How to extend your UAE tourist visa

  As a tourist destination, UAE has an enthralling effect on you. When you first visit its emirates, you might think that you will be just spending a short time, but as your impression of the destination grows on you, you may be tempted to stay a little longer. But what if you do not have a UAE tourist visa that covers the amount of time in which you wish to stay in this breathtakingly beautiful country? The good news is that you do not need to worry about it as you can easily extend a UAE tourist visa and explore the emirates as much as you like without any hassle. Here is a short guide to UAE tourist visa and how to extend them if you need them.

 UAE tourist visa - an overview

 To enter UAE, an individual must either hold an on-arrival visa or a pre-approved visa. GCC countries are a handful of countries that enjoy visa-exemption privileges and are relieved from the need for a visa if they wish to enter or exit the UAE as needed. For all other nationalities, a valid entry permit is required.

UAE tourist visas can either be pre-acquired or obtained on arrival. You can easily enter Dubai with a visa on arrival without much hassle or paperwork. The visa on arrival process requires you to disembark your flight at Dubai airport, show your passport and return tickets at the immigration counter, answer any questions asked,  get the on-arrival visa stamped on the passport and exit the airport. However, not everyone is eligible for this visa. Approximately 20 countries' citizens can get a visa on arrival in Dubai for a 30-day stay. These are:

Australia, New Zealand, UK, Ireland, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Canada, Japan, Singapore, USA, Andorra, Brunei, Mauritius, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, San Marino, Ukraine, Vatican City, Monaco.

Around 50 countries can avail of a 90-day stay in Dubai on a visa on arrival basis. These are:

Austria, Bahamas Islands, Barbados, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Kiribati, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Serbia, Seychelles, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay, Malta, Montenegro, Nauru, Netherlands, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, El-Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, and Argentina.

 Dubai offers 180-day visa on arrival to Mexicans. Indians with special residency permits and visas, like UK or US visas, UK residence permits, EU residency permits, and US green cards, can get a 14-day visa on arrival. However, the 14-day visa can only be extended once for another 14 days. After that, the visa holder can get a new visa on arrival if he or she exits and reenters the UAE.

 For citizens who do not meet these criteria, they must apply for a UAE tourist visa and have a valid visa in hand before arriving at Dubai airport. The types of visas they can apply for are: a 14-day single entry visa, a 30-day tourist visa, or a 90-day visit visa that can be applied for as a single entry visa or a multi-entry visa.

 UAE tourist visa extension process.

 The UAE visa system has recently been changed to make it smoother, easier, and more beneficial for UAE visitors. Anyone with a valid UAE tourist visa is eligible to renew the visa twice for 30 days each time without leaving the UAE. Now if you are in Dubai on a tourist visa, you can straight away apply for a Dubai touristvisa extension while staying in the emirate.

 Ø  Validating your passport is the first step in applying for an extension. Any time you stay in Dubai, your passport must have a validity of at least 6 months. Your visa will be extended based on the same consideration.

Ø  Additionally, keep track of the expiration date of your current Dubai visa, since you will need to apply for an extension before it expires. In case your visa has expired, there is a grace period that you can use to extend its validity.

Ø  When applying for an extension of your UAE tourist visa, you will need the following documents.

-          Filled out, duly signed, and error-free visa extension form.

-          Covid-19 vaccination proof

-          Photocopies of a valid passport

-          Recently taken colour photographs

-          A copy of the current UAE tourist visa

-          Confirmed return airline ticket

-          The sponsor's residence visa or permit as their identification

Ø  You must have a valid travel and health insurance policy. Once you have collected these documents, you can either apply for an extension yourself online on the official websites or contact a UAE visa service consultant and have them submit the application on your behalf.  Then you pay the visa fees, which vary depending on the UAE visa you currently have, and wait for your new visa to arrive.

Ø  The most important thing to remember is to always keep track of the validity of your current UAE visa. In case of a lapsed UAE visa, you will be fined AED 100 for each day spent overstaying after the grace period of the valid UAE visa has expired. It is best to apply for a UAE visa extension at least a week before your current visa expires so that you do not have to pay unnecessary fines for overstaying and can manage any hassles during the extension process.

 

 Conclusion

 UAE is a fascinating country full of incredible attractions with a fascinating mix of modernity and culture. It is quite easy to understand why travellers come back to this destination or want to stay back for a longer time once they have visited it. The UAE government has made it so that UAE visas can be extended for 30 days twice without the need for you to leave the country to make things more convenient for you. A tourist visa holder in the UAE can take advantage of this and apply easily for a visa extension without much hassle to take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy and explore the country to the fullest.