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Residents and tourists at Dubai mall in Dubai. File image used for illustrative purposes only. Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

Dubai: If you are planning to visit the UAE, there is good news. You can apply for a three-month visit visa even through travel agencies.

According to Sirajudeen Ummer, public relations manager at Galaxy Digital Business Services Dubai, travel agencies are now able to apply for a three-month tourist visa.

“The three-month tourist visa option was part of the previous visa system but recently, during the changes in the tourist visa, the stay was reduced to one month and two months,” he said.

The three-month tourist visa option was part of the previous visa system but recently, during the changes in the tourist visa, the stay was reduced to one month and two months.

- Sirajudeen Ummer, public relations manager at Galaxy Digital Business Services Dubai

However, there are certain aspects to keep in mind when going for this visa option. Firstly, this visa cannot be applied for by people who are already in the UAE, the three-month visa is available only for people who are currently outside the UAE.

“The inside country option is not available as of now. While earlier, you could apply for a ‘status change’ service, to switch from your previous visit visa to a new visa while staying inside the UAE, now the option available is only to extend the existing visa. You can apply for a one-month extension before the visa expires, and this can be done twice. This means that, in total, you will be able to add another 60 days of stay to your previous visa,” Husham Kattingeri, Outbound travel manager at Regal Tours Worldwide, told Gulf News.

You may also need to check with the travel agency itself, whether or not it can apply for a three-month visa.

“You can’t apply for it through all travel agencies right now. Only agencies that have the required visa quota are able to apply for the three-month tourist visa, so you will need to check with the agency on whether or not they will be able to apply,” Kattingeri added.

You can’t apply for it through all travel agencies right now. Only agencies that have the required visa quota are able to apply for the three-month tourist visa, so you will need to check with the agency on whether or not they will be able to apply.

- Husham Kattingeri, Outbound travel manager at Regal Tours Worldwide

How to apply for the visa

To apply for the visa, you would need to provide the following documents to a travel agency:

• Passport copy, where the passport is valid for at least six months
• Passport-sized photograph

According to the travel agents who spoke with Gulf News, the visa processing time is approximate two to three days and the cost can range from Dh1,500 to Dh2,000, as the cost includes visa fees as well as service fees and health insurance costs.

You also have the option to get a three-month visit visa sponsored by a UAE resident. To know more, click here.