Stu and I set off this morning to (finally) apply for my new residence visa. He has changed jobs, and so has a new visa, which means I too must change (as he is my sponsor). This is the 5th time I am doing a residence visa, I had one in my own right once upon a time (ie employer sponsored) but this will be my 4th overall as the “housewife” (haha).
Anyway you would think that we are old hands at this based on the number of times we have done it, certainly it works out at more than once a year. But of course nothing is ever that simple. Besides the fact that things are not the same if you are doing a Dubai proper visa, a Freezone visa (Jebel Ali), a Freezone visa (Tecom) or a Freezone visa (DMCC*) the requirements within each section also change. I have no problem with that, things evolve over time. What does get my goat is that these requirements are not widely known or published**, and sometimes it can really depend on the day, the office and the officer you speak to at immigration on how strictly they are enforced.
So of course the point of my rant today is that the requirements have changed once again, and we didn’t have the needful papers. I should just travel with a filing cabinet in the car when I go to do these things as I’m bound to need that one obscure thing I didn’t pack – it’s the corollary to Murphy’s law (he was an optimist apparently).
In the hope that I save just one other person from a wasted couple of hours here are the requirements (as of 14 October 2012) for a man working in the DMCC Freezone to sponsor his wife on a Dubai residence visa***.
- Application form (must be done at typing center in Arabic)
- Cash money (no cards)
- His passport & copy
- His visa & copy
- Her passport & copy
- Her passport photographs (8 is a safe bet)
- ATTESTED marriage certificate & copy
- His salary certificate from his sponsor / zone (seems unclear if this should be issued by the company or the zone he is in i.e. DMCC)
- Latest utility bill (in his name)
- Tenancy contract (in his name) attested**** by the Dubai Land Department
- Her Emirates ID card or an application will need to be done for that at the same time
With all these items you can then apply for a visa, have your medical test and then hopefully get your official residence permit once you pass that.
Costs quoted today: AED 780 (for the application) + AED 630 (to change visa) + AED 750 (for the medical) + AED 530 (to issue the visa and insert into passport) + AED 380 for the Emirates ID (new one I presume so an update should be less).
Good luck!
p.s. This change was actually published in the Gulf News in June. I didn’t see it as I don’t read that paper much now.
* helpfully the DMCC website Visa Section is “awaiting content”.
** even good old trusty Dubaifaqs.com was wrong on this point as well.
*** yes a woman may sponsor her husband but the requirements and conditions for that are different again.
**** make sure your lease agreement shows the plot number and size of your villa or you may need a copy of the title deed as well.