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. 

For a better version of this article with more details visit: http://www.allxpats.com/dubai/travellers-checklist-for-dubai/