Residence Visa Dubai: The Options Available to You

Over the past few years, Dubai and the UAE in general have become the number 1 emigration destination for many Germans. Be it because of the favourable tax policy, the flourishing economy or the high standard of living. But there is one thing you should look into thoroughly before every trip, and especially before a long-term move: your residence permit (residence visa) and its requirements.

This applies regardless of whether you would like to live, work or study in the United Arab Emirates.

But which residence permit best meets your needs? We tell you in the following blog article, which is intended to give you a solid overview of the various residence visas in Dubai.

Table of contents‍

The most important points at a glance

What are the benefits of a residence visa in the UAE?

Work visa

Green Visa

1. Freelancers and the self-employed

2. Qualified workers

3. Investors

Standard work visa

Remote work visa

Retirement visa

Student visa

Family visa

Golden Visa

How can I renew my residence visa?

Can I cancel my residence visa?

Conclusion

FAQ

How long can I stay in the UAE with a visa?

Can I stay outside the United Arab Emirates for longer than 6 months?

How much does a Dubai visa cost?

The most important points at a glance

• A residence visa is a temporary residence permit in the UAE. Depending on the type of visa, it allows you to stay in the UAE for between 2 and 5 years.
• Broadly speaking, a distinction can be made between work, retirement, student and family visas. You need a sponsor for each of these visas.
• With a residence visa, you may also stay abroad for up to 6 months.
• However, be sure to renew your residence visa in good time, otherwise you may face legal consequences and fines.

What are the benefits of a residence visa in the UAE?

As a legal resident of the United Arab Emirates, you enjoy numerous privileges. These include, for example:

• permission to open a bank account
• the ability to apply for a driving licence
• access to financial facilities
• permission to enrol your children in public and private schools
• access to various government health services and health insurance
• the ability to travel to certain countries without a visa

Good to know: You can only apply for a long-term SIM card if you are a resident of the UAE.

Now on to the different types of visa:

Work visa

If you are planning to work in the UAE, you have 3 options for obtaining a work visa: the Green Visa, the Standard Work Visa and the Domestic Worker Visa:

There is, however, a further option for making use of the Green Visa, namely if you are an investor:

3. Investors

The Golden Visa is issued to you if you are an investor and plan to establish yourself in the UAE or take part in commercial activities. To do so, you must also meet a number of conditions:

• approval by the ICP for the investment in accordance with the applicable investor rating system
• evidence of your planned investment
• approval of the investment by the relevant local authorities

Standard work visa

In addition to the Green Visa, as an immigrant you can also apply for a standard work visa, which is valid for two years, provided that you:

• are employed in the private sector, the government sector or a free zone

Your employer must also apply for the standard visa on your behalf. There is a separate regulation for domestic workers, which you can read more about on the UAE government website.

Retirement visa

As a retiree, you can apply for a long-term visa of 5 years if:

• you can prove that you have worked within or outside the UAE for at least 15 years, or
• you are at least 55 years of age at the time of retirement
• you own a property worth at least AED 1 million, financial savings of at least AED 1 million, or earn a monthly income of AED 20,000, regardless of where the money comes from. However, if you receive your income solely from Dubai, then AED 15,000 a month is sufficient.
• you can provide account statements from the last six months

Student visa

As a student, you can also apply for a residence permit in the UAE, provided that your parents, who are residents of the UAE, or your university vouch for you. The visa can then be issued to you for 1 year, but only if the following requirements are met:

• a certificate from your university stating the expected duration of your studies
• all general requirements that are necessary for staying in the UAE

Family visa

Both your employer and you as an employee can sponsor your family's stay with a valid UAE residence visa. In addition, your family members may earn up to AED 4,000 a month regardless of their profession. For more information, either contact the relevant authority directly or consult one of our experts at Danho & Partner.

Golden Visa

Last but not least, you have the option of applying for the Golden Visa in Dubai or the rest of the United Arab Emirates. Compared with the other visas, the Golden Visa allows a long-term stay in the UAE of up to 10 years.

It also allows you to live, work or study in the UAE without the need for a sponsor. The requirements you have to meet depend on which category you fall into. Regardless of this, however, you enjoy the following benefits:

• a 6-month multiple-entry visa to obtain a residence permit
• a long-term, renewable residence visa valid for 5 or 10 years
• the opportunity to stay outside the UAE for longer than the usual 6 months without your residence visa losing its validity
• the opportunity to sponsor your family members, including your spouse and children, regardless of their age
• the ability to sponsor an unlimited number of domestic workers
• permission for your family members to remain in the UAE until the end of your residence permit, even if you were to die prematurely

How can I renew my residence visa?

In order to continue residing in the UAE, your sponsor must apply for a renewal before your visa expires. To avoid immediate legal consequences or fines, you will always be granted a period of one month to remain in the country after your residence permit has been cancelled or has expired. The Golden Visa is an exception to this deadline; here you will be granted a period of 6 months.

If you have not applied for a new visa in good time, you will be charged a fee of AED 50 per day for both your residence and tourist visas.

Good to know: When your visa expires, so does your Emirates ID card. Therefore, to avoid unnecessary difficulties, contact Danho & Partner. We will assist you with your visa application and, if necessary, arrange for your stay in the United Arab Emirates to be extended in good time.

Can I cancel my residence visa?

If your residence visa is sponsored by a family member or your employer and you wish to leave the UAE permanently, you must officially cancel your visa. However, this can usually only be done by your sponsor and not by you personally.

On the other hand, if you as a company decide to dismiss one of your employees, you must automatically have their work visa cancelled as well. To do so, you must first contact the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and file an application for cancellation of your employee's employment contract and work card. You must also apply to the ICP to cancel the visa. But as a Danho & Partner client, we are of course happy to take over these steps for you.

Conclusion

A residence visa is essential if you decide to stay in the UAE for a longer period of time, whether to live, work or study there. However, to apply for the visa yourself, you must meet different criteria depending on the type of visa. You should also pay attention to the duration of your visa and arrange for it to be renewed in good time. Of course, you can contact Danho & Partner in either case. As our client, we take all the necessary steps for you to make your immigration process as easy and stress-free as possible. In addition, we at Danho & Partner are also available to answer any questions you may have regarding immigration.

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FAQ

How long can I stay in the UAE with a visa?

It depends on which visa you have applied for. As a rule, the above types of visa grant you a stay of between 1 and 5 years. An exception is the Golden Visa, which grants you a stay of up to 10 years.

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Can I stay outside the United Arab Emirates for longer than 6 months?

If you hold a UAE residence visa, you may also stay abroad, but only for a certain period of time. Therefore, should you plan to stay abroad for longer than 6 months, you must meet the following conditions in order to re-enter the UAE: Your application must be made outside the country.

• Your application must be submitted abroad after 180 days.
• You must be able to provide a valid reason that justifies your extended stay. In addition, you must
• pay a fine of AED 100 for any stay of 30 days or less outside the country.

*Each of these applications is submitted on your behalf by us at Danho & Partner.

How much does a Dubai visa cost?

How much you have to pay for your residence permit depends largely on the type of visa you hold. On average, however, you can expect around AED 10,000.

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