Immigration Consultation
The laws governing immigration requirements are mainly contained in Federal Law No. 6 of 1973 regarding the entry & residence of expatriates as amended by Federal Law No. 13 of 1996, the Immigration Law. Other immigration regulations have been issued in various ministerial decrees and orders, the most relevant of which, in terms of procedure, is Ministerial Decree No. 360 of 1997 to Issue the Executive Bylaw of Federal Law No. 6 of 1973 (the Decree).
The general rule regarding foreign visitors to the UAE is that all visitors require visas except transit passengers who do not leave the airport, citizens of GCC countries (Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and the UAE) and citizens exempted by the government in countries in the following list:
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Andorra
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Lichtenstein
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Australia
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Luxembourg
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Austria Malay
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Immigration Authority
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Belgium
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Malta
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Brunei
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Monaco
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Canada
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New Zealand
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Cyprus
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Norway
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Denmark
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Portugal
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Germany
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San Marino
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Greece
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Singapore
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Holland
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Spain
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Hong Kong
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Sweden
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Ireland
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Switzerland
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Italy
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USA
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Japan
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Vatican
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Citizens of the above countries do not need to obtain a visa in order to enter the UAE. Such visitors can obtain visas at the port of entrance, for a fee of AED. 100. This entitles the visitor to stay in the country for 60 days, extendable for another 30 days. Extensions may be applied for at the Naturalization & Residency department. The fee is AED 500. Extensions must be done within the 60 days. No extension will be granted after 60 days.
In order to apply for any visa or permit, it is necessary to obtain the sponsorship of either a UAE resident (who may be a foreigner) or other legal entities such as companies or hotels. If a hotel or a local sponsor is arranging the visa or permit, the hotel or a local sponsor usually deposits it at the airport for collection by the visitor upon arrival.
The UAE bodies, which are responsible for issuing visas and permits to foreigners wishing to enter the UAE, are the Naturalization and Immigration Administration, the International Airport Authority of any member emirate and any other body designated for this purpose by the Ministry of Interior. Entry permits, as distinct from visas however, may only be obtained within the UAE from the Headquarters of Immigration and Residence.
Although only some of the immigration laws and regulations will be applicable to a businessperson, it is useful to grasp a basic understanding of these for both business and personal purposes. In the sections that follow, we have outlined the immigration requirements new businesses will need to fulfil in order to employ staff in the UAE, the different types of visas and permits which would be useful to foreigners, what they are, to whom and when they may be useful, and the procedures for obtaining them.