How to get a residence visa in UAE


What is a resident visa?

This is a visa that entitles its holder to reside in the UAE for a long period of time and freely enter and leave the country an unlimited number of times, until the visa expires.


Ways to obtain a UAE resident visa:

  • Official employment in the UAE

  • Opening your own company

  • Acquisition of real estate


Obtaining a work visa in the UAE

Entry Permit, or work permit for entry into the UAE, is issued by a local company in the UAE, a scan of the document is sent to the employee by e-mail.

Passing through passport control at the UAE airport must be done with the original entry permit, that is, the entry mark must be placed on the entry permit itself.

After entering under the entry permit, the worker must paste the visa into the passport within 60 days. During this time, you need to have time to pass a medical test, pass your fingerprints and get an Emirates ID, sign a work contract, and submit a full package of documents for pasting a visa into your passport.


How to start your own business

  1. To obtain an investor visa, if you are a business owner, you will need to go through the following steps:

  2. Register a company in your name

  3. Get an immigration card

  4. Apply for an entry permit

  5. Apply for an Emirates ID card and undergo a medical examination

  6. Submit your passport for visa stamping


If you have visited the UAE at least once, then during the first three stages you are not necessarily in the UAE. But in order to pass a medical examination, apply for an Emirates ID and stick a visa in your passport, you will need to be present in person. To do this, your passport will be sent to the migration office and you will not be able to leave the UAE until the process is completed.


Features of obtaining a residence permit through the purchase of real estate in Dubai:

            1. 1. To obtain a resident visa for 3 years with the possibility of extension, the cost of the purchased apartment should be from 750 thousand to 5 million dirhams per person or family. If the cost of housing is more than 5 million dirhams, then a visa is issued for 5 years.
            2. 2. The accommodation must be in a final building and fully owned by the client.
            3. 3. The property must be intended for habitation.
            4. 4. To obtain a residence permit, the property owner must confirm a monthly income in a certain amount (from 2,860 USD).
            5. 5. Buyer must be under 55 years of age. If the client is older, then you will need to obtain a special agreement allowing you to obtain a resident visa.

            The process of obtaining residency in the UAE is not the fastest and while you are completing the documents, you will have to move around the city a lot. Taxis in the UAE, in particular in Dubai, are among the most expensive in the world, public transport is inconvenient and not always available, so the most popular option is car rental, especially given the huge number of car rental companies. At the same time, not everyone knows that in the UAE, in order to rent and drive a car, it is necessary to have an International Driving License in addition to the National License. This is due to tightening requirements from the local Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).


            Getting an International Driver's License is actually very simple, you just need to contact the International Drivers Association, fill out an online form and get it on the same day without passing any exams. The resulting document will be valid not only in the UAE, but also in 170 countries of the world, because it complies with the standards of the UN conventions “On Road Traffic”. The current status of the document can be checked in the Central Austrian database of the IDL. Since the organization is licensed by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism of Dubai and cooperates with local transport authorities, it will be possible to rent a car in absolutely any rental car.


            In recent months, a large number of foreigners have received resident status in the UAE. If you prepare all the necessary documents, the process will be easy. Good luck!