New visa rules come into effect

New visa rules come into effect
By Adel Arafah (Staff reporter/KHALEEJ TIMES)

10 July 2008 Print E-mail
ABU DHABI — Lieutenant-General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Interior, has issued a decision amending certain provisions of the law of entry and residence of foreigners.

According to the amendments, which came into effect on July 5, a new type of visa, multiple entry visa, would be issued which allows the bearer to enter the country several times during the six months from the date of issue. The bearer will be able to stay for a maximum of 14 days after each entry into the country.

The Department of Naturalisation and Residency and the embassies and consulates of the UAE in foreign countries will have the authority to issue visas to the foreigners for visiting their relatives or friends who have legitimate resident visas in the UAE.

There will be two types of visit visas, both non-renewable. The first type, long-term visit visa, allows the holders to stay in the UAE for 90 days. The second type, short-term visit visa, allows the holders to stay in the country for 30 days.

For entry permits to visit the UAE, the request should be submitted in the prescribed application forms of the Ministry of Interior along with the documents required for each case.

A) If the purpose of entering the country is visiting a relative or friend, residing in the country legally, the following requirements should be fulfilled:

1. The visitor should be a spouse or one of the immediate relatives of the sponsor. An exception could be made for the second-degree relatives to visit the sponsor on approval by the Undersecretary of Ministry of Interior or his representative;

2. The sponsor should be a UAE citizen in case the visitor is a friend of the person who submits the application; and

3. Proof of consanguinity, marriage or justification for the visit must be furnished and the sponsor must stand as guarantees.

B) If a woman wants to visit her husband who is a citizen of GCC countries but living in the UAE, she must have a valid residence visa in the country of her husband.

In all circumstances, the beneficiary should have a health insurance cover and pay Dh1,000 as a financial guarantee that would be refunded upon departure.

The visit visa holder will be allowed to enter the UAE once within two months from the date of issue.

Visitors may be allowed into the country for studies and the holder of this type of visa will be allowed to enter the UAE once during the two months from the date of issue and they could stay for 60 days and may be extended for the same term twice.

One of the universities or institutes or educational or research institutions licensed in the UAE should provide the guarantee for the study visa. The beneficiary should have health insurance cover and deposit Dh1,000 as guarantee that would be refunded upon departure.

Visit visas may be issued for medical treatment. The holder of such a permit may enter the country once, within two months from the date of issue. The person could stay in the country for 90 days from the date of entry. Such permit may be extended only once for the same period. A hospital must sponsor the patient and a medical report must be furnished along with the refundable deposit of Dh1,000.

Visas for attending an exhibition, festival or conference will be only for a single entry within two months from the date of issue. The person could stay in the country for up to 30 days from the date of entry. This visa cannot be extended. The occurrence and timing of the event must be certified in a letter issued by an official department. A refundable deposit of Dh1,000 must be paid.

The holder of a tourist visa may enter the country once within two months from the date of issue. The person could stay for a maximum of 30 days in the country from the date of entry. Such visas could be extended once for the same period. The sponsor of the visitor must be the tourist agency or institution. A deposit of Dh75,000 must be paid when applying for an institution card.

A refundable deposit of Dh1,000 shall be paid for such a visa for people of certain nationalities to be specified by the decision from the Undersecretary of the Interior Ministry. The application should be submitted to the department concerned a week before arrival and the number of people for whom the visa is sought must not be more than 10. The itinerary should be attached with the application. An exception to the number of members of the group may be given by the Undersecretary of the Interior Ministry. The persons must have health insurance cover.

The UAE ambassadors and consuls abroad are also authorised to issue entry visas for public figures, dignitaries and alike. The condition of sponsor may even be dropped in such cases.

The beneficiaries, as per the bylaw, must, in all cases, have medical insurance.