Valid sponsors for appliying U.A.E Visa

a - Hotels & Tourist Companies can apply, on your behalf, for a Tourist Visa (valid for 30 days); or a Service Visa (valid for 14 days); or a Visit Visa (valid for 30 days and can be extended for other 30 days)

b - Airlines & Airlines Handlers apply on behalf of their crew members for a 96-hour Transit Visa.

c - Other Organizations based in the UAE may only apply for Visit Visas and Service Visas.

d - Individuals (Relatives or Friends) already resident in the UAE may, subject to guidlines, also apply on your behalf for a Visit Visa

Emirates, Visa team up to offer free tourist visas during Dubai Shopping Festival

Travellers to Dubai for the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) will benefit from a free one month tourist visa, when flying on Emirates and paying with their Visa credit, debit or prepaid card in the UAE.

Valid for all Emirates destinations that require a visa for entry into Dubai, the promotion is open to passengers in any class of travel - provided a return ticket is purchased in the UAE and a valid family member sponsors their stay. Tickets must be booked and paid for in the UAE during the two week sale period from, 19th January till 1st of February 2010 inclusive, the airline said.

Khalid bel Jaflah, Emirates’ Vice President Commercial Operations UAE said: “Emirates has developed another excellent promotion that helps families come together to experience one of Dubai’s most acclaimed and glittering events, DSF. The free visa promotion takes into account that the cost of visas can be a determining factor in whether people can afford to travel or not, offering a free visa alleviates this stress

Citizens of 34 nations exempt from UAE visit visa waiting period

Dubai: Citizens of 34 countries do not have to wait one month before applying for a visit visa after leaving the UAE, a senior Interior Ministry official said.

Currently visitors who leave the UAE even after a day's stay have to wait for a month before they can apply for a visit visa again.

"Citizens of nations who need to obtain an entry permit into the country through any one of the residency departments will not be able to apply for another visa immediately after they leave the country," Major General Nasser Al Awadi Al Menhali, acting Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry of Interior for Naturalisation, Residency and Borders, told Gulf News in an exclusive interview.

Law

"Even if they stay here for two days and leave the country, they can come back after one month," he said. There is no multiple entry visit visa, Maj. Gen. Al Menhali stressed.

"If a visitor comes here, then goes on vacation to a nearby country and wants to come back, he should wait for one month before returning here," he said.

Maj. Gen. Al Menhali said these rules apply to people who need to apply for a visa prior entering the UAE.

"There are citizens of 34 countries who do not need a visa in advance. These citizens can get a visa upon arrival in the UAE," he said.

He said since the visa is issued upon arrival, these citizens can come back here any time they like."Citizens of these 34 countries need to show their passport to the immigration officer at any of the country's borders and they will have a new visa stamped. They can come and go as much as they want and at any time they want," he said.

Rules not new

"These rules are not new. But some people believe that they can come to the country and stay a couple of days and leave. They want to come back gain on the same visa believing that the visa has not expired yet, but they cannot. They have to wait for one month," he said.

Maj. Gen. Al Menhali said if a person stays for a day and leaves, the visa will be deemed expired even if the expiration date is later.

He said the one month waiting period is counted from the day the person leaves the country and not from the date of the visa expiration.

Multiple entry

Businessmen who need to enter and leave the country several times can apply for a multiple entry visa which is valid for six months, a senior Interior Ministry official said.

Major General Nasser Al Awadi Al Menhali, acting Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry of Interior for Naturalisation, Residency and Borders, said once this multiple entry visa expires, businessmen have to wait for a month before applying for another visa.

This waiting period does not apply to citizens of 34 countries.

Maj. Gen. Al Menhali said the residency department deals with issuing visas on a case-by-case basis."We study each visa application and if it needs to be issued before the end of the one-month period, we can do it but it will depend on the circumstances of the visa applicant," the interior ministry official said.

The citizens of these 34 countries also do not have to wait a month before applying for a visit visa.

List of 34 countries

1. 
   
   Andorra
2. 
   
   Australia
3. 
   
   Austria
4. 
   
   Belgium
5. 
   
   Brunei
6. 
   
   Canada
7. 
   
   Denmark
8. 
   
   Finland
9. 
   
   France
10. 
    
    Germany
11. 
    
    Greece
12. 
    
    Hong Kong
13. 
    
    Iceland
14. 
    
    Ireland
15. 
    
    Italy
16. 
    
    Japan
17. 
    
    Liechtenstein
18. 
    
    Luxembourg
19. 
    
    Malaysia
20. 
    
    Monaco
21. 
    
    Netherlands (Holland)
22. 
    
    New Zealand
23. 
    
    Norway
24. 
    
    Paraguay
25. 
    
    Portugal
26. 
    
    San Marino
27. 
    
    Singapore
28. 
    
    South Korea
29. 
    
    Spain
30. 
    
    Sweden
31. 
    
    Switzerland
32. 
    
    United Kingdom
33. 
    
    United States
34. 
    
    Vatican City

Residence visa seekers to be fingerprinted

Residency departments across the country will manage a fingerprint identification system and database for all residents in the country.

"Starting August 09, applicants for residence visa will be fingerprinted under a tighter biometric system to provide more secure identification and prevent fraud," Major General Nasser Al Awadi Al Minhali, Acting Director-General of the Federal Naturalisation and Residency Department .

He said fresh applicants for residence visas will get their fingerprints taken before the medical check-up to ensure they have no criminal record. "Those found to be with criminal records will be denied visa and handed over to the police for further legal action."

Al Minhali said a number of residents who had their fingerprints taken for obtaining identification cards were found to have a criminal record.

"This prompted authorities to introduce this measure to prevent people with a criminal record from obtaining a visa."

He added residents living in the country will be fingerprinted when they apply for renewal of their visa. "The move will eventually cover all residents in the country, including workers sponsored by their employers, investors, domestic workers and parents of residents," he said. Al Minhali did not specify the fees, but said they will be nominal.

Many residents questioned the move and asked if there was any point in being fingerprinted for the ID card and then again for the residence visa.

But Al Minhali said the National Identity Authority examines whether an applicant has a criminal record or not, but the database that will be set up at the Naturalisation and Residency departments across the country will act as a source of information to ensure only those with certificate of "good conduct" or "lack of a criminal record" will be granted residence visa.

Al Minhali said fingerprinting services will be available at Naturalisation and Residency departments across the country. He did not say whether the fingerprinting will be done manually or electronically. "We will manage a fingerprint identification system and database for all residents in the country and lead the way in the development, assessment and implementation of new techniques for operational fingerprinting."

Categories covered under scheme

Employment Visa: Employment Visa or Permit is issued by the Naturalisation and Residency Department to a foreign national who wishes to work for a company in the UAE upon the approval of the Ministry of Labour. It allows the holder to enter the UAE once for a period of 30 days and is valid for two months from the date of issue. When the employee has entered the country on the basis of the employment visa, the sponsoring company will arrange to complete the formalities of stamping his residence.

Residence Visa: A residence visa is required for those who intend to enter the UAE to live with a person who is already a resident. It is issued to the immediate kin of a resident for three years renewable for a fee of Dh300. The residence permit becomes invalid if the resident remains more than six months at a time out of the country.

Parents of residents are issued residence visas after special approval with a renewable validity of one year for a fee of Dh100 for each year. A refundable deposit of Dh5,000 has to be paid for each parent.

Investor Visa: It is issued to an expatriate investor in partnership with a local. The foreign investor must hold a minimum stake of Dh70,000 in the share capital. Like the residence visa, it is issued for three years for a fee of Dh300.

Visa for domestic help will be covered under the fingerprinting scheme

Visitor visas valid only for single entry to UAE, Ministry

Visas for visit, transit and tourism are valid only for a single entry into the UAE, said a senior official at the Ministry of Interior, adding that visitors cannot return using the same permit even after a trip to a neighbouring country.

Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Merri, Director-General of the Dubai General Department for Residency and Foreigners Affairs, told Gulf News: "A visitor needs to get a new entry permit to re-enter the country once he or she leaves the country for any destination. The new entry permit will be issued only after one month from the date the visitor leaves the UAE."

Major General Al Merri was responding to a question about visitors who face difficulties in returning to the UAE after a short sightseeing trip to Oman or after leaving in a hurry for a meeting in Bahrain. They cannot re-enter the UAE immediately since a new visa will be issued only after a gap of at least one month.

The rule applies even if the visitors leave the country before the expiry of their entry permits, he said. "They have to wait for one month before applying for another entry permit."

Major General Al Merri said this happens to some people who arrive on tourist or visit visas to see family or friends or visit the country as tourists.

"They stay here for few days and then decide to go to Oman, Bahrain or any nearby country. These people believe they can return to the UAE using the same entry permit as they stayed here only for a few days.

"They think the entry permit is still valid since they did not use it till the expiry date," he said.

Major General Al Merri said the department, however, could take into consideration any exceptional circumstances pertaining to a particular visitor. But such a decision is taken on case-by-case basis."We want to make it easy and enjoyable for people who want to visit our country. But they should adhere to the rules," he said.

Multiple entry visas are an option for businessmen who are frequent visitors to the UAE and who have a relationship with a reputable company here.

This visa is valid for six months from the date of issue and costs Dh1,000. However, each visit must not exceed 30 days. Visit, tourist and transit visas are only for single entry