Dubai Residence Visa – Everything You Need To Know

 Dubai Residence Visa: Dubai is recognized as the 7^th safest city in the world, with clean beaches, well-kept parks, and playgrounds, many internationally recognized schools in residence, affordable residential units, and Government-assisted health care as well as private health care available. Dubai has become the perfect place for those who aim to achieve a good standard of living and being safe enough for the family to follow whilst also contributing to the local economy.  

A city that welcomes diverse cultures not only for tourism but for the workplace. It embraces foreign companies to set up branches or sole establishments for entrepreneurs, LLC or Free Zone entities, and in opening its doors for these opportunities there comes the requirement to gain residence visas for workers and their families.

 Dubai Residence Visa 

The process of acquiring a Dubai Residence Visa and work permit is straight-forward compared to many other countries in the Middle East. A Dubai Residence Visas is for those looking to live and work in Dubai on a long-term basis, the validity of a residence visa can be renewed by the government every few years and completed by the Employer/Sponsor.

Listed below are the types of visas that fall under the category of Dubai Residence Visa.  

Family Residence Visa in Dubai: 

Once an Employment/Work Permit Visa in Dubai has been obtained, any individual needing to secure the family and their visas for permanent residence can apply for a Family Residence visa in Dubai regardless of their profession provided they have secured their own valid residency permit. 

Family Residence visa in Dubai falls under the category of dependents visa. It is issued for immediate family relatives of foreign nationals. This will include spouse, children, parents, and domestic help residence visas.

To sponsor the family, the eligible sponsor will need to supply their employment contract, local home tenancy and submit details of their monthly salary to show they are able to financially support the family members whilst living in the region. There are criteria set out by the UAE Authorities for male and female expatriates who wish to sponsor their families. 

When sponsoring visas for children, it should be noted that daughters above the age of 18 can be sponsored with no age limit but sons above the age of 18 can only be sponsored over the age of 18 if they are still in education/students in Dubai and only til the age of 21.

All family residents above the age of 18 must undergo a medical fitness test at a Government approved Health Centre in the UAE.

To sponsor parents the criteria do change slightly and the salary is a factor when sponsoring parents or in-laws. A minimum salary of AED 20,000.00 plus adequate accommodation will be considered by the Authorities for sponsoring parents. A single parent would be considered if legally divorced or widow(er). Any dependent will be required by law to have private health insurance it is a condition of approval of the visa from the Authorities. 

The duration of any Dubai residence visa for families can be one, two or three years, this validity is dependent on the duration of the visa granted to the sponsor unless the dependent is a maid/domestic worker. 

Also Read:- GUIDELINES TO SET UP NEW BUSINESS IN DUBAI

Domestic Worker Visa in Dubai 

Domestic helpers or sometimes referred to as housemaids are hired by families in Dubai, the UAE Authorities allow the sponsorship of maids through the main sponsor. 

There are conditions to sponsor a domestic worker, the individual must have a substantial monthly income, must be married, and living with family here in the UAE. The Spouse Visas in UAE will be supplied along with the domestic worker's application for approval with the Authorities. The family must be unrelated to the housemaid and if any doubt due to the same nationality there may well be the need for an affidavit.

 The Ministry of Human Resources in Dubai now provides services for employers/sponsors looking to recruit domestic workers for the home from locally or outside the UAE. The Ministry will hold a selection of housemaids on their official database who have been trained, versed in their responsibility within the role taken as a domestic worker,s and aware of the legalities. There are some rules that both the housemaid and sponsor will need to adhere to which ensure the safety of domestic workers in Dubai.  

It is mandatory for the housemaid residence or Employment Visa Renewal Dubai to be granted local private medical insurance, one day paid rest day per week, annual leave after completing one year of service supplied food and work clothing, an official contract is signed by both parties detailing the responsibilities for each party.

Student Visa 

With the establishment of well-known foreign Universities in the city attracts the youth eager to study overseas. Dubai is one of the most sought-after destinations for higher education in the Middle East. The application process for Student Visa in UAE comes under the Higher Educational Institution of the country. Therefore, before applying for a student visa it is mandatory to be first enrolled in an academic institution for higher education and the student must be able to supply and submit documents proving financial stability to cover the tuition and living expenses over the duration of the educational year(s).  

Long Term Residence Visa 

This relatively new and approved category of Dubai Residence Visa, also known as Golden Visa, enables those seeking to live and work in the UAE for a longer duration without the need of a national sponsor and with 100 percent ownership of their business in the UAE’s mainland also being granted.

The Dubai authorities can grant a Golden visa with a validity of 5 or 10 years. They are granted to investors, entrepreneurs, specialized talents, and researchers in various fields of science who have contributed to the UAE in varying degrees notwithstanding any bright young students with promising scientific capabilities. Everyone is reviewed and can be invited or approached by the Dubai Authorities to be granted this privileged visa.

Investor Visa

Not only is there a type of visa for the company-related investor there is the category of Dubai Residence Visa Service for the property owner. Those individuals who invest in the private residential sector can gain their visas through property investment. Dubai Authorities have ensured that those who want to invest only in the property market possibly for retirement or renting purposes, not only for workers can also retain a visa here in the UAE. The property investor visa is gained through providing the original deeds of the property and in association with the Land Depts in the UAE, the Land Dept confirms and approves the visa for issuance and depending on the amount of the investment determines how many years of validity on the visa are granted. Spouses/children can also be sponsored under the investor visa.