# Are Utility Bills Mandatory for Family Visa?



## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

Been here almost a month, I have my residence visa, my family are still on tourist visas. 

Should get Emirates ID today after loads of "technical issues" which means I can get my chequebook and finally be able to settle my tenancy agreement and register it with Tawtheeq.

So all going well, I should be in a position to move into our apartment and apply for family visa for my family.

However, every guide I read online says I must also have the latest utility bill in addition to Tawtheeq-attested tenancy contract. 

Considering the Tawtheeq process involves simultaneously registering you with ADDC for electricity connection, also providing a utility bill seems a bit redundant, plus it would mean having to wait at least another month before I can apply for family visa, having to pay for 3 x flights to do a visa run and my wife/child spending another month in the country without local medical insurance.

Anyone have any recent experiences with this and whether the utility bill in addition to all the other documentation (marriage/birth certs are all ready attested and translated where necessary) is absolutely mandatory? hwell:


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## rosehenry (Apr 12, 2017)

I think utility bills are mandatory for family visa. Better you also go to office and ask there for utility bills.


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## falcon01 (Jan 29, 2017)

When your Tawtheeq is registered, you will get a text from ADDC on the same or next day to call them to activate your account. Once it is activated, a utility bill will be generated a few hours later to pay the $1k security deposit and sent to your email account. You can use the bill. The bill is mandatory for family visa. 

You can go to Immigration Dept to extend visa for another month. Medical Insurance is required for the extension-40 dhrs. There is a typing centre within the Immigration Dept compound. The Insurance vendor is within the typing centre.


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## Gavtek (Aug 23, 2009)

That's not so bad then, although the advice I was given was that although my wife can extend her tourist visa, you cannot apply for a change of status on an extended visa so she'll need to leave one way or another, especially as she has a "brown person" passport. I already got her an Oman tourist visa on the basis of my "white person" passport, just means I'll have to go with her.

Naturally, my Emirates ID didn't show up today as promised, so will have another delay anyway with the public holiday.


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## falcon01 (Jan 29, 2017)

You can do a change of status on the extended visa. Colour also does not matter. Rules revised sometime back.


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