New Dubai Visa Law Out
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:
- The property should be built-in and this case doesn’t include owners of vacant lands.
- The owner should obtain a title of the property from the property registration authority in the emirate.
- The unit, be a house or an apartment, should be wholly owned by the concerned person.
- Value of the unit should not be less that Dh 1 million ($270,000).
- The unit should be fit for accommodation and for members of the family. (The departments of naturalization and residency will scrutinize this point.)
- The owner should have a fixed income of not less than Dh 10,000 ($ 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.
What do you think about this? Share your opinion with us…
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The newly announced multiple entry visas for property owners may be renewed or re-issued any number of times as no limit has been set against it, officials announced on Monday. On May 2, the Minister of Interior issued a decree which defines multiple entry visas for expatriate property owners whose investment is no less than Dh1 million. The decree applies across all the emirates in the UAE.
With the ruling taking effect, promises of residence visas while leasing some properties for 99 years, as it has been advertised by certain realtors, stand nullified. “The multiple entry visas have a validity of six months. This means the expatriate property owner may stay in the country for six months maximum at a time. But it may be renewed or a fresh visa could be applied any number of times, if the necessary conditions are met,” said Brigadier Nasser Al Awadhi Al Minhali, Acting Director-General of Naturalisation and Residency Department. He was speaking at a press conference held to clarify the ruling, which stirred up public debate on its pros and cons.
“After spending six months in the country, the investor must leave the UAE to return to his home country or any of the GCC countries before he is eligible to apply for a fresh multiple entry visa”, he said. Authorities will begin issuing the visa from June 1. “The visa costs Dh2,000 for processing. Additionally, the person must obtain health insurance for the duration of his stay in the country. Renewal also costs the same”, said Brig Al Minhali.
During the investor’s stay in the country, he or she may sponsor their immediate family – spouse and children. Health insurance is mandatory for all visitors. Cost of insurance is the same as the rates which apply for other types of visit visas, he said. Dispelling doubts on the impact of the ruling on the real estate market, Al Minhali said the decree has been well received by players in the market. “The legislation will help standardise the procedures across the country. It used to be very unorganised and changed from emirate to emirate.” “In Dubai and Ajman where 99-year property leasing was possible, the immigration departments have been informed to legalise the stay of such property owners by issuing them with this new type of visas,” Al Minhali told Gulf News, calling on such investors to visit the department.
Multiple-entry visas for expatriate property owners, who meet the eligibility criteria, will be issued from June 1, officials announced on Monday. Speaking at a press conference, Brigadier Nasser Al Awadhi Al Minhali, Acting Director-General of Naturalisation and Residency Department, said: “The multiple entry visas for expatriate property owners will be issued from June 1, based on the conditions stipulated by the ministerial decree issued on May 2.” In an unprecedented move, the Interior Minister issued a decree to better regulate the real estate sector by allowing expatriate property owners to obtain multiple entry visas valid for six months. Up until now, the regulations have been different in each emirate in the absence of federal regulation.
The decree, which applies across all emirates, aims at standardising the rules and stimulating the domestic economy, said Brigadier Al Minhali. The investors will need to meet a set of requirements put forth by the authorities. According to the ruling, the property should be worth at least Dh1 million, it should be ready for the investor to move in, it should be wholly owned by the investor and the investor must have a monthly income no less than Dh10,000 or equivalent in foreign currencies. It also mentions that the apartment or villa must be comfortable to accommodate the family of the investor, without giving any specifications. The investor is required to obtain the title of the property from the registration authority in the respective emirate, before he could be granted the visa. The multiple-entry visas can be renewed immediately. “The maximum permitted stay at once is six months,” he said.
Holders of the newly-announced multiple entry visas for property owners can renew their visas with no waiting time, officials have clarified on Tuesday. The visa can be renewed once the person leaves the country. On May 2, the Minister of Interior issued a decree that defines multiple-entry visas for expatriate property owners whose investment is no less than Dh1 million. The decree applies across all the emirates in the UAE. The newly-announced multiple entry visas for property owners, which has a validity of six months, may be renewed or re-issued any number of times as no limit has been set against it. It was reported earlier that people who complete six months stay need to stay out of UAE for at least a month before being able to renew the visa. However, the Interior ministry on Tuesday confirmed there is no waiting time before renewing the visa.
Salaams,
What happens to investors who have invested less than the Dhs. 1 million? Would they be treated as regular visitors and granted 14 days visas? I hope not.
Can someone clarify this for me, please?
Thanks!
As of now that’s how it looks like
But as usual in Dubai and the UAE there are many “clarifications” after new rules come out, so maybe also this part gets clarified or amended soon. Let’s see…
Could anyone clarify the following -
(1) There are people who own several properties which bunched together are worth several million Dihrams while every single unit being owned is less than 1 million Dihrams. What happens in this case ?
(2) If one has been issued the 3 year residence visa after paying ALL the fees, say on 1st Jan.2008, does this visa become invalid from 1st June 2009 ? It is most unfair for any Government to issue a visa, take the applicable fees and nullify it before it’s expiry. It means the Government can also cancel the freehold law and take back all the properties people have paid for.
(3) What will happen to Residence Visas against properties jointly owned by husband and wife ?
(1) – No idea, will probably get clarified soon
(2) – Any other unrelated visa should not become invalid as this is not affected from the new property visa regulations
(3) – The visa can be extended to the spouse and family anyway, so this should not make any difference
“In Dubai and Ajman where 99-year property leasing was possible, the immigration departments have been informed to legalise the stay of such property owners by issuing them with this new type of visas,”
REPLY
1. What I understand is that there might be lot of such property owners in Dubai & Ajman whose visa &/or the visas of their sponsored family members might have expired recently and these could not be renewed as per the ban introduced one year ago and were still waiting for the new visa rule to come must legalise their status by getting these new type of visas . Those possessing still a valied visa are really not illegal till the expiry date stamped on their visas and will have to transfer thier residency upon its expiry to the new 6 months M/E visas as the promissed visas from the developers are now null & void.
2. The property bought in 2002/2003 for less than AED 1 m , say for example AED 850 K and is registered with RERA/ Lands Deptt. for the same ammount which one has paid to the developer at that time IS REALLY WORTH FOR at least AED 1.5m EVEN AFTER THE PROPERTY PRICES HAS GONE DOWN FROM THE PEAK IN AUGUST 2008 ( AED 3.5m + approx.). CHECKED WITH RERA — for a fee of AED 4010 one can get his property revalueated AND by paying additional AED 2 to 3 K new milkia (Title deed) can be obtained from the Lands Deptt. with the new revalueated price.
Shall be grateful if someone with better understanding of these laws & regulations can throw more light on these points so as to guide the investors/property owners.
what i think is to buy the property in Dubai will be a big risk as they have canceled the residence visas THOSE HAVE THE RESIDENCE VISAS FOR THREE YEARS YOU NEVER NOW THIS PEOPLE THEY MIGHT CAN CANCELED YOUR PROPERTY TOMORROW BEFORE THEY OPEN THE FREE HOLD PROPERTIES IN DUBAI THEY SHOULD CLEAR THIS POLICY ABOUT THE RESIDENCY PERMITS.IT IS JUST LIKE THEY HAVE REALIZED THEY DON’T WANT PEOPLE FROM OUT SIDE AND YOU WILL SEE THAT AFTER WARDS.
ITS IS IMPLY ADVICE TO ALL INVESTOR DON’T BUY ANY PROPERTY IN DUBAI.
I WILL NEVER BUY ANY PROPERTY IN UAE ,I CANT TRUST IT ANYMORE. WHY THEY DIDNT TELL EVERYONE BEFORE BUYING ? WHY THEY NOT SHUT DOWN ALL THE AGENCIES WHO MISLEAD PEOPLE AND PROMISED THEM FREE RESIDENT PERMITS.
I AM VERY UPSET AND CAN NOT COMMENT ANYMORE
Seems like the new visa law for UAE free hold expat property owners has still not been clarified. The conditions attached is not suitable for all emirates like Ajman where the property value is much less than AED 1M. Does any one know if there is plan to revisit this law in view hudge property/land value difference between different emirates within UAE like Ajman, RAK as compared to AbuDhabi, Dubai.
Just to mention that it is unfair to those investors who have already invested their savings. The government should have planned this policy/law before allowing free hold property development in the market. Originally, the developers hadoffered visa for freehold property owners at the time of offering their property. I assume the Government must have sold the land to the developers and knew the promises made by the developers, to be it is unfair to back out from their committment and roll back when the investors has already paid off the hudge $$$. To be it is a breach of contract and the amount should be returned back to those investors whom the new contract conditions are not acceptable, What is your view on view / does any one know what is the government reaction to such questions or now they are simply turning a blind eye as the money is already in their hands
These Arabs Always lied and will continue to lie DON’T BUY ANY PROPERTY IN THE UAE ANY MORE BECAUSE THIS SUMMER THE UAE WILL GO TO HELL.
Fully agree, this is just not right. We have invested millions of $ based on the freehold and residence visa, otherwise there were no point buying. The people which have purchased according to this should be excempted from this new law and should maintain the 3 year renewable visa. Have never heard any other countries backtracing on a deal done and this should be adhered to also for this new law. How can we keep family and children here i 6 month then take them out of school for a month trip to somewhere and then returning and apply for another 6 month and another $$$$$$$$$$$ for the new visa. This does just not make sense.
Now they want to get the "mob" out of there but keep the rich, through these uncivilized and arbitrary laws. Why else the discriminations based on income and property value?
I am a real estate/resort developer in the United States and the Caribbean that became interested in purchasing a new Condominium Apartment in the Dubai, I was planning to spend up to US$2 million and in addition, I was inviting five of my business associates to also purchase a new Condominium Apartment in the same development project. But as a result of this new Immigration Visa Law for expatriate property owners in the UAE, I have changed my mind from investing in the UAE and I have also convinced my business associates not to do the same. This new visa law in the UAE is not investor friendly for expatriates, hence, I will take my investment to another Country that welcomes expatriates investment. I will also spread the word internationally to all of my friends and business associates that they are not to invest in the UAE.
elligal buying for residence visa.more on people doing this there are working as a sex worker her in dubai.
how cant we stop on this activity,
i am absolutely disgusted
by those ridiculous nad overiding rules…i along with family bought 2 apartments in ajman….this was part of an investment plan…anyway.we should have received the keys 2 YEARS ago..electricity has not been installed yet..therefore nothing to this date..my contract states that Im guaranteed a residency visa and the developer says now the law has been overriden…this is a big SCAM…this is how they trick ppl into buying those properties..WILL NEVER ADVISE ANY 1 TO BUY PROPERIES OR INVEST anything IN THE UAE IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM…