# Family Residency Visa Process



## tribalmatt (May 28, 2010)

Having now just completed the process for getting the residency visas for my wife and daughter, thought I’d just put down all the steps for posterity’s sake and to help anyone else going through/about to go through this process. This is based on coming from the UK. Honestly, these guys should win the gold medal for unnecessary bureaucracy…

:juggle:

In the UK before leaving:

1.	Send off application and pay fee to the General Registry Office for a copy of child’s birth certificate (don’t want to deface my original copy)
2.	Send off application and pay fee to my University for copy of Graduation Certificate (having lost the original)
3.	Send off application and pay fee to the NSW registry office in Australia for copy of Marriage certificate (as we got married out there)
4.	Take the copy of the Australian marriage certificate to Australian Embassy in London to certify (another fee)
5.	Send all 3 documents to a notary public to make and attest official copies (more fees)
6.	Notary public sends notarized documents to FCO in Milton Keynes for legalization (more fees)
7.	FCO notarizes marriage and degree certificates but requires original birth certificate and not notarized copy
8.	Send off application and pay fee to the General Registry Office for an original copy of child’s birth certificate (don’t want to deface my only certificate)
9.	Send off the original copy of birth certificate to FCO for legalization
10.	Receive all 3 legalized documents back from FCO
11.	Visit UAE Embassy in London to apostille/legalization – have issues with Australian document but persuade them to legalise anyway (fees again)
12.	Returrn to UAE embassy in same afternoon to collect documents
13.	Receive copy of employment entry visa from sponsoring company
14.	Take many passport photos of myself, wife and child

After arrival in UAE:

15.	Exchange copy of employment visa at airport with original, have eye scanned and enter country
16.	Submit graduation certificate, my employment visa and passport to my company’s PRO for processing
17.	I attend medical test
18.	I receive my residency visa

Now the hard part:

19.	Go to immigration office in Jebel Ali with legalized and attested documents, passports, my visa and a pile of cash
20.	Documents quickly scanned at first counter and told that attestations are insufficient – told to go to UK consulate in Dubai for further legalization
21.	Attend UK consulate at opposite end of city (in Bur Dubai), leave the attested marriage and birth certificates for further legalization – told to return on Saturday morning to collect (more fees)
22.	Return to UK consulate on Saturday morning, only to find it closed. 
23.	Return to UK consulate on Sunday morning, collect the double attested documents.
24.	Return to immigration office at Jebel Ali – pay fee at typing office counter for initial application for residency visa status – form is typed
25.	Go across to residency visa counter with typed form. Informed that documents now need to be stamped by the Dubai Ministry of Foreign Affairs, back in Bur Dubai.
26.	Proceed to Dubai Ministry of Foreign Affairs to get documents stamped – more fees.
27.	Return once again to immigration department at Jebel Ali. Present documents at Residency Counter, told to get visa status amendment for wife and child.
28.	Proceed to status amendment counter to get entry visa numbers
29.	Go back to typing office, supply numbers, apply for and pay form fee for Status Amendment
30.	Take status amendment form to payment counter, pay status amendment fee
31.	Go back to status amendment counter to get temporary resident entry permit supplied
32.	Proceed to medical fitness centre, only to be told to return later as system is down
33.	Return later, pay typing fee to get medical form prepared
34.	Hand in application form at medical counter and pay medical fees
35.	Wife gets blood test and chest x-ray, leave number 
36.	Return to medical centre 4 hours later to collect results certificate
37.	Proceed back to Jebel Ali immigration office for final time – proceed to typing counter and pay fee for resident visa stamping
38.	Proceed to residency visa counter and submit resident visa form
39.	Visas printed and stamped into wife and child’s passports
40.	Weep in mixture of jubilation and horror at the ten thousand dirhams missing from my account
41.	Take small consolation that on presentation of receipts, company will pay me back
42.	Start to plan process for getting driving licence, bank account, phone, health insurance etc…


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## dizzyizzy (Mar 30, 2008)

Jaysus, sounds like a real nightmare!! 

Very good post though, I'm sure a lot of families will find it helpful.


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## Dozza (Feb 17, 2009)

HAHAHAHA - Brilliant, I cannot wait to have to do thisin 5 weeks time 

Excellent post though, must have took you the application process time to type this out...LOL





tribalmatt said:


> Having now just completed the process for getting the residency visas for my wife and daughter, thought I’d just put down all the steps for posterity’s sake and to help anyone else going through/about to go through this process. This is based on coming from the UK. Honestly, these guys should win the gold medal for unnecessary bureaucracy…
> 
> :juggle:
> 
> ...


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