Moving to Live in Dubai
To live in Dubai British residents require a visa. Most have an employer sponsored work visa which allows them obtain a residency visa and sponsor their family to move to live in Dubai with them.
If you plan to follow this route then you need to find work in Dubai first, and then your employer will take care of applying and paying for your work permit. This is standard practice.
Note, in the past some people have been advised to work on a visit visa for the short-term whilst an employment contract and visa are finalized – do not take this risk. If caught you risk immediate deportation and being banned from re-entering the UAE. Instead your employer should issue you with an employment visa which is valid for 30 days. This will enable you to enter the UAE and begin the application process for your work permit and then your residency permit.
Your employer will advise you about the documents required to obtain your work permit, and you will need to undergo a medical examination.
If you’re thinking about buying property in Dubai in order to obtain a residence visa, think again. Whilst permanent residency was once offered as an incentive to invest in Dubai real estate, as an owner all you’re entitled to in the way of a visa is a 6-month multi-entry visa. This is renewable, but it’s hardly a convenient solution to obtaining residency.
Instead, the best way forward is to obtain a residency visa via employment as mentioned above, and such a visa is usually valid for 3 years and renewable.
The process for obtaining your residency permit in this way is to acquire your entry permit and work permit and to then go to a government hospital or medical clinic for a health check.
You will undergo a blood test and chest X-ray and be screened for HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and C, tuberculosis, leprosy, and syphilis. Note: if your results for any of these tests come back positive you will be deported, (with the exception of syphilis for which treatment is available).
You then return to the residency department with your passport, medical test results, and if required, other documents such as a salary certificate etc. Ideally your employer will assist you with all this as there are often additional paperwork requirements revealed at the last minute!
At the residency department, or DNRD (which stands for Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department – which has been superseded by the name General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs Dubai but which still gets referred to as DNRD!) you go to the typing office and obtain your application form and hand over required fees.
The process can differ from person to person and take a great deal of patience, you’re well advised to bring something to read and something to drink and just wait it out.
Eventually you will be asked to return to collect your passport with your residents visa stamped in it. If your employer employs someone to do the running for you, ensure you get your passport back, it is not acceptable for your employer to retain it.
Once you have your residency permit you can sponsor your family to live in Dubai with you. Each sponsored individual will also have to undergo a health check as described above. Once again the DNRD will process your application.
Similar Posts:
- Employment and Jobs in Dubai
- Health in Dubai
- Leisure & Lifestyle in Dubai
- Finance in Dubai
- Is Dubai a Place to Work for the Long-Term?
