November 2nd, 2023 at 10:05 am
UAE Family Group Tourist Visas – How to Apply through Approved Travel Agencies
The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA-D) provides a family group tourist visa service that is advantageous for families traveling to the United Arab Emirates. According to a November 1 Gulf News article, parents and their kids can apply for family group visas through accredited travel agents together.
This is all the information you need to know about this visa option if you want to travel to the UAE with your family.
How to apply
Contacting a travel agency is very simple because most of them in the United Arab Emirates let you transmit the paperwork online, by email, or via WhatsApp.
All you need are passport-sized photos and a clear copy of your passport. According to Joseph Lancy Dsouza, general manager of Arabian Nights Travel and Tourism in Dubai, “You can send these to a travel agency and they can apply for your family’s visa as a group, and it will be collectively approved,” as reported by Gulf News.
He continued by saying that since there is no visa fee for children under the age of 18, this is a more practical and cost-effective alternative for families. For processing the visa, the travel agency could impose a service charge. Travel agents can apply for your family’s visa jointly, and it will be granted as a group.
What is the cost of the visa?
Speaking with Gulf News, travel firms stated that the price for adults in the group application and the service charge for kids can change according to the nationality of the applicant. For instance, adult Indian family members often pay between Dh300 and Dh350 per person.
Although there are no visa fees for children, each child’s application may incur processing fees ranging from Dh80 to Dh100.
It is best to contact the agency ahead of time to inquire about their fees as processing expenses might differ greatly amongst agencies.
Documents required
According to Myrna Quindoyos, administrative officer at East and West Travels LLC, a company based in Dubai, candidates must submit just two primary documents:
- Copy of passport
- Passport-sized photograph
But occasionally, you might additionally be required to submit the following paperwork:
- Birth certificate of children
- National ID
- Bank statement
- Hotel reservation
- Marriage certificate
- Return ticket
You do not need to present a birth certificate if you are from a nation where the passport includes the name of your parents. Nevertheless, you must present the birth certificate if the children’s passport is missing the parents’ names. If the parents are not of the same nationality, this can also be necessary. You might also be required to present a marriage license in certain circumstances
Certain applicants and nationals of particular age groups may additionally be required to submit their bank statement or national identification card. If the mother’s or father’s name is missing from the children’s passport, you will need to present the birth certificate.
How long is the visa valid for?
Travel agencies can now apply for short-term tourist visas, which have a 30- to 60-day maximum validity and can be extended up to 120 days if needed, according to GDRFA-D.
How much time will it take to receive the Visa?
Dsouza claims that while it could take up to three or four days for the application to be accepted, most of the time the visa is issued considerably faster.
UAE Golden Visa
With the Golden Visa, you can live, work, and study in the United Arab Emirates for ten years without the requirement for a sponsor. People from a variety of backgrounds are eligible to apply for the Golden Visa, including gifted persons, researchers, exceptional students, physicians, specialists, innovators, sportsmen, entrepreneurs, and investors.
UAE Golden Visa Benefits You Can Enjoy
With the Golden Visa, which is a self-sponsored 10-year residency permit, foreign professionals, investors, and students with exceptional academic standing can live, work, and study in the United Arab Emirates. Did you know that if you intend to apply for the UAE’s Golden Visa, you can gain additional benefits in addition to the advantage of having a permanent residence permit secured in the UAE?
The following is a list of eight advantages that come with the 10-year visa.
1. Permanent, revocable residency
The ability to live in the United Arab Emirates on a renewable residence visa for ten years is one of the principal advantages of the Golden Visa. As long as you meet the requirements for the category under which you initially applied for the visa, you may renew it.
2. Employer or sponsor not necessary
A sponsor is typically needed for residence visas in the United Arab Emirates. This sponsor may be your employer if you are on a work visa, or it may be a family member who already resides in the country if you are on a family visa. Nonetheless, several self-sponsored visa options, such as the Golden Visa, have been made available due to recent modifications to the UAE’s visa policy.
Employees with a Golden Visa, for instance, may find it easier to switch employment because they won’t have to cancel the residence permit that their former employer-sponsored.
3. The resident visa is not revoked if you leave the UAE for longer than six months.
Additionally, holders of Golden Visas are free to leave the United Arab Emirates for longer than six months without compromising the validity of their residency permit. If a person leaves the UAE for longer than six months, their residency visa usually expires.
4. Better ways to support relatives
Under the new visa regime, male offspring of foreign nationals may be sponsored by any expat until the age of 25, or until the age of determination if the male kid is a Person of Determination. Having a 10-year residency, however, can enable Golden Visa holders to avoid needing to renew their residency every few years.
Additionally, sponsored family members can rest easy knowing that their member’s permit will still be valid in the event of the principal Golden Visa holder’s death thanks to the Golden Visa system.
5. You can sponsor as many domestic helpers as you like
You can also sponsor an unlimited number of domestic assistants with the Golden Visa.
6. A unique multiple-entry visa only for holders of Golden Visas
You can apply for a specific six-month multiple-entry visit visa if you do not presently reside in the UAE and do not currently possess a Golden Visa. This visa permits you to visit the UAE to finish the application process.
7. Get a driver’s license without taking any courses
Enrolling at a driving school in Dubai remains the only requirement for a Golden Visa holder in Dubai. Thus, in addition to possessing a current driver’s license from your home nation. After registering as a student, you can apply immediately for the knowledge (theory) and road exams without having to attend any classes. Your UAE driving license will be awarded to you if you pass both exams.
8. Specialty health insurance plans
Full-time workers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi with Golden Visas will still be protected by their employer’s health insurance plan. But, independent contractors, foreign residents, and investors are responsible for covering the cost of their health insurance.
Daman’s specific health insurance program for Golden Visa holders is offered by the National Health Insurance Company. With an annual coverage cap of Dh300,000, the package’s premiums can begin as low as Dh2,393.
Visit Newsnowgh.com for the most up-to-date information on visa-sponsored jobs, prospective paths benefits, application processes, and others.