All visitors coming to the United Arab Emirates are now required to have health insurance as new visit visa rules are enforced from August 1, according to a senior official.
An AED1,000 deposit shall be collected by the Naturalisation and Residency Department before issuance of any type of visit visa. Although such fee is refunded upon exit of a visitor from the country, the Ministry of Interior is studying the possibility of exempting certain passport holders from paying the deposit.
“A visit visa will cost Dh500 across all the emirates from August 1,” Lieutenant General Mohammad Salem Al Khaili, the Director-General of Federal Naturalisation and Residency Department (FNRD) as quoted by Gulf News in a press conference on Sunday.
The updates in fee structure comes after a recent Cabinet decison to revise it for visit visas and introduce new visa types.
Valid for 30 days, residents can apply for visit visas for their spouse or first degree relatives. Sponsoring visitors who are second degree relatives will need the approval of senior officials.
In the new law, only UAE nationals will be allowed to sponsor visitors who are friends.
Sixteen different types of visas have been defined by the FNRD specifying the reason for visit, including study, medical treatment or participation in an exhibition or conference.
Announcing the details, Al Khaili said: “Visit visas valid for 30 days will cost AED500. This cannot be renewed. A person wishing to stay for an extended period must obtain a visit visa valid for 90 days which will cost AED1,000.”
A new visa type that allows multiple entried has been introduced. This visa is good for six months from date of issuance and a person can stay in the country for only 14 days at a stretch.
“The new types of visit visas are being introduced so that we are able to go hand in hand with the fast paced ongoing development of the country,” noted Al Khaili.
Student visit visas, which costs AED1,000, is valid for 60 days and will require an applicant to be registered in one of the universities in the UAE.
Those wishing to undergo treatment must take visit visa for treatment purpose which will cost Dh1,000 for 90 days. This can be renewed for a similar period for AED500.
Those visiting to attend conferences or exhibitions can obtain a visa for AED100.
One-month-long tourist visas, procured by tour operators and hotels will cost AED100, as before. This may be renewed only once. Transit visas will cost Dh100 while mission visas will cost AED200.
