# Residency Cancelled - which visa for my wife?



## Lamplighter (Jul 20, 2010)

Hi

Both my wife and I are presently UAE residents, her being under my sponsorship.

However, I am in the process of changing empoyers, meaning I have had to cancel my wife's residency and then my own. We both now need to leave and re-enter the country, meaning that I am likely to be in Dubai on visitor status for a few weeks. This is not a problem as I hold a British passport.

However, my wife is a Ukrainian passport holder and will need a pre-arranged visa to re-enter. I think there are two options, tourist or visitor visa, and of course not being a resident myself, I can't be her sponsor.

My hotel apartments advise me that they are not licensed for providing tourist visas, but would recommend an agency (who have since quoted dhs750 for 30 days, 1,500dhs for 60 days, plus 6,000dhs deposit). I think Emirates Airlines can also provide a tourist visa if I book my inbound flight with them, but I cannot find the costs.

Alternatively DNRD advise me that a same-sex, same-nationality (ie Ukrainian female) friend earning more than dhs10,000 per month can sponsor a visitor visa. We have such friends, but again I don't know the visa costs.

Could I ask whether any forum members are well-enough versed in these matters to advise me of my best options?

Thanks
Lamp


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

With Emirates, you can do a one month, two month (1 + 1 extension) or 3 month visa. deposit will be 1000 Dhs which will be returned once she leaves. Emirates Visas Services | Visa & Passport Information | Essential Information | Emirates Online Booking and Planning | Emirates
You need to buy a return ticket from Emirates. They need a local sponsor though who is a close relative. However, your wife can directly apply for a visa online with them and would not need a local sponsor. https://fly1.emirates.com/MAB/MYB/MMBLogin.aspx 
Do call them and ask whether the online visa is available for Ukrainian nationals. For Indians, I have found it easiest when there was a valid Schengen/US/UK visa as well, otherwise they need income tax returns etc.
If you are looking to save money, Air Arabia also has similar arrangements (but I have never used them).

I have also used a travel agency in the past to get a visa, but honestly the 6000 Dhs deposit is too high and I find Emirates to be the easiest to deal with.

For the option about the same sex, same nationality sponsor, I think the costs here are correct as far as I remember DNRD visa fees table . It is fairly convenient to apply for a visa for them and it took me about 1 hour for everything at their office in al Jaffiliya. The deposit is 1K as well.


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## Lamplighter (Jul 20, 2010)

Hi rsinner.

Thanks for the comprehensive reply.

I didn't realise that the Emirates Airlines option required a relative who was already a UAE resident, as I believe we used this option when my wife and I first came to Dubai - or did I misunderstand? In any case, it seems that a return ticket is required, and I'm not able to determine at the present time when the return journey should be booked,

My wife is in possession of a 10-year UK visit visa, and also a current 6-month Schengen visa, if their presence does assist.

Regarding the travel agency, I came across this online:



> *Tourist Visa*_
> A special category of visas under the Visit Visa type is a Tourist Visa, which can be obtained for individual tourists from: [various countries...], *Ukraine*, [other various countries].
> 
> The Tourist Visa entitles its holder to a 30 day stay and is non-renewable. The Tourist Visa requires the sponsorship of hotels and tour operators who bring in visitors from the above listed countries. The fee is *AED 100*. There is also a fee of *AED 10* for visa delivery service by DNATA. Hotels, hotel apartments, tour operators, travel agents and airlines may not levy supplementary charges or processing fees in excess of *AED 50/-* for arranging visas for visitors.
> ...


Unless I'm reading it incorrectly, shouldn't my wife be able to get a visa through an agency for AED160.00 plus whatever deposit is required?

Perhaps the most hassle-free option is the visit visa via the same-sex, same-nationality friend, especially if it can be organised in 1 hour.

Interested in your comments, especially on the tourism visa option!

Cheers
Lamp


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## rsinner (Feb 3, 2009)

Lamplighter said:


> Hi rsinner.
> 
> Thanks for the comprehensive reply.
> 
> ...


With Emirates, you HAVE to have a return ticket (you can probably change the return date) and will have to do it online. No choice. (I couldn't even sponsor my cousins when they were coming to town). It is a cheaper option esp. for the 30 day visa so they act a little haughty about it.
For the "tourism visa" you will only get it for 160 only if you actually use the agency or the hotel (my company has arranged it in the past through hotels when they were actually staying at the hotel). Hence the "premium" which is being charged by the travel agency when they quoted 6000 deposit etc etc.

If you can get someone to sponsor your wife, then it probably works (disclaimer: I have only tried this with relatives, and was not aware of the same country same sex rule), otherwise go for Emirates/Air Arabia with a 3 month visa and take an extra trip home. 

Also maybe talk to the PRO of the new company and ask him for options? They usually have a lot of practical advice and wasta and can open closed doors


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## Lamplighter (Jul 20, 2010)

Just to give closure on this, the travel agency has since confirmed to me that they will take the security deposit in the form of a cheque, which they will return once my wife leaves the country again and closes the visa - I have promised not to let her out of my sight!!! 

This being so, the dhs6,000 that they require in the form of a deposit is not hitting me in the pocket, and their dhs750 charge for a 30-day tourism visa is not substantially more than the dhs620 that I was advised by DNRD was the fee for a visit visa.

Our options re the visit visa were anyhow scuppered when we discovered that my wife's same-sex, same-nationality, sufficient income friend had a RAK visa rather than a Dubai visa.

Thanks again rsinner for your input.

Cheers, Lamp


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