Article Title: How to
Obtain a UAE Visit Visa
Keyword: <<UAE Visit Visa>>
Subject: <<Visa’s>>
Subsection: <<United Arab Emirates>>
<list title="How
to Obtain a UAE Visit Visa" rid="125035" keyword="UAE Visit Visa" subject="Visa’s" subsection="United Arab
Emirates">
<intro>
Whether it’s business or
for a sunny summers holiday away with friends or family, when visiting the
United Arab Emirates (UAE), you can rest assured you will experience 5 star
hospitality, views and enjoyment like never before. Although to experience the
countries 5 star hospitality, views and enjoyment, you first need to get into
the country, which means making sure you are in the right position to walk
straight through passport control and UAE customs without any trouble.
During this guide about
how to obtain a UAE visit visa, you will find out whether or not you need a
visit visa before traveling to the UAE, if so how to get a UAE visit visa, how
to extend your UAE visit visa and other information such as banned medications
and alcohol rules.
<listitem
title="Mandatory Requirements" order="1">
You will not be allowed
to enter Dubai if:
1. You have less than 6
months until your passport expires.
2. You are an Israeli
citizen or have an Israeli stamp in your passport.
3. Are banned from the
UAE.
<listitem
title="Countries Granted a Visa upon Arrival to the UAE"
order="2">
Below is a list of 32
countries in alphabetical order. The good news is if your country is listed
below, you can fly straight to the UAE and will be given a 30 day UAE visit
visa upon arrival.
Andorra, Austria,
Australia, Belgium, Bruner, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Germany,
Holland, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg,
Malaysia, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, UK, USA, San Marino,
Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland and Vatican City.
NOTE: If you hold a passport from a Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC), you do not need to obtain a UAE visit visa. Countries that are
part of the GCC include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
MY COUNTRY IS NOT LISTED
ABOVE! Don’t worry as you can
still get a UAE visit visa, it just means you have to do a bit more leg work
than everyone else. See (Steps to Obtaining a UAE Visit Visa).
<listitem
title="Steps to Obtaining a UAE Visit Visa" order="3">
1. Find a Sponsor: To find a sponsor contact either the airline you
are flying with, the hotel you are staying at or the travel company you may be
using, they will all be able to sponsor you.
2. Send your Sponsor
Details: Once you find a sponsor,
send them a coloured copy of your passport. You will also need to state the
purpose of your visit.
3. Wait: Once your desired sponsor has received your
information, it will then take them around 3 days to process your visa. Once
processed, you will be sent a copy of your visit visa and the original will be
kept by your sponsor in the UAE.
4. Payments: Although you now have a UAE visit visa, you must
still make a few payments before departing to the UAE. You will be asked to pay
a deposit of AED 1,000 ($270), which will be returned to you upon your
departure. You will also be asked to pay a non-refundable fee of AED 210 ($55).
5. Travel to the UAE: Congratulations! Now that you have received your
UAE visit visa and paid what you owe, you can now travel to the UAE. The visit
visa must be used within 60 days and once activated at UAE Passport Control,
you will be able to stay within the country for 30 days.
<listitem
title="What if I want to Extend my UAE Visit Visa?" order="4">
If you
are from one of the countries which automatically get a UAE visit visa, then
yes you can. What you will need to do is exit and then re-enter the UAE. This
can be done by simply crossing from the UAE into neighbouring Oman and then
exiting the country again. The process will cost you AED 50 ($13).
<listitem
title="Alcohol" order="5">
When entering the UAE,
you are not allowed any more than 4 litres of alcoholic beverages. This is the
law, if you are caught exceeding this limit you will have the alcohol
confiscated and could receive a fine or worse. It is also worth noting that
tourists may only purchase alcohol from bars, restaurants or hotels and the
alcohol must be consumed on the premises from which the alcohol was bought. The
legal age to drink in the UAE is 21.
<listitem
title="Medication/Drugs" order="6">
It is strongly advised that you
check with UAE customs what drugs are allowed into the UAE and whether or not
you need a prescription for them. Some drugs which may be available over the
counter in your home country are totally illegal in Dubai and being caught
could result in a jail sentence.
<conclusion>
Well, hopefully by now
you know what it is you need or don’t need to do to obtain a UAE visit visa.
You should by now also know the alcohol limits for the UAE. To check what
medications are allowed, banned or require a prescription when entering the
UAE, please see below. We hope you have a great trip to the UAE and we wish you
a pleasant journey.
Extra
Info
- For info on what drugs are
allowed, need a prescription and banned in the UAE, visit http://www.moh.gov.ae
- The UAE’s timezone is GMT +4.
- The UAE currency is Dirhams,
usually seen as Dhs or AED.
- The UAE is tax free.
- There are just over 7 million
people living in the UAE.
