Visa & Documents

RESIDENCY VISA

Usually, handled by the employer, many newcomers find themselves on a holiday visa when they first arrive in Abu Dhabi. Holiday visas in Abu Dhabi are valid for 1 month after which they can be extended for 1 month with payment of a fee, you are required to leave the country once this extension has expired but can re enter I month later.
Those who purchase property in Abu Dhabi will get a residency visa but no employment rights. If you are setting up your own business you can directly approach the Department of Naturalization and Residency www.dnrd.gov.ae (click for English translation)
If you are working with a set up company such as The Links Group, they will arrange for you.

Once you have received your residency visa in Abu Dhabi you can then proceed, with sponsoring your family members. Each member will have a residency stamp on their passport. You can leave the country for no longer than 6 months at a time otherwise your residency visa will lapse.

A medical examination is required to obtain residency - testing HIV status (anyone testing positive will be declined) also a chest x-ray to detect presence of TB. Those positive for TB will be declined, however they may seek treatment in this instance and successfully gain entry once their x-ray is clear.

A residency visa is valid for 2 years.

ID CARDS

Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) has introduced the need for ID cards for all UAE residents over the age of 15 years. It will eventually replace all other cards, its validity depends on the validity of your visa but the card does not need replacing when a visa is renewed.
Application forms can be printed from the EIDA website and brought along to an EIDA registration office. Alternatively visit any Emirates Post Office, purchase a pre printed envelop for 40 AED, fill the form and submit to the post office. Then await an appointment at the nearest EIDA service centre in which biometric and finger printing will be done. Your ID will follow 7-10 working days either collect from service centre or for an extra fee of 20 AED Empost will deliver to your home.

Fees

  • 100 AED per year of visa validity
  • 40 AED Purchasing of Emirates Post envelop
  • 20 AED Empost Delivery

 Emirates Identity Authority - www.emiratesid.ae

LABOUR CARD

A legal requisite to work in the UAE, this is obtained for you by your employer once your residency visa is in place. This is supposed to be carried in person all the time.

HEALTH CARD

This entitles one to subsidized health care at a government hospital; however one is strongly advised to have private health care in place also.  This card is available once your residency visa is in place.

DRIVING LICENCE

IIf you have not driven before or your licence is issued from a country not recognized by the RTA, then you will have to undergo training in one of the many motoring schools in operation across Abu Dhabi.

If you are in possession of a valid international licence then you simply go along to the RTA Licence section of an RTA Office and there are several located across the city.

You will need:

  • Passport with residency visa,
  • Your valid international licence
  • Passport photos x8
  • Eye test result - can be carried out at the RTA Office or in any reputable Opticians (In the larger shopping malls or smaller malls in the residential areas.)

Driving Licence - www.adpolice.gov.ae

BIRTH CERTIFICATES (Babies born in Abu Dhabi)

You will receive a notification of birth on discharge from the hospital, take this with both of your passports and attested marriage certificate to the Birth Certificate Office where they will issue you with a birth certificate, This will be written in Arabic so you will need to have this translated to English. Take this along to your own Embassy and apply for a passport for your infant. Once the passport is obtained, apply for a residency visa. Please note that an infant will not be able to leave the country until he/she has been issued with a valid passport.

  • Both parents passports
  • Attested marriage certificate
  • Birth notification from the hospital (translated to English)
  • Passport photos of your infant
  • Completed application form signed by both parents and witnessed by a notary public/ commissioner of Oaths, School Head.

Birth Certificates useful site - www.mov.gov.ae

ALCOHOL LICENCE (BOOZE LICENCE')

To buy, carry or have alcohol in your home in Abu Dhabi you need by law to be in possession of a valid alcohol licence. This is available from Abu Dhabi Police through licensed liquor merchants located throughout the city. Once again you need proof of residency, a letter from your employer, passport copy and yet another passport photo!

The legal age for alcohol consumption is 21 and this is strictly adhered to. In Abu Dhabi underage drinking is blamed on the parents and unfortunately they may suffer the consequences of their children's actions. Drinking and driving is not tolerated at all in Abu Dhabi and carries a severe penalty followed by deportation.