Abu Dhabi at a Glance
Abu Dhabi: Visa Information
Abu Dhabi, an island city, impresses with both modern and traditional architecture.
Entry Permits for Visitors
If you come to Abu Dhabi as a tourist, e.g. on a fact-finding trip prior to your expat assignment, you need to enter the country with a valid passport and a tourist visa or visitor visa. Either of the above visa types needs to be applied for at the nearest UAE Embassy or Consulate well in advance of your trip. However, nationals of the following countries can get their tourist or visitor visa upon arrival in the UAE, provided they have a valid passport:
Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Vatican, UK, US.
A tourist visa is valid for up to 30 days and cannot be renewed. It only applies to individual tourists from selected countries sponsored by hotels, commercial tour operators etc. in the UAE.
Visitor visas are for tourists or non-touristic visitors (e.g. for visiting a relative or attending a trade fair). They are valid for 60 days and can be renewed for a total stay of up to 90 days. Usually, your relative in the UAE, your tour operator, the business organization that invited you etc. will act as your sponsor for the application process.
Visiting and Working
Neither a tourist visa nor a visitor visa allows you to take up gainful employment or any kind of work in Abu Dhabi. Moreover, a tourist visa can never be transferred into a work entry permit.
In exceptional cases, people who have come to Abu Dhabi on a visitor visa can then apply for a work visa. People in the following occupations and professions, for example, who have come to Abu Dhabi for neither work nor tourism, may apply for a change of visa status during their time in Abu Dhabi:
- Medical staff
- Teachers
- Agricultural experts
- Accountants and auditors
- Lab technicians
- Employees at private-sector oil companies
Work Visa
Work visas are generally valid for 30 days. During this time, expats have to make sure that their residence permit is processed. In order to obtain a work visa and, later on, a residence permit, you usually need a sponsor in Abu Dhabi (e.g. your future employer) who is going to take care of the process for you.
There are different types of work visa for private companies, depending on the applicant’s position. Employees of governmental institutions and ministries receive their visa directly from the GDRFA (General Directorate of Residence and Foreigners Affairs) and are not allowed to accept work in the private sector.
The type of visa and work permit you need always depends on your nationality and on your individual situation. It is therefore hard to provide specific information. For all questions relating to work visas (also called work entry permits or labour entry permits), please ask the Embassy staff and/or the GDRFA.
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