The Immigration Process When Becoming an Expat in Dubai

My immigration process to fully-fledged legal resident was rather pain free in hindsight, although I can't promise yours will be too. I have heard mixed accounts from fellow expats here in Dubai, but my best advice is to be prepared; have copies of everything, a million passport photographs and be patient.

So I arrived in Dubai international airport with my entry visa, which made the in airport process a little longer. If your situation is the same, expect to have your photograph taken, your entry visa papers checked, your record in the central government database updated (which would have been created when you applied for your visa) and your passport stamped. If you’re coming to Dubai and kind of winging it without a job, you can get a one-month tourist visa to enter the country, at the airport. This however depends on your nationality and as such I advise checking the requirements on the Dubai International Airport website.

Another thing to note at this time, if you're on a tourist visa, is that it will only be valid for 30 days. After this time, I hear many people do what is affectionately called "a visa run" to Oman, which is a short drive and upon return can have their passport stamped with another tourist visa. I have no experience with this though, so more research on your part would be advised.

If you’re entering the country with a visa, you can collect this from the visa collection point in Dubai International Airport, which is just before passport control. You just need your passport and the receipt for your visa and they hand over the official copy.

Once in Dubai, the next step is to complete your medical assessment (which includes a chest x-ray and a blood test) and provide your biometric information (which includes having your fingerprints, palm prints and photographs taken) for your Emirates ID Card. I recommend paying an extra couple of hundred dirhams to use the VIP service, which is more efficient and can save you hours waiting. I mean who wants to be hanging around government buildings on your first few days in a new city. Plus the VIP immigration service in Dubai means your medical assessment results will be ready in just three hours, instead of three days, or worse, three weeks. We used Al Safa Health Centre.

A full list of Emirates ID Authority Offices can be found here. The women’s queue, apparently, is always very quick and that was certainly the case when I visited, with the whole process taking little more than 15 minutes. The men’s queue…well that was considerably longer.

Once you have your medical results and have provided the biometric information to the Emirates ID Authority, your results will be entered into the system and a further payment (if using the VIP service) is required for the completion of the visa. An immigration official will then review your file, ensure your online record is up to date and meets the requirements and your passport will be stamped with the full visa. All that is left is to obtain the Emirates ID Card, which will be delivered to you within 30 days, although mine arrived in just 5.

Maybe I was lucky, but the immigration process in Dubai was simpler and more efficient than I could have imagined. And since becoming a legal resident was a rather large source of stress throughout this whole process (I did have nightmares that they would reject me and send me back to England), to have completed it within my first few days in Dubai was a weight off my mind.

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