The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA-Dubai) has issued an updated guide to the UAE’s 5-year multiple-entry tourist visa, an increasingly popular option for frequent travellers, families and businesspeople who need greater flexibility than standard short-term visit permits. Introduced nationally in 2021 but refined several times since, the visa lets holders of any nationality enter the UAE as often as they like for five years, staying up to 90 days on each trip and up to 180 days in any calendar year. Thursday’s notice, published on 16 July, sets out the exact documentary proof now required: a passport valid for at least six months; recent colour photo; round-trip ticket; evidence of health insurance that remains in force for every stay; and six months of bank statements showing a minimum balance of US $4,000 (or foreign-currency equivalent). Applicants who fall below the bank-balance threshold are advised to apply for the standard 30- or 60-day tourist visa instead. The application can be completed entirely online via the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) portal, the GDRFA Smart App, Customer Happiness Centres or Amer service centres. Fees totalling AED 3,713 (about US $1,010) include visa charges, service fees and a refundable guarantee. Processing times currently average five working days, the GDRFA said, but may lengthen during the July-August travel peak. From a corporate-mobility perspective, the product is attractive for executives who visit Dubai or Abu Dhabi repeatedly to prospect for new business or supervise regional teams. Company travel managers should note, however, that days spent in the UAE under this visa count toward the 180-day annual cap; HR must plan rotation schedules carefully to avoid accidental overstays, which incur fines of AED 50 per day. Organisations should also remind assignees that the visa does not confer work authorisation—separate work permits are required for any remunerated activity in the Emirates. The clarified guidance is the latest in a flurry of UAE immigration updates designed to keep visitor numbers high despite regional security tensions. Travel consultants say demand for the 5-year visa has surged, particularly among Indian, Russian and Nigerian nationals who previously relied on sponsor-based visit visas and now value a self-sponsored option that can be held in parallel with other long-term plans. Tourism authorities expect the change to help Dubai reach its target of 25 million international visitors by 2027.
Source: Gulf News
