Are you heading to Dubai? Dubai is a beautiful country with fascinating cultures, food, and sights. However, knowing when and how to obtain a visa for your visit to Dubai might seem daunting. How do you apply for a Dubai visa, you might ask? We have scoured the internet to get the answer.
A Dubai visa can only be obtained from a sponsor or agency within Dubai. Therefore, you can apply for your visa through them. However, some citizens can apply for a Dubai visa upon arrival, and other citizens can enter Dubai without a visa. Applying for a Dubai visa is a straightforward process.
This article discusses the steps to apply for a Dubai visa, what documentation is required, and what types of visas are available in Dubai. We will also share some valuable tips when applying for a Dubai visa to ensure a smooth and successful visa application. This is how to apply for a Dubai visa.
How To Apply For A Dubai Visa
Dubai is experiencing phenomenal growth in popularity as a tourist destination. While it has been a prime business location for many years, more people are also heading to Dubai for a holiday. Therefore, you might be curious about applying for a Dubai visa.
Fortunately, applying for a Dubai visa is a fairly straightforward process. The exact steps for a Dubai visa application depend on your reason for visiting Dubai. However, these are the general steps for applying for a Dubai visa.
Step 1: Fill Out The Visa Application Forms
The first step to applying for a Dubai visa is downloading and filling out the application form. You can get the form on the United Arab Emirates Office’s website. Fill in this application form. It will ask for information such as your name, passport number, contact information, and the information of your host.
Ensure this form is filled in correctly. Suppose there are any mistakes on your application form. In that case, it might result in your visa being denied, or you may need to redo the application form, resulting in time loss.
Step 2: Gather And Send Documentation
Many Dubai Visas don’t require embassy approval, so you don’t have to send your documents to the embassy. For example, if you qualify for an entry visa once in Dubai, you can keep your visa documents with you and do the application when you enter Dubai. Likewise, sometimes the company you work for can apply for the visa without sending it to the embassy.
Therefore, you must send your visa application documents to the relevant party. Send your visa to your nearest Dubai embassy if it needs to go there. Your travel agent, host, or employer will tell you where to send your documents, and which documents you will need.
Step 3: Wait For Approval
Once you send your documents to the relevant party, it might take a while to get a response. However, if your visa application is successful and approved, you will receive your visa. Depending on the type of visa you applied for, you can have a single or multiple entry visa valid for various times.
Wondering if you qualify for the much-coveted Dubai Golden Visa? Read “Everything You Need to Know About the Dubai Golden Visa“.
What Types Of Visas Are Available For Dubai?
There are various visas available for Dubai. Depending on your reason for visiting Dubai, you may require one of the following visas:
- UAE tourist visa for a 30-day stay.
- UAE tourist visa for a 90-day stay.
- UAE residence visa for one of the following reasons: work, family, studies, or retirement.
- Long-term residence visa (periods between five and ten years).
- UAE transit visas (issued for 48 or 96 hours).
Not everyone has to apply in advance for a Dubai visa. On arrival, citizens from more than 50 countries can apply for a Dubai visa. In addition, some passport holders can enter Dubai without a visa.
This visa is valid for thirty or ninety days, depending on your country. You can get this visa once you enter Dubai. Ensure you have the necessary documents when applying for a Dubai visa on arrival.
What Documentation Do You Need For A Dubai Visa?
In addition to the documentation you need for the application process, you will also need other documents when applying for your Dubai visa and getting into Dubai. For example, depending on the type of visa you apply for, you may need the following documents:
- Passport and photocopies of your passport: Sometimes, you don’t need to give your passport for a visa. However, be sure to take high-quality scans of your passport information.
- Passport pictures: Sometimes these pictures need to be in color or black and white. Check the requirements for passport pictures on the UAE embassy website.
- Proof of accommodation: This can be the hotel you are staying at or the address you are moving to in Dubai.
- Proof of a return ticket or flight ticket to another destination: This is only required if you are applying for a tourist visa.
- Proof of medical insurance purchased for the UAE: This is to cover any medical expenses for your stay in Dubai.
- Proof of your financial status: This shows that you can support yourself financially while you are in Dubai.
- Proof of a marriage certificate: This may be required, depending on your reason for visiting Dubai.
- Proof of your current address.
- A no-objection certificate from your husband or father: The NOC only applies to solo female travelers. It is also a very important part of the document pack a mother needs to sponsor a child in Dubai
If you have a host or sponsor in Dubai, you may be required to submit their contact information and passport details. You will likely have a host or sponsor if you go to Dubai for work or study.
Tips For Applying For A Dubai Visa
The best way to ensure your Dubai visa application is successful is to be prepared and have all the necessary documentation. Here are some tips for ensuring your visa application is successful and you obtain your Dubai visa without a fuss.
- Ensure all the correct documentation is submitted with the visa application papers.
- Ensure the visa application is completed correctly and fully.
- Make copies of all the documents you attach to your visa application.
- Keep a record of your document reference numbers and the fees you have paid and must still pay.
Frequently Asked Questions
In addition to where, when, and how to apply for your Dubai visa, people often ask some other questions about applying for a Dubai visa. Therefore, to save you the trouble of doing additional research, we answer some of the top questions regarding Dubai visa applications.
1. Which Places Can You Visit With A Dubai Visa?
Dubai is a part of the UAE (United Arab Emirates). Therefore, you don’t apply for a Dubai visa but a UAE visa. This visa allows you to travel all over the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
2. Can You Extend Your Dubai Visa?
It is possible to extend your Dubai visa once you are in Dubai. However, you must apply for an extension before the current one expires. A visa extension is valid for 30 days and costs AED 600. You can apply for a maximum of two extensions for one visa.
Conclusion
There are multiple things to consider when applying for a Dubai visa. However, following the proper steps, you should get your visa within a week. Citizens from more than 50 countries can also apply for their visas once they land in Dubai. Other citizens can enter Dubai visa-free.