Dubai
2023/04/14
The United Arab Emirates is a rather popular tourist destination. It boasts numerous breathtaking attractions. Of course, to go to this place (especially if you want to visit it more than once) is worth taking care of registering for the corresponding five-year multi-entry tourist visa to the UAE. You can apply for this document even online. But before that, it is worth familiarising yourself with all the essential nuances of the procedure.
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In this material, we will examine what exactly you need to know about a multi-entry tourist visa to the UAE for five years. In particular, we will consider the application process, how much the document will cost, how much time it will take and other important points.
With the presented document, tourists obtain a perfectly legal right to enter the territory of the United Arab Emirates not only once for the declared period (5 years) within the self-financing. According to the issued visa, a tourist has the right to visit any city of the represented state, including Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
Everyone can apply for the presented long-term tourist visa online after the Federal Office for Identification and Citizenship (ICA) provides this opportunity. At the same time, people of any nationality can obtain a tourist visa to the Arab Emirates. After entry into the territory of the state, a tourist may stay there for 90 days only. Also, obtaining a visa can be used for transit through any port or airport of entry into the country. Let's delve into details and find out the main subtleties.
Any travel agency that passed the registration in the United Arab Emirates can issue a tourist visa for 30 or 90 days (single entry visa), which the document presented will cost 80-160 U.S. dollars. A single-entry tourist visa means a person can visit the country only once for purely tourist purposes. The state authorities allow tourists to enter and stay there for up to 60 days, under the recent decision of the Cabinet of Ministers.
The validity period of an electronic visa is 60 months (*5 years) from the date of receipt of the document. It means the tourist must enter the country for 60 days. It is required to confirm the visa obtained online. At the same time, staying in the country is allowed up to 90 days per year.
The citizens of the United States of America are not required to obtain a visa for a short-term trip to the territory of this country, as they can get this document already on arrival. But here's the thing - to enter Dubai, you must have a round-trip ticket and a passport, the validity of which expires in 6 months. U.S. citizens can stay in the country with a formalised visa for up to 30 days.
Foreign citizens from any country can apply for the presented document. The main requirement of acceptability is that a person must have a passport (valid for at least 6 months in the passport issuing country). In addition, you must provide your photo, valid medical insurance in the Emirates, and a bank statement for the last six months, which must show a balance of at least 4000 U.S. dollars. After that, the submitted application will be carefully checked, and a verdict will be given.
The price of registration of the presented document is about $175; you will also have to pay a service fee of $15. But it is worth remembering that the rates may change over time. Before collecting and submitting documents, you must familiarise yourself with the current cost.
Electronic application takes place on the official virtual resource of ICA or GDRFA. Before submission, you must ensure all data entered is correct and all mandatory fields are filled in. It should be noted that the multiple entry visa does not require proof of airfare and hotel reservations. But still, at the time of visa application, it is worth showing certain travel documents.
According to the legislation of the country, to apply for a multiple-entry tourist visa to the United Emirates, you must provide the following documents:
A bank statement for the last six months, which shows that there is a minimum of $4,000 in the account.
Medical insurance that is valid in the Emirates.
Photocopy of passport (first and last page).
Fresh photo (white background and passport size).
You can gather all the papers and apply independently or ask for help from specialized companies to save yourself from unnecessary hassle.
When applying for a 5-year multi-entry visa, you may also be required to provide additional documents, including a copy of the plane ticket and proof of residence. The latter means an invitation from relatives or friends living in the UAE, a hotel reservation, or a signed apartment or house lease contract.
Also, in the application form, you should put your residence address upon arrival in the United Emirates. In this line, you must specify the actual address of residence. If you need to learn how to correctly spell the address of the apartment or house you rent, it is best to contact the embassy. If the address is spelt correctly, it may be a reason to refuse the visa.
You can apply for the presented document in Dubai or UAE at any local immigration department or on the official website of ICA. Periodically, the Dubai General Department of Residents and Aliens posts visas issued for 5 years. In general, applying for this document is as follows:
Step 1: Go to the ICA website
This portal is where the electronic application process takes place. After opening the website www.smartservices.icp.gov.ae, you need to go to the section with "Public Services", where you must select the multiple-entry visa for all nationalities from the list and click "Start Service".
Step 2: Apply
On the open page, you must enter a lot of personal information in the appropriate fields. In particular, provide complete details about who is applying, the recipient of the service (what country was born, current citizenship, etc.), and addresses outside the UAE and directly in the country.
Step 3: Check your application before you submit it
It's worth double-checking your application before you send it in. You shouldn't ignore this step because it makes a big difference. During the check, you must ensure you enter all the details correctly. If you make a mistake by not attaching certain documents, this can be a reason for rejection.
Step 4: Pay the visa fee
If you are going to apply for a visa, it is worth paying the fee for the document before you submit your application, also at the last step. You can pay the visa fee online using a credit or debit card. After that, you can apply.
Step 5: Submit the entire required list of documents along with the application
You must attach your travel documents to your completed visa application form, including a copy of your passport, photo, health insurance, bank statement and other necessary papers.
Once submitted, the civil service staff will process the multiple-entry visa application. In case of a favourable verdict, the applicant will receive a multiple-entry tourist visa for 5 years in the UAE by email. To avoid future problems and unforeseen situations, printing it immediately after receiving it in paper format is best.
On average, UAE authorities process 2,000 applications for multiple entry visas to Dubai daily. It often takes up to 5-6 working days to process. If you made a virtual application, you can monitor the processing status directly on the ICA website. You only need to enter a particular field with the application number and your working email address.
Immigration Service, at its discretion, decides whether to grant or deny a visa. If the application is rejected, the applicant will receive the appropriate notification, and the reason for denial will be stated.
The most common reasons for refusing a multiple-entry visa are as follows:
A girl under 25 who is travelling alone.
A person with a criminal record for fraud or misconduct in the Emirates.
A person with an unskilled profession (for example, farmer, labourer and others).
Still, in the UAE territory, you can apply for a visa extension to stay in the country from 90 to 180 days. You can do this electronically by going to the ICA website. In this situation, it is worth doing the same steps as when applying for an initial multiple-entry visa. At the same time, the extension is a better option than applying for a new document.
Only 2 extensions are possible. The tourist has only 60 days to apply for an extension. If they apply on the last day, they must pay a visa fee of $28. Therefore, it is best to apply for an extension in advance.
There is a grace period of 10 days for visas to enter the UAE. It means that during this time, the tourist must either leave the country or apply for an extension of a multi-entry visa when its validity has ended. It is best to apply for an extension during the grace period.
If the visa expires and the tourist remains in the country, they will be fined $28 every day of the lapse. In addition, the tourist will have to pay a fee to obtain permission to leave the country in case of a visa lapse.
If a U.S. citizen is going to enter the territory of the UAE, one should know the following - with a valid passport of a U.S. citizen, the person should not apply for a visa. At the same time, there are a few things to be concerned about:
The U.S. citizen must have a passport, and its validity in the USA must be at least six months.
Be sure to have your round-trip airline ticket (or from the country to another place).
A visa is issued on arrival at one of the country's airports (the tourist receives a so-called visa on arrival). According to this document, you can stay in the country for 30 days. Suppose a tourist requires more time. In that case, one must apply to the state body directly at the airport or office nearby.
You must have an original passport to get a visa and visit Dubai or any other city. Besides, don't forget about airline tickets out of the country. Upon arrival, you can get a visa for 30 or 60 days - it is available to citizens of certain countries: Australia, Belgium, Cyprus, Lithuania, and others (a detailed list of countries can be found on the website of the immigration service).
It's worth mentioning that if you have a passport and a U.S. green card/guest visa/E.U. or U.K. resident visa, you can get a visa for no more than 14 days on arrival, as long as the green card or one of the visas is valid for at least six months after you arrive in the UAE.
For all other foreign nationals who, for specific reasons, cannot obtain a visa upon arrival in the UAE, the only option is to apply for a tourist visa before entering the country. It can be done differently - by applying to the embassy, local hotels in the Emirates and other options.
The presented category of citizens is optional to obtain a visa to visit the selected country. In this situation, upon arrival, you can get a visa that allows you to stay in the country for 14 days, and it can also be extended again by paying a certain amount of money.
In addition, a 30-day non-renewable visa on arrival at any airport in the country is available to all residents of the Persian Gulf who do not have citizenship but still hold one of the high-ranking positions (government officials or their relatives, doctors, engineers and others).
Obviously, it is best to gather all the necessary papers at once before applying (in particular, some may require a certain amount of time). The list of documents includes:
A photocopy of the sponsor's passport and the person being sponsored.
Travel insurance.
Bank statement.
Confirmation that the person has booked a plane ticket.
Colour passport-size photos.
Settlement sheet that the applicant has paid the visa fee.
Fully completed visa application form.
Additional documents may also be required, depending on where you apply for a visa.
Tourist visas can differ depending on the traveller's needs - they can be issued for single or multiple visits to the country and are valid for 30 or 90 days. Recently, the issuance of tourist visas for 5 years has been simplified. Under its conditions, tourists can visit the country repeatedly and stay there for 90 days after each entry. In addition, after the expiration of this term, the premise can be repeatedly extended for the same period.
The registration price of this document depends on the type of tourist visa the traveller needs. For example, if you apply for a visa for 30 days, it will cost $95, but if you need a tourist visa for 90 days, it costs $220. Please note that visa fees may change over time. It is best to refine the current rates right away before applying.
Tourist visas can differ depending on the traveller's needs - they can be issued for single or multiple visits to the country and are valid for 30 or 90 days. Recently, the issuance of tourist visas for 5 years has been simplified. Under its conditions, tourists can visit the country repeatedly and stay there for 90 days after each entry. In addition, after the expiration of this term, the premise can be repeatedly extended for the same period.
Each airline offers to obtain a tourist visa under certain conditions. The main requirement is that the applicant must buy a ticket from the selected air carrier, which will deal with the registration. In this situation, you can use visa services from various airlines: Emirates Airlines, Air Arabia, Fly Dubai, and Etihad Airways.
In this situation, you can apply online. It requires visiting the official website of the air carrier and clicking on the block to apply for a visa to the United Arab Emirates. Then the user is automatically redirected to another resource, where selecting the appropriate type of visa is required. After that, filling out a particular form to apply for a visa is necessary, adding the required documents (applicant's passport, plane ticket, photo).
Ultimately, it is required to pay the visa fee using the electronic payment service. After a while, the applicant will be notified of the immigration officer's decision.
The presented document can be executed in the same way as in the above case by applying with the help of the airline's official website. In this situation, it is necessary to submit the appropriate package of documents. The presented option is possible only when a tourist is going to use the services of this airline.
The visa application is submitted electronically, and there is no need to send your passport for a stamp. In this situation, it is necessary to apply for a visit to the United Arab Emirates in the "Manage your reservations" section of the website. First, you need to make a reservation for the flight. Also, before registration, it does not hurt to clarify the cost of the presented service.
Each citizen, regardless of his country, can use provided virtual service. But note that the service is only available to people who have confirmed flight reservations with Emirates Airline. If the plane ticket has already been issued, the same one must be put in at the time of arrival in Dubai and departure. Departing from the country should also be done with the help of Emirates Airlines.
It is required to apply for a visa at least 4 days before the intended departure to the country. At the same time, Emirates Airlines advises applying online as early as possible so that there are no unforeseen situations and the tourist does not have to miss the flight due to the lack of a visa to enter.
In the case of the represented air carrier, there may be some additional complications. In this situation, applying through the company's official website is optional, as in other cases. In this case, you must contact a suitable relevant travel agency (current addresses can be found on the official website of Fly Dubai), where you can consult on how to apply for a visa. It is worth noting that not all travel companies can help with the issue presented, so you should call them first.
As for the processing time of a tourist visa to visit the United Arab Emirates, it takes 5 working days from the time of application in an online format.
The procedure for applying for a tourist visa is similar to Fly Dubai's. An electronic submission format is not available. Instead, you can go to the Air Arabia airline's sales centre, which is located nearby. It is worth calling them first to consult on the matter.
Licensed hotels or travel companies in the United Arab Emirates are fully authorized to issue a tourist visa to Dubai if a foreigner makes a reservation at a particular hotel or buys a ticket through a travel agency. During the application, it is necessary to clarify whether the travel company or the hotel can apply for a visa on your behalf. It is also definitely worth checking the rates for the service provided. The visa application will likely be made online, on the appropriate website, on your behalf.
Suppose the hotel or travel agency is applying for a visa on your behalf. In that case, they will certainly need to provide all of your documents in electronic format, which is necessary to obtain the document. They may also require additional information from the applicant, which is needed for the application to be submitted correctly.
The traveller can also contact a travel company in their country to buy a trip to the UAE, with the tour operator may work with a local company in the Emirates.
Before contacting a particular company, it is worth ensuring the travel agent is genuine. Only immediately send scans of your documents or make visa fees once you are 100% sure that this is a reliable company that will not deceive you and take your money.
The traveller has the right to extend the tourist or visitor visa for another 30 days 2 times after submitting an application and a favourable decision by the immigration office. No need to leave the UAE to extend the visa. Please note that you must apply for an extension of your visa before it expires. The cost of each extension is about $165.
Also, as mentioned in our material above, foreign nationals with an expired visit visa who have yet to apply for an extension must pay a fine of $28 every day of the expiration date. Remember that after the permit is no longer valid, the tourist has an additional 10 days grace period. The penalty begins to accrue after it comes to an end.
You can submit the appropriate application electronically using the website of the federal office. In this situation, you must first open the section with "Public Services", where you can select the appropriate service and apply online to renew the tourist visa to enter Dubai. In the opened form, it is required to enter the passport number, its type, current nationality and date of birth. The whole procedure for processing the tourist visa extension is quite simple - you must enter all the requested data, attach the necessary documents, and pay the service fee.
Also, you can apply online and to the appropriate service at Dubai International Airport. Before this, you must collect a package of all necessary documents (the same ones required when applying for an initial visa).
It is not worth counting on. In this situation, it is worth noting that no state in the world does not refund money in case the visa application is rejected. In this case, the reason for rejection does not matter at all.
The main advantage of the multi-entry five-year tourist visa is that with this document, it is allowed to enter the territory of the UAE more than once while staying there for a relatively long time. In this case, you can apply to register the document presented online. Our team has tried to clarify all the basic nuances of obtaining a visa, and we hope the article has answered all your concerns.