# Renting an apartment without a visa?



## Gaza_california (Jan 9, 2009)

Hi,

I will be relocating to Dubai on January 23rd with a friend to set up a branch of our German business. We still don't have a sponsor yet, so we have no visa. 

Will we be able to rent an apartment anyway? Is International City really the cheapest place in Dubai? And is it allowed to rent a one bedroom apartment for 2 people (one of us would sleep on the couch) ?

Thanks

Gaza


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## Elphaba (Jan 24, 2008)

You need to have a residency visa to rent an apartment, get a DEWA account, get a landline/internet line and to buy a car. Ocassionally people can rent an apartment if a visa application is being processed if they have an explanatory letter from a major employer, but this is clearly not your situation.

-


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## Guest (Jan 10, 2009)

I rented an apartment for like 4-5 months without anything when I first came here... every 2 months I was crossing to Oman and back to the UAE to re-extend my visa. The question you need to ask yourself is, if they have changed the visa laws... I think now you can't have a 2 month visa, it's only 1 month. Also I think you'd need to go back to your home country and re-enter... not too sure tho...


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## GuitarBob (Sep 4, 2008)

JoeyDee said:


> I rented an apartment for like 4-5 months without anything when I first came here... every 2 months I was crossing to Oman and back to the UAE to re-extend my visa. The question you need to ask yourself is, if they have changed the visa laws... I think now you can't have a 2 month visa, it's only 1 month. Also I think you'd need to go back to your home country and re-enter... not too sure tho...



There seems to be an element of pot-luck to visa duration right now. Three of us arrived back on Monday from the UK. Two got 60 day visas, one got 30 days. The only logical explaination we could come up with (which of course may be wrong) is that the two of us that received 60 day visas are regular visitors.

GB


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## Guest (Jan 10, 2009)

GuitarBob said:


> There seems to be an element of pot-luck to visa duration right now. Three of us arrived back on Monday from the UK. Two got 60 day visas, one got 30 days. The only logical explaination we could come up with (which of course may be wrong) is that the two of us that received 60 day visas are regular visitors.
> 
> GB


WELCOME TO DUBAI! No-logic to anything here.

That's so inaccurate, not what your saying but what the newspapers are saying. They said that everyone (like EVERYONE) gets a visit visa of 30 days max as opposed to the 60 days (before) and 1 month additional (extension). For those without solidified passports (US. Canada, UK...) they would need to pay 850 AED visa fee and 2250 AED deposit.

Seems like your friend got a tourist visa (max 1 month) and yous both got visit visas... weird... anyhow, welcome to Dubai


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## Gaza_california (Jan 9, 2009)

JoeyDee said:


> I rented an apartment for like 4-5 months without anything when I first came here... every 2 months I was crossing to Oman and back to the UAE to re-extend my visa. The question you need to ask yourself is, if they have changed the visa laws... I think now you can't have a 2 month visa, it's only 1 month. Also I think you'd need to go back to your home country and re-enter... not too sure tho...


How far back was that, when you went to Oman every 2 months? Do people still do that today? And where did you have your apartment when you first arrived? I am looking for a studio or one bedroom apartment for 3 months...


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