New Visa Law for UAE – Wealthier Property Owners May Stay Six Months

A new resolution issued by Lt. General HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan states that foreign property owners in the UAE may stay for six months. Although there are some pretty stringent conditions attached. The amendment to article 33 will state:

“Owners of built-in properties can stay for six months from the date of entry into the country. On the expiry of this period, the owner pledges to depart for his homeland or any of the GCC countries. He will only be allowed to enter the country again after meeting the required conditions”

Another new article, carrying number 34 bis, will be incorporated into the by-law stipulating that the owner should submit a multi-trip entry visa in regards to the property as per the following conditions:

1. The property should be built-in and this case doesn’t include owners of vacant lands.
2. The owner should obtain a title of the property from the property registration authority in the emirate.
3. The unit, be a house or an apartment, should be wholly owned by the concerned person.
4. Value of the unit should not be less that Dh 1 million ($270,000).
5. The unit should be fit for accommodation and for members of the family. (The departments of naturalization and residency will scrutinize this point.)
6. The owner should have a fixed income of not less than Dh 10,000 ($ 2722)  per month or its equivalent in foreign currencies whether inside or outside the country though the visa doesn’t give the owner of the property the right to work inside the country.

The article allows the owner to include in the visa application his spouse and children and attaches an insurance cover (for him, his wife and children) valid for the limit of the stay in the country.

In case these terms are not met, the permit shall be null and void. So – if you happen to meet these criteria – you may now stay for six months in the UAE. Personally – I see this as just another half-assed attempt to prop up the failing real estate sector. The fact that one is obliged to leave – with family – and resumbit  another visa application after six months makes me wonder what the point is. It sounds good and is certainly an improvement for those who are working in the UAE and lose their jobs, but that is about it. When you consider that property values have fallen by around 70% in the last six months, this puts the majority in a position of not being eligible.