Dubai offers a thrilling and exhilarating experience, scenic views and one of the most sought after destinations in Asia.
In order to visit Dubai, a visa is required, and this article will explain the step by step process and required documents needed for a tourist visa application.
Get A Sponsor
You are required to get a sponsor before applying for a Dubai visa. Your sponsor could be a relative, friend who currently resides in Dubai, a hotel, an airline, or a travel agent.
Applicants should note that without a sponsor, the visa application will not be processed.
For Hotels sponsorship, you may simply contact a hotel of your choice that you are interested in lodging and enquire if they offer visa services. This shouldn’t be a problem as most Dubai hotels offer this unique service.
For Airline sponsorships, it is recommended to use Emirates or Etihad
For travel agents sponsorships, only agencies based in Dubai are required to act as sponsors. It is worthy to note that prices vary between agencies.
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Decide The Kind of UAE Visa You Need
The UAE offers three kinds of visas and they include UAE Transit, UAE Visit, UAE work visa, UAE residence visa, UAE Student visa., and UAE Tourist visas.
For the purpose of this guide, we will be discussing the requirements for the Tourist visa.
Below is a rundown of the three types of visas
Transit visa: This visa type is valid for 96 hours for 14 days starting from the day you are issued the visa, and given that (a) you own a valid passport and your next destination booking is confirmed or (b) You agreed to leave the UAE within the stipulated 96 hours of arrival or 14 days after you have been issued the visa, or (c) You have a hotel reservation in UAE that is confirmed.
Visit Visa: This visa is must be sponsored by a friend or relative already residing in the UAE. This visa is available for 30 to 90 days.
Tourist Visa: This visa category is under sponsorship from UAE airlines, travel agencies, and hotels. Tourists issued this visa can stay in UAE for 30 days.
Preparing Your Documents
There aren’t a lot of documents required for the Dubai visa application. However, more requirements may be required from you depending on who your sponsor is. For example, if Etihad or Emirates will sponsor your visa, the required documents would be your flight details alongside the rest of your application.
The following are the basic documents requirements for a UAE visa:
- Scanned photocopy of your valid passport (last page and page two)
- Two passport size photo
- Completed application form
- Visa fee
Prepare Additional Supporting Documents
Your sponsor may require more documents from you to be able to process your application, and the following are some of the additional documents you may need to provide.
- Flight ticket (airline sponsors will request for flight bookings under their airline)
- Hotel reservation (If you are being sponsored by a hotel, you may be required to provide hotel booking under their hotel)
- Work contract
- Original bank certificate
- NSO birth certificates (This is a mandatory requirement especially when you are traveling with a minor
Scanned copy of Income Tax Return (ITS)
Submit your application to your sponsor
Upon providing all the requirement document, you should forward it to your sponsor to take care of the rest.
