Job Discussion Forums

[saren]

What to do if entering UAE (a 2nd time after using up all 30 days of visa)

I posted an earlier topic regarding what to do when returning to the UAE (for a 2nd time) after using up all 30 days of the free, visit visa, or visa on arrival during the first trip. I'm still confused about what's going to happen when a Canadian spend roughly 30 days in the UAE (i.e. JAN20-FEB20), and then decided to go to OMAN for 3 weeks, and returns to the UAE (by bus) around MARCH11. If that Canadian has a flight on MARCH12, does he need to pay the 600dirham visa extention fee in order to re-enter the UAE, even though it's only a day, just to catch a flight?

This wouldn't be a problem if a new visit visa (for 30 days) is issued upon entering the country a 2nd time. But since it's less than a month since the original visa expired, isn;t it a little soon to expect a new 30 day visa? I mean is it like Thailand, with visa runs, or do they expect you to go after 30 days for good?

Please help me out because I don't want to pay the 600dirham fee, and I don't want to sleep at the Sharjah airport because of visa stamps.

[PTTeacher]

Hi Saren.

Even for 1 day you'll have to pay an extension, but I think it's around 100AED, not 500 (but I might be wrong).

For the visa run, yes, everybody does it and the good news is that even when it says "30 days" in the passport, like nowadays, they stick to 60 days like it was before. I'm sure about this, at least 2 months ago it was like this.

[MsParker]

Get in touch with Emirates airlines and have them arrange it for you. They really seem to know their stuff.

There are quite a few different visas to choose from, and a lot of it depends on your nationality. Emirates Air organized my husband's visa (mine was arranged through my job), and there seemed to be about 3 different kinds, including some that could be extended.

[NadiaK]

A new visa is issued upon re-entry. You don't even have to have been out of the country for more than five minutes. I know many people who have done "visa runs" across the Omani border. You might like to get confirmation by contacting either the UAE consulate in your country (assuming you are still there), or the dept of immigration in the UAE once you arrive.

Beware of 30 days meaning 60 days. This seems to have changed back and forth several times in the last few months. There are too many stories of people being told (by authorities) that there is a 30-day grace period, and then being charged 100 Dhs/day for overstaying their visa past 30 days.