# Can a Tourist visa be converted to employment visa without exiting?



## Rianey

Hi, I'm currently in Abu dhabi but my I'm having a tourist visa from Dubai. I was already hired by a certain company and was told that my employment visa will be released anytime soon. Can the employment visa be processed without me exiting the UAE country? because as far as I can remember when you are on a tourist visa, you have to exit first before it can be processed, so I'm just wondering if what they are telling me is true.


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## rsinner

Rianey said:


> Hi, I'm currently in Abu dhabi but my I'm having a tourist visa from Dubai. I was already hired by a certain company and was told that my employment visa will be released anytime soon. Can the employment visa be processed without me exiting the UAE country? because as far as I can remember when you are on a tourist visa, you have to exit first before it can be processed, so I'm just wondering if what they are telling me is true.


It used to be that you could directly convert the visa without exiting the country. From what I know, now you need to leave and come back.
The easiest way would be to just travel to Oman and return using the same flight without even leaving the Oman transit area.


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## StJCanaryInDubai

You can do it, I just did. Costs your company a little more but you save leaving and return costs.


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## diman

Do we really need to exist the country if we are on a free tourist visa? My new employer is processing my employment visa and did not ask me to exist the country. Please confirm.

Thanks


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## fcjb1970

diman said:


> Do we really need to exist the country if we are on a free tourist visa? My new employer is processing my employment visa and did not ask me to exist the country. Please confirm.
> 
> Thanks


I think they might have to pay a small additional fee, but you do not have to leave. If they don't ask don't worry about it


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## crunchylolita

rsinner said:


> It used to be that you could directly convert the visa without exiting the country. From what I know, now you need to leave and come back.
> The easiest way would be to just travel to Oman and return using the same flight without even leaving the Oman transit area.


Hi, I was also advised by my employer to exit UAE as my visa is on tourist visa. She told me to exit, fly to Qatar and fly back for them to process my visa. My worry is that they'll stop me in the immigration because I wouldn't have any visa to show in Qatar and UAE. Please advise, thanks


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## Stevesolar

Does it not depend on which psssport you have - difference between countries that get free tourist visa on entry and those that need to apply in advance?


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## husmun

I am a lady and now am on visit visa in dubai.I got a job here.So inorder to change my visa to job visa,did i want to exit from country,,,or if my company pays dh 500 is it possible to transfer my visa without leaving country


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## Visp

Stevesolar is right, it depends on your passport.


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## sm105

Visp said:


> Stevesolar is right, it depends on your passport.


No it doesn't. Tourist visas cannot be converted to Employment Visa, period. Nor can Service/Mission visas.

Visit visas can be converted under certain circumstances and for an additional charge.

The visa issued to the visa-on-arrival nationals is a visit visa, not a tourist visa.


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