The General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs Department or Immigration office is responsible for immigration, visa, and entry permits. Each emirate of the UAE houses its own respective immigration office, which provides services such as issuing passports for UAE nationals and tackling various UAE immigration issues for expatriate workers.

For expatriates who wish to work in the UAE, you need to obtain a UAE work visa. It is useful to know the essential information about these offices to aid you in terms of visa-related queries.

Table of Contents

• List of all UAE Immigration and Residency Offices
• What are the types of UAE Visa?
• Tips to Get a Visa in the UAE
• FAQS about Visa in the UAE

SEE ALSO: 9 Dubai Student Visa Requirements in the UAE

List of all UAE Immigration and Residency Offices

1. Abu Dhabi Naturalization & Residency Directorate (ADNRD)

*Residents of Al Ain are also under the jurisdiction of ADNRD
Location: Al Saada Road, Al Mushref, Abu Dhabi
Phone: 8005000
Fax: 024024941
Working Hours: From Sunday To Thursday 7:30 Till 7:00
Email: info@adnrd.ae

2. Ajman Immigration Department (AJNRD)

Phone: +9716-7434444 or 8005111
Email: info@ajnrd.ae

3. Department of Naturalization and Residency, Dubai (DNRD)

Location: Al Jafiliya – Behind Jafiliya Police Station- Bur Dubai
Phone: Toll-free: 8005111/ Toll-Free (Int.): +971 4 313 9999
Phone (International) : +9714 5011111
Working Hours: 8:00 am to 8:00 pm
Email: amer@dnrd.ae

Read this article to find out more information about your Dubai Visit Visa application.

4. General Directorate of Residency & Foreign Affairs- Fujairah (GDRFAF)

Location: Al Sharq Road off the main road through Fujairah, heading in Fujairah airport direction
Phone: +971 9 222 2727 +971 9 222 6435
Email: info@gdrfaf.gov.ae
Working hours: 7:30 AM – 8:30 PM

5. General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs – Ras Al Khaimah (RAKNRD)

Phone: 8005000
Email: rakgdrf@moi.gov.ae

6. General Directorate of Residency & Foreign Affairs – Sharjah (SNRD)

Location
Phone: 06 572 67 77
Working hours (office hours: 7:30 – 14:30)
(Evening: 14:30 – 20:00)

7. General Directorate of Residency & Foreign Affairs – Umm Al Quwain (DRFAUAQ)

Location
Phone: 8005000
Email: info@www.drfauaq.gov.ae

To apply for visas and entry permits online, please check the UAE Ministry of the Interior e-services website https://www.moi.gov.ae/en/

SEE ALSO: 4 Ways to Extend UAE Visit Visa

What are the types of UAE Visit Visa?

There are different types of UAE Visit Visa. The cost and duration of visa in the UAE vary, and are subject to change as per the UAE law.

For more detailed information about UAE residence visa types, processes, and requirements, check out this article.

Tips to Get a Visa in the UAE

There are different kinds of visa issued by the UAE government. Refer to the above list for the types of UAE visa. The type of visa depends on many factors. Some of these factors are:

• Your purpose in visiting Dubai
• The duration of your stay in Dubai
• Your nationality

The UAE government has made the process of obtaining a visa very efficiently. If you’re a resident of the following countries, you don’t need a visa before you arrive in Dubai:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Vatican, United Kingdom and the United States of America and GCC nations.

You may need to check with the nearest UAE embassy in your country if your nationality doesn’t belong to those mentioned above.

A valid visa applied for by a sponsor is needed before you arrive in the UAE. Sponsors can be any of the following entities or individual:

• Hotels and tourist companies
  • 30-day Tourist Visa, which can be extended to 40 day
  • 14-day Service Visa
  • 30-day Visit Visa, which can be extended for 30 days
• Airlines and handlers
• Other UAE organizations
• Individuals (relatives or friends) who are residents in the UAE

A transit visa may be required if you’re passing by UAE for a day or two and connecting to another flight. You can obtain a transit visa valid for 14 days. You will be asked to present a confirmed hotel reservation.

If you’d like to work in the UAE, the company will sponsor your visa. You will need to present the following requirements:

• Valid Passport
• Recent colour photographs
• Passport copies
• Confirmed flight booking (if you need to exit the country)
• Visa fee
• Medical Results

FAQS about Visa in the UAE

1. Can single women travel to the UAE as tourists and get visas?

They will be able to obtain a 30-day tourist visa, renewable only once for a similar period. However, they must be sponsored by hotels or tourist agencies.

2. What are the rules regarding transit visa? Should a passenger apply for a 96-hour visa while transiting through the UAE? Should this be done once he arrives in Dubai or should he do that before he begins the journey?

A transit visa is issued to travellers transiting through all UAE airports. It is valid for 96 hours and must be sponsored by an airline operating in the UAE. The visitor must have a valid ticket for their flight out of the country. It must be arranged by the airline as the traveller books the ticket. There will be a charge of AED 100.

3. Does the new rule also have two options for a visa change: either the person has to exit for a visa change or pay the fee to process the visa change while inside the UAE?

Yes, a visit visa may still be converted to a work visa UAE, but residency departments may decide otherwise to prevent misuse of this facility. Applicants may be asked to go back to their home country and wait for a work visa, which will be authorised by the Ministry of Labour.

4. Is it true that people will have to exit to their home of origin? Thus, exit to Kish will not be allowed.

Yes, authorities will stop short trips to neighbouring countries like Kish to change visit visas commonly known as ‘visa runs’. Visitors wishing to apply for a new visit visa after the expiry of their visa, must go back to their home countries. But officials have not spoken of any time-frame as to how long they will have to stay abroad before they can apply for a new visa.

5. If someone lives in the UK, but their daughter lives in Dubai and is having a baby, and he along with his spouse is coming on holiday at this time, is a visa required?

British citizens are among people from 34 countries who are allowed to obtain a visa on arrival free of charge. The visa will be valid for 30 days and can be renewed for a similar period for AED 610. If you are not British, your daughter will still be able to sponsor you on a 30-day or 90-day visit visa.

6. Who and where do we have to get medical insurance and for how many months? Is it from the date of application or from the date of arrival?

Visitors to the UAE on all types of visas have to obtain health insurance for the entirety of their visit. Insurance can be obtained from companies operating within the UAE or abroad.

7. After a transit visa, can we come back to the UAE on a visit visa within 15 days? Is it allowed?

Yes, it is allowed. The visa can be obtained any time when provided with a valid reason.

8. What will happen if somebody wants to renew a visit visa?

Visit visas for 30 days or 90 days will no longer be renewed. Visitors have to leave for their country and may come back on another visa if they meet the requirements.

9. Is Mission visa still available?

Yes, it is still available.

10. Do I need to pay a deposit for a visit visa for blood relatives?

Yes, you need to pay a refundable deposit of AED 1,000 for all visas.

11. How do you get a tourist visa? what are the requirements and procedures?

Please refer to this page for requirements.

12. Who pays and who doesn’t pay for visit visa or visa on arrival?

Exempt countries are Britain, France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, Finland, Malta, Spain, Monaco, Vatican, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

SEE ALSO: Dubai Residency Visa for Wife & Husband (Guide)