Dubai: Got a job offer from the UAE? Once you’ve confirmed that the job offer is legitimate, you might want to start planning your move to the UAE. But how long do you have to come to the UAE to sort out your visa and work permit?
An Emirates 24|7 reader wrote in with his query: “I am in discussions with a UAE-based company, who are offering me a job. But once they issue an entry permit for me, how much time do I get to come to the UAE to apply for my Emirates ID and visa? I am asking because I also have some work trips planned and did not want the entry permit to expire.”
Emirates 24|7 raised the query with Sirajudeen Ummer, Manager of Galaxy Digital Business Services, who said: “Once the entry permit is issued, the applicant must enter the UAE within 60 days. Upon entry into the UAE, an additional 60 days will be available to complete the residency procedures. This applies to mainland as well as free zone companies.”
What is an entry permit?
An entry permit, also commonly referred to as an ‘entry visa’, is a temporary permit, which allows an individual to legally enter the UAE, in order to complete his or her residency and recruitment procedures.
Once you enter the UAE, you would then need to apply for your medical fitness test and Emirates ID biometric scan to complete your residency process, a process which can take anywhere between a couple of days to a week at most.
“Sometimes, it may take time to get an appointment for the biometric scan, but the whole process can be easily completed in a week in most cases,” Shafiq Muhammad, a public relations officer working in Dubai, said.
It is important to note, however, that as per the UAE Labour Law, the costs for visa and recruitment should be covered by the employer.