Title

UAE: Ministerial Decision No. 360 of 1997 Issuing the Implementing Regulations of Federal Law No. 6 of 1973 Regarding Entry and Residence of Foreigners

Date of adoption

Entry into force

Text versions

Source:

• Ministry of Interior, United Arab Emirates, accessed: 01 December 2014, http://moi.gov.ae/datafolder/images/icons/rolls-13.pdf

Abstract

1. Having a valid passport or travel document enabling him to enter the country and return to the country in which he resides or his country of origin.
2. Having approval from the competent authorities depending on his reason for entering the country.
3. Having a sponsor who resides in the country; the sponsor may be either a citizen or a resident.
4. Not being banned from entering the country.
5. Having never been deported unless he obtains special permission to re-enter in accordance with article 91.

The sponsor shall commit to verifying the veracity of the information submitted on the application, bringing the sponsored person into the country and returning him to his country when necessary, as well as any other commitments imposed by the General Administration of Nationality and Residence (Art. 14).

An entry permit for the purpose of work allows its holder to enter the country within two months of its issuance and remain in the country for a maximum period of thirty days from the date of entry (Art. 22).

Art. 23 sets out the procedure for obtaining an entry permit for the purpose of work for each category of employer. The fourth section of the same article lists the conditions that must be met by a foreigner in order to sponsor a domestic worker. These include but are not limited to having a monthly salary of at least 6000 Dirhams, and paying a fee the equivalent of one year’s salary where the minimum salary for a domestic worker is 400 Dirhams.

The following categories of foreigners may not sponsor or recruit a foreigner even if they meet the minimum salary requirement: Domestic workers and labourers (Art. 27).

An entry permit for the purpose of residence may be granted to a foreigner in any of the cases listed in this article (Art. 28).

An entry permit for the purpose of residence allows its holder to enter the country within two months of its issuance and remain in the country for a maximum period of thirty days from the date of entry (Art. 30).

In accordance with Art. 31, a foreigner may sponsor his wife if the following conditions are met:

• The sponsor shall have a valid residence permit for the purpose of work.
• He shall submit a certified copy of the marriage certificate
• He must have a minimum wage of 3000 Dirhams if his employer provides him with accommodation and 4000 Dirhams if the employer doesn’t.
• He shall submit a certificate of salary verification certified by the competent authority.
• The same conditions shall apply to foreign women who possess special qualifications and wish to sponsor their family members who are foreigners.
• The following categories are exempt from the salary condition when sponsoring their family members: teachers, imams, and bus drivers who transport students.

The foreigner may sponsor unmarried female children, as well as male children below the age of eighteen unless they are studying in one of the country’s higher education institutions.

A multiple entry visa may be granted to foreigners whose work requires them to visit the country repeatedly. The visa allows its holder to enter the country multiple times within a six-month period and remain for thirty days each time (Art. 32, 33).

Art. 41 lists the categories of private sector employees for whom a visit visa may be turned into a residence permit for the purpose of work. These include engineers, doctors, pharmacists, nurses, lab technicians, teachers, accountants, auditors, and others.

Art. 42 sets the procedure for turning a visit visa into a residence permit for the purpose of work.

Art. 43 lists categories of foreign residents of GCC countries who may enter the UAE for a visit without obtaining a visa or permit.