How to apply for your family's visa in the UAE?

Dubai – Millions of workers and businessmen have made UAE their home and if you are new to the UAE, it is important to know how to apply for your family’s residence visa.

Whether your family is already in the country on a visit visa or in another country, here is a step-by-step process of all you need to know and do to apply for their visa.

Dubai

In Dubai, the visa process is managed by Amer services, by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA). Once your Dubai employment visa is stamped, make sure you have the following documents and certificates:

Step 1 - Get your documents in order

These are the documents you will require:

For applicants who were already residents of the UAE and are simply changing jobs, it is important to keep old Emirates IDs that were issued to your family members as well.

Step 2 – Visit an Amer centre

Once you have all the documents in place, visit an Amer service centre with your (sponsor’s) original Emirates ID.

What is an Amer centre and where can I find one?

Once the process is initiated by Amer services, it takes 48 hours to receive an e-visa, which will be sent to your registered email address.

Saleem Ahmed Rahmatullah, a public relations officer with a Dubai-based company, spoke to Gulf News about the process and said that once the e-visa has been processed, there are three ways in which you can apply for your family’s residence visa.

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Next, at the Amer centre, go to the typing services and ask for a medical test application and Emirates ID application.

Step 3 – Get the medical test done

"When requesting for the medical test application at the Amer centre, mention which Dubai Health Authority (DHA) medical fitness centre is closest to your home, or most convenient for you to visit as this will be mentioned in the application," Rahmatullah said.

Important note: Some Dubai Health Authority medical fitness centres are open for longer hours. Find out which service centre would be most convenient for you to visit. You can find a list of the medical fitness centres here.

Take the application to the DHA health centre, where you will need to first get your blood test and x-ray done. Applicants are tested for HIV, tuberculosis, Hepatits B and in some occupations syphilis.

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Once the medical test results are in, you will be notified via email on your registered email address.

For any medical test related queries, you can call the Dubai Health Authority on 800 342

Step 4 – Get the Emirates ID

Take the Emirates ID application, which was typed at the Amer centre, to a Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship centre. A list of all the centres is provided here.

Take the following documents with you:

If you have never had your Emirates ID made, you will need to provide biometric data like your finger print and an iris scan. This is only applicable for people 18 years and above.

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Step 5 – Get the health insurance

Health insurance is mandatory in Dubai and family members need to get at least a basic health cover – referred to in Dubai as the Essential Benefits Plan. To know more about how to get your health insurance, read our detailed report here.

Step 6 – Get the visa stamped

The final step is to get your visa stamped on the passport. For it, you will need to visit the Amer centre with the following documents:

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Rahmatullah told Gulf News that once an application has been sent for typing, the applicant will receive a call from the authorised courier service – Zajel – for your passport to be collected. You will also receive an SMS on your registered mobile number with the Zajel airway bill number.

"Once the visa is stamped, the passport will be returned to you through the same courier service," he added.

Other emirates

The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs manages the visa application process for Abu Dhabi and all other emirates.

Step 1 - Get the entry permit

In other emirates, the entry permit or e-visa is referred to as the tasheera.

To apply for the tasheera, you can either visit a typing centre or apply for the visa online. You will need the following documents:

If you would like to apply online, visit https://echannels.moi.gov.ae and click on the 'Individual Services' option. Once you enter your email address, you will get an email with the link for registration.

Follow the steps required to apply for the tasheera or entry permit.

Once the application has been submitted, you will get the tasheera in two working days.

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NOTE: Even though you have the option to apply online, the process can be quite detailed and if you prefer paying a little extra to get the application done by a professional typing centre, you can do so for a fee of Dh50.

Step 2 – Apply for Emirates ID

To apply for the Emirates ID, you will again need to go to a typing centre to fill out the application.

Once the application is filled out, visit a Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship centre with the following documents:

Past residents of the UAE simply need to provide their Emirates ID and do not need to provide biometric data.

New applicants will be scanned for biometric data like finger print and iris scan.

Biometric scan is not required for children under 18.

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Step 3 – Medical test

If you are applying for the visa in Abu Dhabi, visit a Health Authority of Abu Dhabi Medical Fitness Centre.

A list of all the HAAD screening centres can be found here: https://www.haad.ae

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For all other emirates, visit a Ministry of Health and Prevention centre.

A list of all the medical fitness centres can be found here: https://www.mohap.gov.ae/

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Step 4 - Health insurance

Health insurance is mandatory in Abu Dhabi. For other emirates, you can skip to step 5. However, it is advisable to get health coverage, even if it is a basic health insurance plan, as medical costs during emergencies can mount quickly.

For medical insurance in Abu Dhabi, visit a Health Authority of Abu Dhabi health centre or contact Abu Dhabi’s National Health Insurance Company – Daman.

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Apart from the insurance premium, you will need to pay:

Step 5 – Get the visa stamped

You will then need to visit a typing centre again with the following documents:

Even though more recently health insurance and Emirates ID systems have been linked to the immigration services, it is better to carry all copies in case they are requested for by the immigration department.

The typist will then fill out the visa stamping application.

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Once the visa stamping application has been submitted, you will need to pay an additional Dh35 for Empost delivery service.

The passport, with the stamped visa will be delivered to you through the courier service.