8 Things to Know About UAE Residence Visa

Dubai: If you are planning to move to the UAE to live, work or invest, it can be helpful to keep in mind certain general regulations on residence visas.

If your visa is sponsored by someone else, a one-, two- or three-year residence visa can be issued. However, the UAE has also recently introduced self-funded visas, valid for five or ten years.five year visa may be green visa even one retirement visa. On the other hand, the 10-year Golden Visa is issued to specific categories of professionals, investors and individuals who contribute to the UAE society.Tono For more information, click here.

However, according to u.ae, the official website of the UAE government, if you hold a family visa, it means that your residence visa is sponsored by a family member and your visa cannot be valid for longer than that of the sponsor.

Residence visa requires applicants aged 18 or over to accept medical test to certify that they are medically sound.They must also pass a security check, and Apply for an Emirates ID From ICP.

When applying for a residence visa, you will also need to submit certain documents. These may vary depending on your role as an applicant – whether you are a parent, sponsoring your child, or a student planning to live in the UAE and study at a university here. Below is a list of documents you may need to provide:

• One recent color personal photograph against a white background for dependents
• Copy of dependent’s passport
• Emirates ID application receipt
• Residential lease contract (certified) or proof of residence
• A copy of the sponsor’s passport with a valid residence permit
• Employment contract of the guarantor
• Health certificate (for dependents over 18 years old)
• Entry clearance
• Birth certificates of dependents (children)
• Photo of mother’s residence (for newborns)
• Medical insurance or health card
• Divorce or death certificate (divorced women and widows)
• Proof of housing (divorced women and widows)
• Proof of women’s ability to earn a living (divorced women and widows)
• University or college-issued certificate (for students) of study duration.

According to the UAE, when a woman living in the UAE on a husband’s visa is divorced or widowed, the UAE government grants her a one-year extension of her residency visa. The deferment runs from the date of the husband’s death or divorce. This type of visa can only be renewed once and does not require a substitute sponsor. The extension also applies to the woman’s children, provided they held the father’s visa at the time of the father’s death or divorce.

In addition, visas for women and their children must be valid at the time of death or divorce, and the duration of the child or child residence visa cannot exceed that of the mother.

The general rule is that if a foreign resident stays outside the UAE for more than 180 consecutive days, their residence visa will automatically be voided. However, recently, ICP Announces New Licenses, which allows UAE residents who may have stayed outside the UAE for more than six months to re-enter the country. After applying for this permit, you can re-enter the UAE using your existing residence visa if your application is approved. If your application is refused, you will need to apply for a new residence visa.

In addition, there are exceptions that allow expatriate residents to stay outside the UAE for more than six months while maintaining the validity of their residence visa. The exceptions are:

• Foreign wives of UAE citizens
• Scholarships for domestic helpers accompanying Emiratis to study abroad
• Domestic workers who accompany UAE patients on travel or are sent abroad for medical treatment
• Expatriate residents and their companions are sent abroad for medical treatment, provided they submit a medical report approved by a UAE medical institution
• Domestic workers accompanying members of diplomatic and consular missions representing the UAE abroad, and employees of such missions holding residence visas in the UAE
• Resident expatriates working for the public sector, sent by their employers to attend training or professional courses, or working in their employer’s offices abroad and their family members holding a valid residence visa in the UAE
• Foreign students studying in foreign universities or colleges (according to Dubai regulations). Please consult the ICP if this applies to your emirate of residence.
• Domestic helpers of members of the ruling family working in royal homes abroad and holding a valid residence visa in the UAE
• Students studying in foreign educational institutions with a valid UAE residence visa
• Investors with a valid residence visa in the UAE
• Residents sponsored by UAE diplomatic and consular representatives and their families
• Any other person excluded by decision of the ICP, provided that person holds a valid residence visa and pays the due fee.

There are also some perks of being a legal resident of the UAE, such as the ease of opening a bank account, applying for a UAE driving license, and access to government medical services and health insurance. For a more in-depth guide on the benefits of holding a UAE residence visa, Click here.

It is also important to note that before your visa expires, you (if self-documenting) or your sponsor must renew it. Renewing your visa will allow you to continue living legally in the UAE without incurring fines or facing legal consequences.

However, the UAE residency visa also provides a grace period after the visa expires, which can be one month and can be extended Certain types of visas up to six months.

ICP has Standardize overdue fines in the UAE. Under the new regulations, overstay fees for visit, tourist and residence visas have been standardized at Dh50 per day.

Remember that when your residence visa expires, your ICP-issued Emirates ID will also expire.

If you are a UAE resident planning to relocate, you must ensure that your residence visa is cancelled. This can be done by your visa sponsor, which can be your employer or a member of your family, or if you have a self-serve visa, you can do it yourself.

If you are sponsored by a company, the company needs to first make sure that all of your termination fees are settled. Once you have signed a letter clearly stating that you have received all dues, the company can cancel your work permit through the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratis (MOHRE) and then cancel your residence visa through the Directorate General of Residence and Foreigners Matters – Dubai (GDRFA), if you have a visa issued in Dubai, or through the ICP if you have a visa issued in any other emirate.

If you are relocating as a family, once your visa has been cancelled, you can continue to cancel the visas of your dependents.

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