Residing in GCC, and planning a vacation abroad? Well, why not start with home?!
Image result for dubai
Last year, during Eid holidays in September, I decided to explore UAE- Dubai, to be specific. Being GCC resident it was not only easy to get visit visa for Dubai, but the destination also turned out to be highly engaging and quite reasonable, in financial terms. While I would focus on my tour and my destinations in the next blog, this one is dedicated to the visa process only- how to obtain visit visa for Dubai, from Bahrain.
The process is as simple as it can be- no need to go to the agents. The visa can be applied directly from the website of UAE Ministry of Interior.

Requirements for UAE E-Visa application (only GCC Residents)

  • Original Residence Permit, with at-least 3 months validity.
  • Passport with 6 months validity.
  • Photographs of the applicant.
  • Credit card to make online payment.
  • Note: the sponsor MUST travel with the applicant. 

E-Visa Application Process 



Following is the step by step guide for Dubai visit visa application:
  1. Go to eDNRD website, and click on GCC Individual, to start the visa application. 
  2. Login or register on the website, to continue with the visa process.
  3. Read the instructions carefully, and click on Accept to continue.
  4. Fill in your personal information carefully, and click next. It is important to note that 'Emirate' and 'Port of arrival' would determine the course of your journey- if you select Dubai and Dubai Airport, you would be allowed to enter UAE only via Dubai airport, and NOT from any other airport (for instance, not from Abu Dhabi airport). You can select from the 5 available options: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khema and Fujeirah.
    For the air travellers, the port of arrival would be Airport (if you are travelling by road, you might select any other port accordingly).
  5. Also, you are required to search for the profession from the list provided in the system. Just providing the occupation title might lead to rejection of the application.
  6. Provide information about your potential residence in Dubai, and also the current residence.
  7. Mark the services that you want to avail, and pay fees for them (you can avoid mobile service and health insurance, rest of the amount has to be paid for visa confirmation). Here you are also required to upload the essential documents. Once you have provided all the information, click on the review button, go through all of the details carefully, and submit the visa application. 

Here is the most important part- apply visa before 30 days of your departure, not before that. The visa is usually issued within a day or two, and as mentioned in the instruction, the applicant is required to travel within 30 days of the issuance. Submitting the application beforehand might cause you to either change the travelling dates, since the visa validity cannot be extended/ altered.
The visa is issued for 30 days, and can be extended till 60 days (the extension can be made once you have entered UAE).
Once you are done with the visa processing, start looking for the perfect plan according to your stay in the area. Dubai has a lot to offer, and different place can be visited, according to the season and occasion. In my upcoming blogs, I would be presenting highlights of my tour- how I managed to go around Dubai in 8 days. Hope you found this post hopeful; stay tuned for more updates.

PS: If you have any questions/ queries, please feel free to contact.