Dubai Visa Information For The Business Executive
Dubai Visa Information For The Business Executive
All countries require you to hold a visa when you enter that country and the UAE immigration laws are no different. The UAE shares the same immigration laws and these laws are applicable at all major airports in the country, which are in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. The rules and procedures vary according to nationality, purpose, sponsor relationship etc. Typically, a passport with minimum 6 months validity is required for visa processing.
Dubai exempts 33 countries from prior-obtained visa requirements. Passport holders from the following countries can simply get a one-time entry visa stamped at the Dubai International Airport - UK(with the right of abode in UK), France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Finland, Spain, Monaco, Vatican, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Hong Kong SAR. GCC Nationals are also exempt from obtaining a visa prior to arrival.
The Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD) issues several types of visas, out of which only four types are relevant to business travellers.
First, there’s the 96-hour transit visa. These visas are exclusively provided through airline sponsorship, so if you are travelling on a particular airline, you have to request for the transit visa from them. Applicants for the transit visa must have a minimum of 8 hours as transit time and have an onward flight booking. The visa will be issued upon arrival at the Dubai International Airport. Most business executives prefer this visa type as it’s very convenient when travelling between several countries.
The second option is the 14-day entry permit, which can be obtained via a hotel (which requires you to reserve accommodation in that particular hotel) or commercial establishment in Dubai. The permit allows a person to stay in the UAE for 14 days, excluding arrival and departure dates.
For those who are entering Dubai for a single business visit requiring more than 14 consecutive days, the best option is to apply for a visit visa. The Dubai visit visa is valid for 60 days and can be renewed for another 30 days if required. If however, you travel to Dubai quite often and have an established and provable relationship with a business in Dubai, you can opt to obtain a multiple entry visa. You can enter Dubai with an ordinary visit visa and then apply for a multiple entry visa, which has a six month validity and allows a stay of no more than 30 days at each visit. German and USA embassies can assist their citizens with multiple entry visas valid for two to ten years.
