Since its foundation, the UAE has been a popular destination for business people, investors, and corporations. The authorities aim to guarantee that there are adequate opportunities for people to establish themselves from the beginning. A wider spectrum of visitors can now enter the UAE thanks to the new visa rules in UAE.
In this article, we will be giving you information about the new visa rules in UAE. Federal Ruling – Law on Foreigners’ Entry and Residence executive regulations are being created by government officials. Both new and existing visas now have these amendments in place. This new UAE visa rules 2023 can help foreigners obtain more benefits when living in the area.
Implications and Benefits for Expatriates in the UAE
It is appealing to live in the UAE while working or conducting business there. Numerous people are drawn to this Middle Eastern nation because it has a booming foreign community, a vibrant nightlife, and no income tax. The UAE is a great place to start a family since it has excellent educational opportunities as well as apparently infinite shopping and leisure alternatives. Once you receive a residence visa, you will be eligible for all the advantages of being a resident in the UAE.
Due to new visa rules in the UAE, the government is now replacing the practice of stamping residency visas in passports using the Emirates ID. Passports are not going to be gathered for stamping. Also, UAE citizens may now submit a single application to get both their residency visa and Emirates ID. Consequently, this will speed up the application process.
For visitors on ninety-day visit visas, the UAE is offering a single 30-day visa extension. allowing a 2-month maximum extension. Additionally, all forms of visas for tourists can now extend for an additional 30 days inside the nation.
The UAE’s new visa rules have the goal to improve living conditions and make it more delightful to reside, work, and invest there. Furthermore, to remove restrictions on visitors and expedite the visa application process.
The goal of the government with these UAE’s new visa regulations is to expand the “knowledge economy” and entice more highly skilled individuals to reside in the Emirates.
It intends to draw specialists like scientists, programmers, and IT employees.
By 2040, Dubai alone plans to increase its 3.5 million citizens to 5.8 million. The nation also hopes to quickly recover from the pandemic by luring back many more tourists. All of these objectives get support by letting individuals remain longer and more comfortable.
Key Highlights of the New Visa Reforms in the UAE
The UAE is moving closer to becoming the finest location for entrepreneurship, investing, education, employment, and living by revising its entry and residency policies. The UAE is implementing new visa regulations that broaden the categories for Golden Visas, add additional categories of entrance visas and resident permits, and more.
Key highlights of these new visa rules in UAE include:
- The Federal Authority for Identity, Custom, Citizenship, and Ports Safety (ICP) recently announced an increase in all service fees of AED 100. The increase is imposed by the new regulations on all services provided by ICP. Including the issuance of Emirates IDs, visiting visas, and residency permits.
- You can enter the UAE on your own behalf many times after receiving the visa. When you enter the nation, the visa entitles you to a 90-day stay. If you want to remain longer after your visa expires, you can extend it for an additional 90 days. Because you have adequate time for spending with relatives, it is the perfect visa for people who have family members who reside in the UAE.
- You happen to have overstayed when your stay exceeds the number of days permitted by your UAE visa. Therefore, you have to ask for a departure or leave permission for flying out of the UAE if you are leaving through Dubai.
- You are eligible to apply for an entry visa for visiting someone you know if they are a UAE resident or citizen. You can apply for the permit on your own.
- All immigration offices are no longer extending visitor permits that do not require travelers to leave the country. Instead, those with visit visas must leave the country, request an extension, and then reenter the nation after it has been granted.
Significance and Objectives of the New Visa Reforms
Changes including the five and ten-year golden UAE visa improvements and other notable improvements will have a substantial economic impact. According to industry experts, legal experts, and analysts. All of these visa amendments will bring in knowledge from diverse industries and nations, whether it comes from business owners, successful professionals, independent contractors, or investors.
Outstanding people from all industries will be encouraged to work in the UAE by the tighter visa regulations. The visa reforms will encourage people to have a long-term view in addition to reducing reliance on a single job. This will encourage more real estate development and strengthen the banking industry.
Investors will eventually realize that the staff is in it for the long run. And will be willing to make investments in their workers. Such actions will decrease staff retention and produce long-term benefits. People might even think about retiring in the UAE, which would increase its GDP.
Most businesses, especially tourism and travel, would benefit from more investment and a consistent, enthusiastic workforce as a result of the lenient visa regulations for expats in the UAE. The hospitality and leisure industries will have more job openings as a result of rising tourism.
The new visa regulations in UAE will also make it possible to create new jobs. This will benefit UAE citizens and expatriates alike.
Businesses in the hotel, tourist, real estate, technology, beverage and food, and medical industries will likely see an increase in job prospects following the new visa rules in UAE. These new real estate complexes will attract investments from prosperous businesspeople, industrialists, commercial tycoons, and celebrities. Around these assets, new businesses will grow, adding to the number of jobs in the neighborhood.
Detailed Breakdown of the Updated Visa Requirements
The golden visa is one of the visa types that have new requirements due to the new visa rules in the UAE. This special visa enables investors and a wide range of professional categories to take advantage of the benefits of the UAE for a maximum of ten years.
Categories for golden visas:
Entrepreneurs: Startups and other emerging companies are eligible to apply for it if they:
- Register their company in the UAE.
- Fall within the SMEs umbrella.
- Maintain a minimum annual income of 1 million AED.
Real estate: One avenue for investors to establish a permanent residence in Dubai is through real estate investments. Real estate investments must be at least AED 2 million. If a person’s cumulative total investments equal or surpass AED 2 million, their application may be subject to consideration. Even if they have a loan or off-site real estate.
Researchers and scientists: Experts in their areas of study and science may also be eligible for this visa. Only, if they satisfy the requirements:
- A letter of support in writing from the Emirates Scientific Commission.
- A master’s or Doctorate in technology, engineering, or a similar discipline in the field of biology from an esteemed university.
Skilled professionals: Those that fall into this category have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, a contract of employment that is still in effect, and/or a monthly salary of at least 30,000 AED. Their line of employment must fall within occupational level one or two, according to the MOHRE’s regulations.
Exceptional talent: The UAE government states that applicants for the Golden Visa must have shown exceptional promise. This, in innovation, the arts and humanities, medicine, technology, the law, or other professions. The process will be difficult because these applicants will need a letter of recommendation or approval from the relevant government agency.
Impact on Various Visa Types for Expats
Entry visa: About 10 entrance visas without any sponsor requirement have been introduced by the UAE. These visas can be issued for a single entry or several entries. Also, with the UAE visit visa extension new rules 2023, these are valid for two months after the date of issuance.
Business visa: Without a host or sponsorship, investors, business owners, and other experts will be able to apply for a business visa. One of the greatest UAE resident visa rules and guidelines is this one. Now, it will be much simpler for investors to launch their businesses in the localities. Consequently, helping the community’s economy and achieving its development goals.
Visit visa: If an outsider has friends or family who are UAE residents or citizens, they may be eligible for this visa. Similarly to that, no host or sponsor is necessary for a visa of this kind.
Family visa: Under previous family residency laws, parents may sponsor their kids until 18. Daughters, on the other hand, are now eligible for sponsorship indefinitely. On the other hand, male children are now only eligible for sponsorship up until the age of 25.
Study visa: Students or prospective employees can take part in academic pursuits, professional development courses, or internship possibilities with the aid of this visa. Institutions for educational research, both governmental and private, offer sponsorship opportunities. The organization issuing the visa must also provide a statement of purpose outlining the duration and nature of the study/training program.
Eligibility Criteria and Qualifications
Green visa: This visa’s duration is for 5 years, and holders can bring their family to the UAE without the help of a sponsor or employment. To be eligible to apply for this visa, candidates must hold a bachelor’s diploma or the equivalent. And make a minimum salary of AED 15,000.
Employment visa: For this visa, hosts or sponsors are not necessary. However, candidates must at the very least be:
- Holders of a bachelor’s diploma or the equivalent.
- Recent grads from 500 of the top universities worldwide.
- Candidates who fit within the first, second, and skill levels of the MOHRE.
Job seeker visa: Without a sponsor or host, the work exploration visa attempts to entice young, qualified people to investigate employment possibilities in the UAE. A bachelor’s diploma or its equivalent, recent graduation from among the top 500 universities worldwide, and membership in the first, second, or third skill level can serve as prerequisites.
Most visas ask for the same requirements; these include:
- Valid passport.
- Headshot pictures.
- Airline confirmation.
Duration, Renewal, and Transfer Processes
The UAE is ending the practice of allowing visitors to renew their visas from within the country.
- According to the new regulations, visitors may renew their 30-day and 60-day visit visas for an extra 30-days from within the country.
- You can only stay in the nation for a total of 120 days in a calendar year, thus you cannot extend your visa beyond this time frame.
- You may renew your Dubai Visa on Entry even if you stay inside the UAE.
- It is also feasible for travelers with 90-day tourist visas to extend their stays by an additional 90 days. Additionally, it is now possible to extend all types of tourist visas for an extra 30 days.
- The ICP (Immigration and Citizenship Platform) has formally stated that people can now effortlessly renew or cancel their entry permits using their individual online accounts, due to the residency visa extension and new visa rules in UAE. According to the following, different permits have varying validity periods: standard visas or green residence visa applications are only good for two months. Whereas golden visa applications have a six-month validity period with numerous entries.
According to the kind of visa you hold and the justification for your extension, the procedure for extending one in the UAE may differ. The procedure for extending or renewing a visa normally entails submitting an application together with the proper paperwork. Also, pay any costs due and then watch for a response to your request.
Transfer process
- Filling out a form is the first step of requesting the transfer of the visa for residency to a new passport.
- The subsequent step in successfully transferring a UAE residency permit to another passport is to make the necessary payments.
- You will get an email and a text from immigration officials after the cost has been paid. An airline bill number will also be included in the authorization. Which, you should give to the delivery company you intend to employ.
- Next, get in touch with the relevant courier services. Then, ask them to pick up your passport from you on a certain date and at a certain time.
- Both passports will be collected by the provider, processed, and delivered back to you. This applies to the latest passport with the transfer residency permit.
When obtaining an employment visa, applicants can become a temporary staffing solution for UAE employers. If you want to learn more about employment in the region, you can go to our insights section.
