New visa rules

[carol57]

Hi,

Does anyone know what the new visa rules are for UK passport holders?

We are still waiting for our family residency to come through and have already extended the 30 day visa once. The 60 days are now almost up but I am very concerned about doing the visa run through the Omani border with my 13 year old son in case we get stuck there.

any advice from anyone whose done this run in the past week or so would be greatly appreciated.

[Christeve]

Hi, the Dubai government website is a good source of info. Seems to be up to date (always a plus point).

[Ogri750]

This is from The National (newspaper) dated July 28th

The 33 nationalities currently exempt from requiring visas before travelling will be largely unaffected and will still be allowed to do “visa runs”, in which expatriates without residency visas cross into Oman and then return to renew their visitor visas, officials said.

People from countries that are not exempt from requiring visas before travelling will have to reapply through a registered tourist company.

Entry permits for citizens of the 33 exempt countries can only be renewed for an additional period of 30 days for a cost of Dh620.

And this is from Arabian Business dated 14th August

The visa run - thought to be a thing of the past following new rules introduced in the UAE in July - is alive and thriving.

A top official at the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD) has clarified confusion over the renewal of visit visas by leaving the UAE for another country.

People who want to renew visit visas or convert these into employment visas can do so by going to any country of their choice, he told UAE daily Gulf News on Thursday.

Brigadier Obaid Bin Surour, acting director general of the DNRD, said that, contrary to previous reports, it is not compulsory that visitors travel to their home country to renew visit visas.

This is contrary to what a senior Interior Ministry official claimed at the launch of UAE's new visa regulations last month.

Tour operators and airlines that do visa runs by ferrying people to neighbouring countries to change their visas, said their businesses are still flourishing as hundreds of people dash to places like Kish Island.



Might be worth a phone call to the DNRD to ask and clarify

Customer Services number (available 24 hour): +971 (0)4 3139999

[qwert97]

Originally Posted by carol57

Hi,

Does anyone know what the new visa rules are for UK passport holders?

We are still waiting for our family residency to come through and have already extended the 30 day visa once. The 60 days are now almost up but I am very concerned about doing the visa run through the Omani border with my 13 year old son in case we get stuck there.

any advice from anyone whose done this run in the past week or so would be greatly appreciated.

If the PRO of the Company is good he should be able to manage another extension without any problems. In my case e.g the PRO got us an extension of 60 days after the initial 30 days. Based on my knowledge of the law you should be able to do one visa run without any problems. But it is better to check with DNRD.

[sara81]

that 24 hour customer number is a joke.. have now been on hold for 1 hour and i am about to hang up......

[qwert97]

Originally Posted by sara81

that 24 hour customer number is a joke.. have now been on hold for 1 hour and i am about to hang up......

I bet that after the call you will have more questions than answers. Let us know how it goes.

[hari]

Again confusing reports!!!

See gulfnews report
Published: September 28, 2008, 23:56


Abu Dhabi: No visitor to the UAE will be allowed to return for at least one month after they exit the country, a senior official has confirmed.

Speaking to Gulf News, following media reports about hundreds of people stranded in neighbouring countries after attempting visa runs, Brigadier Nasser Al Awadi Al Minhali, Acting Director-General of the Federal Naturalisation and Residency Department, said: "Those who enter the country on a visit visa cannot get new visas unless the person exits the country and stays out for at least a month."

Gulfnews: New UAE visa rules leave hundreds stranded

[Shinjuku]

Originally Posted by hari

Again confusing reports!!!

See gulfnews report
Published: September 28, 2008, 23:56


Abu Dhabi: No visitor to the UAE will be allowed to return for at least one month after they exit the country, a senior official has confirmed.

Speaking to Gulf News, following media reports about hundreds of people stranded in neighbouring countries after attempting visa runs, Brigadier Nasser Al Awadi Al Minhali, Acting Director-General of the Federal Naturalisation and Residency Department, said: "Those who enter the country on a visit visa cannot get new visas unless the person exits the country and stays out for at least a month."

Gulfnews: New UAE visa rules leave hundreds stranded

Not really. The article clearly explains that "the new regulations were implemented to prevent the abuse of the visit visa system, which many have used to enter the UAE to find jobs or work illegally."

It also says that says that the group mainly affected were Filipinos who "have been coming into the UAE on visit visas to look for a job or work without legalising their status."

So as long as a visitor has a valid reason for doing a visa run, he/she shouldn't be affected.

[sara81]

so do you think i will be ok and not stranded in Oman for 30 days when i do my visa run on monday??? I have a british passport and I am really coming back to look for work so what do i tell immigrations if they ask why i am returning straightaway?? im sure most of you know my situation im doing visa run to get out of my employment visa.

[greatexpectations]

my guess is that you benefit from white bias...in your favour.

it seems pretty clear that the rules are not designed to stop uk citizens.