# Canadian looking for visa advice...



## JeanneEmeraldde (Apr 29, 2013)

hey. i am moving to Dubai in 6 weeks (mid June). i have a contract starting in late August. i have heard that rules for (fairly expensive) visas are finally being relaxed for Canadians. apparently things may be getting better in a month. if i do have to pay for a visa, should i pay for a 30 day visa and then do border runs to extend until i have my legit work visa in August?...
any advice is welcomed
also, i would love to take a vacation from Dubai in June or July. should i be find entering again if i have had a visa extended through a border run?...

-Jeanne


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## BedouGirl (Sep 15, 2011)

I don't think you can do visa runs as you don't get a visa on arrival as a Canadian. I think you have to exit for thirty days after the visa expires. I believe your country's visa process status is going to change but it hasn't happened yet.


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## JeanneEmeraldde (Apr 29, 2013)

yikes. it sucks that it is so bloody hard in the uae as a canadian! ugh. i will call the uae embassy again in canada tomorrow. i think i have an option to pay (a lot) for a 6 month multiple entry visa. possibly. either that or i know that i can buy a 60 day. what a headache. thanks for the reply


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## JeanneEmeraldde (Apr 29, 2013)

so a friend in dubai said that a canadian friend's mom did a visa run to oman with her canadian passport (in the past year)...
i just want to confirm that this can be done before i book my ticket.
as i'd written above, i will have hopefully not have more than 2 months, but maybe 2 1/2 before my work visa is ready to go. don't want to do anything that will get me in trouble/deported/fined dubai style...


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## saraswat (Apr 28, 2012)

JeanneEmeraldde said:


> yikes. it sucks that it is so bloody hard in the uae as a canadian! ugh. i will call the uae embassy again in canada tomorrow. i think i have an option to pay (a lot) for a 6 month multiple entry visa. possibly. either that or i know that i can buy a 60 day. what a headache. thanks for the reply


They are in the process of changing the treatment towards Canadian citizens. Basically, you guys are done with the 'time-out' the UAE government placed on you, although I did read on the forum that it will take a month or two for it to be back to normal, the visa on entry that is..


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## JeanneEmeraldde (Apr 29, 2013)

yeah. i have heard that our "time out" is hopefully coming to an end. i have 6 weeks before i intend to fly, so maybe things will get better before then. i just want to be sure that if i come on a 30 day, that i can extend it...


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

Well as one of the posters already stated. The visa rules are changing for the Canadians and the new rule will give us visa on arrival (free) and also allow us to do visa runs as we were able to do before the whole gong show started.

Until this change is made, you will have to purchase your visa in advance. Once you enter UAE with the visa, you can not leave and come back as you please. If you decide to leave, you must stay out for 30 days before getting another visa to come back. The 6 month multi-entry visa is fairly expensive but I thought I once read that each stay can not exceed 14 days. Meaning with a 6 month multi-entry visa, you can make 'visa runs' but you'd need to leave every 14 days. I am not 100% on this one though so please confirm.

Good luck. Hopefully they'll sort this out soon as it can be a headache for family to visit as well.


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## JeanneEmeraldde (Apr 29, 2013)

*thanks!*

thanks so much for your response.
yes, patiently waiting for these new rules to be instated.
i guess that it makes sense for me to wait it out a few weeks, and then buy the 30 day. i imagine that in the next two months they will have hopefully sorted it out, but of course no guarantees. 
i'm waiting to call the uae embassy in canada late tonight (oh our time difference is lovely!  and hopefully they will have some answers.

again, thanks for taking the time to respond. i appreciate it.


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## imac (Oct 14, 2012)

w_man said:


> If you decide to leave, you must stay out for 30 days before getting another visa to come back..


Is this for sure? The requirement to stay outside for 30 days I mean... could not find any reference to this on MOFA or the embassy's website.. will also give them a call later this morning


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

imac said:


> Is this for sure? The requirement to stay outside for 30 days I mean... could not find any reference to this on MOFA or the embassy's website.. will also give them a call later this morning


We checked with the UAE Embassy in Canada late last year as my entire family came down and we wanted to go to Oman and come back for their flights back. Were told this isn't possible as the 30 day rule will apply.

Perhaps that's changed?! Or the guy telling me this information didn't know?! That happens often out here so no harm in calling and asking again. It would be good if you can come back and update this thread once you have more recent information.


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## imac (Oct 14, 2012)

w_man said:


> We checked with the UAE Embassy in Canada late last year as my entire family came down and we wanted to go to Oman and come back for their flights back. Were told this isn't possible as the 30 day rule will apply.
> 
> Perhaps that's changed?! Or the guy telling me this information didn't know?! That happens often out here so no harm in calling and asking again. It would be good if you can come back and update this thread once you have more recent information.


Checked with my travel agent (guy who does my visas) and according to him the 30 day rule does apply if your stay on the previous visa was longer than 14 days, if your stay was less than 14 days, then you don't have to wait the 30 days to enter on a new visa again...

Was too late by the time I could call the embassy so will try tomorrow to get the official word...


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## imac (Oct 14, 2012)

This just showed up on the Embassy's website this morning... light at the end of the tunnel? 

** Important Notes 

Please kindly know that the new UAE visa regulations for Canadian passport holders is in process, and therefore a VISA for the UAE is still required for Canadian passport holders. The embassy of the United Arab Emirates will update the information on this website when any visa requirement change occurs.


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## JeanneEmeraldde (Apr 29, 2013)

*what i know so far...*

so... 
i spent a while on the phone last night and got some info.
depending on which agency you speak to, 14, 30 or 90 day visas can be granted before arrival. the prices, especially for the 90 day tend to range a lot.
i just had someone from a website email me back and tell me that canadians CAN do visa runs to oman etc. 
i now intend to get a 30 day visa prior to arrival (but will leave it about a month to see if the new, more lax, canadian rules come into place). fingers crossed.
so my 30 day visa can be extended easily while i'm there by email, and payment through this particular agency. that would be the option if i chose not to, or could not, do a visa run.
(www. dubaivisaservice. com is the site i used when i visited 2 weeks ago, and i will use them again if i need to. great, quick service, and about average prices. maybe a touch high. $170 for the 30 day visa.)
i was going to call back and ask about the 30 days in, then must be out for 30 days thing, but it was 2am, and i just couldn't make another call...
according to the website guy who got back to me, that isn't the case.
(as far as the 6 month multiple, it is true (according to one agency) that after 14 days you would have to do a visa run each time.)
so. that's about what i know at the moment.
thanks to those of you who have responded, and if you are reading and have any questions, go for it.


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## JeanneEmeraldde (Apr 29, 2013)

i saw that too. yes, i hope that it means light...
question. what is your opinion on being a canadian arriving in duabi on a one-way ticket?...

also, i read on some forums that people who had work contracts, even if they didn't start immediately, said so at the airport and were fine...

should i arrive and tell them that i have a work contract, or be a "tourist"?...

so many questions!


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## w_man (Apr 16, 2010)

To be honest - No one even asked me. If anything, they asked where I was staying and I told them the name of the hotel. If you have a valid visa to enter the country, they don't really care or ask many questions. 

If they do, there's no reason to lie - I would think you can just tell them that you are going to be starting a job in Dubai in the future and you are just here early to check out the city.


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## Canuck_Sens (Nov 16, 2010)

if you are trying to save some on VISAS and are not willing to take further risks, after all you depend on changes that are still "in progress by the UAE" just give a call to Emirates or Etihad airlines. Emirates for example offers an online VISA application facility for very reasonable prices. It is actually cheaper than getting the VISA directly with the Embassy/ General Consulate.

I would "call them up " and find out.


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