UAE visit visa: How many times can I extend it?

Dubai - Can I extend the visit visa without leaving the UAE?

By Ashish Mehta

Published: Mon 31 May 2021, 3:38 AM

Question: I am a UAE resident and my parents are in the country on a visit visa. I have already extended their stay because of the worsening Covid situation back in my home country. My question is this: Is there a cap on the number of times visit visas can be extended? Is there a way to get a visit visa that’s valid for more than three months? Thanks in advance.

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Answer: Pursuant to your queries, it should be noted that in the UAE, a visit visa may be issued to an individual for 30 or 90 days. A 30-day visa may be extended twice for 30 days each without the requirement of its holder travelling out of the UAE.

While applying for visit visa, the maximum stay allotted on the single visa is 90 days. In the event an individual who is already on visit visa in the UAE intends to extend his or her stay for more than 90 days or upon expiry of two extension periods, he/she may have to travel out of the UAE and re-enter the country on a new visit visa for another 30 days or 90 days.

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Article 12 of the Federal Law No. 6 of 1973 Concerning Immigration and Residence as amended by virtue of Law 7 of 1985, Law 13 of 1996 and Federal Decree Law No. 17 of 2017 states: “ Any foreigner entering the Country with visit visa or permission shall have to leave the Country on the expiry date of such visa or permission either through cancellation or expiry period thereof - unless he has obtained a residence license.

“Any foreigner who is exempted from the requirement of obtaining a permit or visa in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 2 of Article 2 of this law must leave the country within a period not exceeding thirty days as of the date of entry into the country unless he obtains a permit to stay during this period.”

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However, due to Covid-19, visitors may extend their visit visa beyond 90 days or obtain a new visit visa, without exiting the UAE, by paying a certain fee to GDFRA. For further information, you may contact the GDRFA.

Ashish Mehta is the founder and Managing Partner of Ashish Mehta & Associates. He is qualified to practise law in Dubai, the United Kingdom and India. Full details of his firm on: www.amalawyers.com. Readers may e-mail their questions to: news@khaleejtimes.com or send them to Legal View, Khaleej Times, PO Box 11243, Dubai.

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