/ month and they must be a current resident of UAE.
Tourist Visa
Tourist visa is a special visa under the Visit Visa category. Tourists from East and West Europe, Turkey, Bulgaria, Poland, Ukraine, Albania, Russia, the Hellenic Republic, St Kitts-Navis, St Lucia, Mexico, Cuba, Bermuda, Belize, Guyana, French Guiana, Martinique, Antigua and Barbuda, St Vincent, Kingston, Palao other non-defined American nationalities, Thailand, South Africa, Singapore, China, Malta, Cyprus can obtain this kind of visa.
This visa is sponsored by hotels and tour groups that entertain individuals from the countries listed above.
Entry Service Permit
An entry service permit is a 14 day stay permit that can be obtained by businessmen and tourists who will not be staying in UAE for longer than 14 days (excludes individuals that meet the Visa Exemption requirements). This permit cannot be renewed and must be sponsored by a hotel in the UAE or a company operating in the UAE.
Transit Visa
Transit visa is a special visa for those who will be passing through UAE on their way to other destinations. To be eligible for this visa, you must be sponsored by an airline operating in the UAE and must have a valid ticket for your final destination. This visa is valid for 96 hours and is free of charge.
Note: Citizens from countries exempted from Visitor visa may not need a Transit visa.
Multiple Entry Visa
Multiple Entry visa is an option for business visitors who visit UAE frequently. The visitor is required to enter UAE on a Visitor visa and then obtain a multiple entry visa while in the country.
German citizens (tourists and business visitors) can apply for one or two year multiple-entry visa at the UAE embassy in Germany. There is no sponsor required for this visa and the maximum duration of stay should not exceed three months in a year.
US citizens can apply for one to ten year multiple-entry visa at the UAE embassy in the US. A sponsor is required and the maximum duration of stay should not exceed six months for each visit.
When applying for a non-work visa from a UAE embassy, following documents are required:
- Valid Passport
- 2 photographs
- Duplicate application form
- Letter or fax from the sponsor in the UAE to the embassy concerned
- A letter from the applicant's company plus photocopy
Do your own research
While the information in this section may help in planning your UAE trip, we do recommend contacting your local UAE embassy to ensure you understand the visa requirements. This is also important, incase of changes to the immigration laws.
