UAE | Visa
No expat will be allowed to bring friends on visit to UAE
All visitors to the UAE will be required to have health insurance once the new visit visa rules are enforced from August 1, said a senior official.
- By Rayeesa Absal, Staff Reporter
- Published: 23:39 June 8, 2008
- Image Credit: Gulf News Archive
- Companies will need to deposit Dh75,000 to obtain a licence to bring tourists into the country, says Lieutenant General Mohammad Salem Al Khaili.
Abu Dhabi: All visitors to the UAE will be required to have health insurance once the new visit visa rules are enforced from August 1, said a senior official.
Also, a Dh1,000 deposit will be collected by the Naturalisation and Residency Department before issuance of any type of visit visa. This will be refunded once a visitor exits the country.
However, the Ministry of Interior is studying the possibility of exempting certain nationalities from paying the deposit.
No decisions has yet been taken made on this.
"A visit visa will cost Dh500 across all the emirates from August 1," Lieutenant General Mohammad Salem Al Khaili, the Director-General of Federal Naturalisation and Residency Department (FNRD) told press conference on Sunday.
The change in fee structure comes following a recent Cabinet decision to amend the fee structure for visit visas and introduce new types of visas.
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Valid for 30 days, residents can apply for visit visas for their spouse or first degree relatives. Sponsoring visitors who are second degree relatives will need the approval of senior officials.
New rule
As per the new rule, only UAE nationals will be allowed to sponsor visitors who are friends.
Some 16 types of visit visas have been defined by the FNRD specifying the reason for visit, such as education, treatment or for participating in an exhibition or conference.
Announcing the details, Al Khaili said: "Visit visas valid for 30 days will cost Dh500. This cannot be renewed. A person wishing to stay for an extended period must obtain a visit visa valid for 90 days which will cost Dh1,000."
A new type of visit visa permitting multiple entries has been introduced. This visa is valid for six months from the date of issuance and a person can stay in the country for only 14 days at a stretch.
"The new types of visit visas are being introduced so that we are able to go hand in hand with the fast paced ongoing development of the country," noted Al Khaili.
Student visit visas, valid for 60 days, will cost Dh1,000. To obtain this, a person must be registered in one of the universities in the UAE.
Those wishing to undergo treatment must take visit visa for treatment purpose which will cost Dh1,000 for 90 days. This can be renewed for a similar period for Dh500.
Those visiting to attend conferences or exhibitions can obtain a visa for Dh100.
One-month-long tourist visas, procured by tour operators and hotels will cost Dh100, as before. This may be renewed only once. Transit visas will cost Dh100 while mission visas will cost Dh200.
Company deposits
Apart from the 16 types of visas, ambassadors and consuls in UAE embassies abroad can issue complimentary visit visas free of cost to dignitaries, public figures or government officials.
Travel agencies and tour operators will come under close scrutiny with the implementation of the amended law.
"Companies will need to deposit Dh75,000 to obtain a licence to bring tourists into the country," Al Khaili said, adding that they too will have to pay the refundable Dh1,000 deposit.
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