5 Year Visa For Uae
There has been news going around the media recently that the UAE has a plan to provide five-year multiple entry visas for expatriate workers from South Asian and African nations which will help in reducing the instances of expired visa. The main aim behind providing this kind of visa is to bring in more skilled workers from these countries as well as give opportunities to people looking for jobs over there. It’s quite obvious that getting a 5 year visa is not a cakewalk. It’s something that most expatriates would make any sacrifice to get their hands on. But not everyone is willing to do so much just to get their hands on this visa. It’s an exceptional opportunity that most are too scared to take advantage of because they don’t know how or where to start. The worries, fears, and stress you feel when you learn about the impossibility of getting a UAE visa even if you’ve lived in the Emirates for years, can easily be resolved by applying for the UAE eVISA.
Many of us want to travel abroad. Travel is broadening and good for our minds. However, there are countless rules and hurdles that prevent us from doing so. Sure, a lot of countries offer 30-90 day visas and you could use that time to explore the country. But what if you want to stay longer? Do you really have to leave or does the country allow you to stay? I’m going to discuss 5 countries that allow you to get 5 year visas for tourism and business purposes.
What is the UAE’s New Five-Year Tourist Visa?
In 2018, the United Arab Emirates started offering free transit visas for tourists that were valid for 96 hours. Officials made the move hoping to improve tourism, as it allowed for convenient stopovers and quick stays in the country.
Now, the UAE has introduced a new five-year tourist visa. With the new document, the country plans to improve on the tourism boost and attract long-term tourists.
What is a Five-Year Tourist Visa?
Up until now, the longest tourist visa available in the UAE was up to 90 days. Although, after a push for more tourism, the government greatly extended this time to be up to five years.
The vice president and prime minister of UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, elaborated on the change in his announcement of this visa. “We received more than 21 million tourists annually and our aim is to establish the country as a major global tourist destination.”
This new five-year tourist visa will be multi-entry and will be available for all nationalities. Although the visa will be good for five years, each stay in the UAE can only last up to six months. But, as stated earlier, it is multiple-entry, so tourists can come back for another six month stay again in those five years.
The five-year visa will be available for tourists by the end of the first quarter in 2020.
There is currently no information about the price and application process for this new visa. For price reference, the current 96 hour visa is $10.
What is known is that to apply you do need: a copy of the first page of your passport, a photograph for your identification, and certain travel details.
Traveling to UAE
Other nations in the Gulf have held similar visa campaigns in recent years to encourage more tourism. Saudi Arabia recently began using online applications for their visas, along with the country’s first tourist visas. Meanwhile, Qatar simply got rid of the need for any visa at all if you’re a citizen of one of 80 countries that qualify.
If you’re planning to visit the UAE, also be aware of the safety warnings set in place by the U.S. State Department. After recent events, the U.S. issued a warning to all Americans traveling to UAE, stating that, “U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance and practice good situational awareness,” while visiting the UAE.
For more information about visas to visit the UAE or other parts of the Middle East, take a look at our passport and visa services. Do you need help updating or getting a new passport? Passport Health can walk you through any of the travel documents needed for a trip abroad.