Residence Visa Dubai: These options are open to you

Dubai, and the UAE in general, has become the number one emigration destination for many Germans in recent years. Be it because of the favorable tax policy, the flourishing economy or the high standard of living. However, there is one thing you should inform yourself about in detail before any trip, especially if it is a long-term move: Your residence visa and its requirements. 

Whether you want to live, work or study in the United Arab Emirates.

But which residence permit best suits your needs? We will tell you in the following blog article, which should give you a good overview of the various residence visas in Dubai.

Table of Contents‍

The most important facts in brief

What are the advantages of a residence visa in the UAE?

Work visa

Green Visa

1. freelancers and self-employed persons

2. qualified employees

3. investors

Standard work visa

Remote work visa

Pensioner visa

Student visa

Family visa

Golden Visa

How can I renew my residence visa?

Can I cancel my residence visa?

Conclusion

FAQ

How long can I stay in the UAE with a visa?

Can I stay outside the United Arab Emirates for longer than 6 months?

How much does a Dubai visa cost?

The most important facts in brief

• A residence visa is a temporary residence permit in the UAE. Depending on the type of visa, it allows you to stay in the UAE for between 2 and 5 years.
• Roughly speaking, you can distinguish between work, pensioner, student and family visas. You will need a sponsor for each of these visas.
• You can also stay abroad for up to 6 months with a residence visa.
• However, make sure you extend your residence visa in good time, otherwise you could face legal consequences and fines.

What are the advantages of a residence visa in the UAE?

As a legal resident of the United Arab Emirates, you can enjoy numerous privileges. These include, for example

• permission to open a bank account
• the opportunity to apply for a driver's license
• Access to financial facilities
• permission to enrol your children in state and private schools
• Access to various state health services and health insurances
• the possibility of visa-free travel to certain countries

Good to know: You can only apply for a long-term SIM card if you are a UAE resident.

Now to the different types of visa:

Work visa

If you are planning to work in the UAE, you have 3 options for obtaining a work visa: the Green Visa, the Standard Work Visa and the Domestic Worker Visa:

However, there is another option to use the Green Visa for yourself, namely if you are an investor:

3. investors

The Golden Visa is issued to you if you are an investor and intend to settle in the UAE or participate in commercial activities. You must also fulfill certain conditions for this:

• Approval of the ICP for the investment in accordance with the applied investor rating system
• Proof of your planned investment
• Approval of the investment by the competent local authorities

Standard work visa

In addition to the green visa, as an immigrant you can also apply for a regular work visa, which is valid for two years, provided that you:

• Are employed in the private sector, the state sector or in a free zone

Your employer must also apply for the standard visa for you. There is a separate regulation for domestic workers, which you can read more about on the UAE authorities website.

Pensioner visa

As a pensioner, you can apply for a long-term visa for 5 years if:

• You can prove that you have worked in or outside the UAE for at least 15 years, or
• be at least 55 years old at the time of retirement
• you own a property worth at least AED 1 million, have financial savings of at least AED 1 million or earn a monthly income of AED 20,000, regardless of where the money comes from. However, if you only receive your income from Dubai, then AED 15,000 per month is sufficient.
• you can provide bank statements for the last six months

Student visa

As a student, you can also apply for a residence permit in the UAE if your parents, who are resident in the UAE, or your university institution vouch for you. The visa can then be issued to you for 1 year, but only if the following conditions are met:

• A certificate from your university stating the expected duration of your studies
• All general requirements that are necessary for a stay in the UAE

Family visa

Your employer as well as you as an employee can sponsor your family's stay with a valid UAE residence visa. Your family members can earn up to AED 4,000 per month regardless of their profession. For more information, either contact the relevant authority directly or consult one of our experts at EXTENT.

Golden Visa

Last but not least, you have the option of applying for the Golden Visa in Dubai or the rest of the United Arab Emirates. Compared to the other visas, the Golden Visa allows a long-term stay in the UAE of up to 10 years.

It also allows you to live, work or study in the UAE, but without the need for a sponsor. The requirements you need to fulfill depend on which category you fall under. However, you will enjoy the following benefits regardless:

• an entry visa for 6 months with multiple entries to obtain the residence permit
• a long-term, renewable residence visa with a validity of 5 or 10 years
• the possibility to stay outside the UAE for longer than the usual 6 months without losing the validity of your residence visa
• the ability to sponsor your family members, including spouses and children, regardless of their age
• the option of sponsoring an unlimited number of domestic staff
• permission for your family members to remain in the UAE until the end of your residence permit, even if you have died prematurely

How can I renew my residence visa?

In order for you to remain in the UAE, your sponsor must apply for a renewal before your visa expires. To avoid immediate legal consequences or fines, you will always be given a period of one month to remain in the country after your residence permit has been canceled or has expired. An exception to this period is the Golden Visa. Here you are granted a period of 6 months. 

If you have not applied for a new visa in time, you will be charged a fee of AED 50 per day for overstaying both your residence and tourist visas.

Good to know: When your visa expires, so does your Emirates ID Card. To avoid unnecessary difficulties, please contact EXTENT. We will assist you with your visa application and, if necessary, take care of extending your stay in the United Arab Emirates in good time.

Can I cancel my residence visa?

If your residence visa is sponsored by a family member or your employer and you wish to leave the UAE permanently, you must have your visa officially canceled. However, this can usually only be done by your sponsor and not by yourself.

On the other hand, if you as a company decide to terminate one of your employees, you must automatically cancel their work visa. To do this, you must first contact the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization and submit an application to cancel your employee's employment contract and work card. You must also apply to the ICP to cancel the visa. However, as an EXTENT customer, we will of course be happy to take care of these steps for you.

Conclusion

A residence visa is essential for you if you decide to stay in the UAE for a longer period of time. Be it to live, work or study there. To apply for the visa itself, however, you must fulfill different criteria depending on the type of visa. Also pay attention to the duration of your visa and make sure you extend it in good time. Of course, you can contact EXTENT in both cases. As our customer, we will take all the necessary steps for you to ensure that your immigration process is as simple and stress-free as possible. We at EXTENT are also available to answer any questions you may have about immigration.

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FAQ

How long can I stay in the UAE with a visa?

This depends on which visa you have applied for. As a rule, the above-mentioned visa types grant you a stay of between 1 and 5 years. One exception is the Golden Visa, which grants you a stay of up to 10 years.

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Can I stay outside the United Arab Emirates for longer than 6 months?

If you have a residence visa for the UAE, you may also stay abroad. However, only for a certain period of time. Therefore, if you plan to stay abroad for longer than 6 months, you must fulfill the following conditions to re-enter the UAE:Your application must be submitted outside the country

• Your application must be submitted after 180 days abroad
• You must be able to present a valid reason that justifies your extended stay.
• pay a fine of AED 100 for each stay of 30 days or less outside the country.

*These applications are submitted by us to EXTENT.

How much does a Dubai visa cost?

How much you have to pay for your residence permit depends largely on the type of visa you have. On average, however, you can expect to pay around AED 10,000.

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