How to get a tourist visa for Filipinos Coming to Dubai and the UAE
1:18 AM
There are about a million Filipinos in the UAE at the moment, and many of them had arrived through tourist or visit visa initially until they found jobs and were eventually provided by their employers with resident visas.
Philippine passport holders are not in the list of nationalities who can be granted tourist visa on arrival to the UAE so their tourist visas are provided through sponsors. However, Filipinos who have residence visas from other GCC countries and who meet the guidelines can apply for a tourist visa directly from the Ministry of Interior. Check this link : Ministry of Interior
There are factors that determine what type of visa you would require that include the purpose, sponsor and duration:
- Tourist Visa - is for a duration of 30 days/90 days from the date of entry, depending upon the visa type. This requires sponsorship from a hotel/ tour operator/ travel agency
1. Documents of the individual for whom the tourist visa will be applied for (clear colored copy of passport and ID photo)
Filipinos in the UAE are spread across the different cities/ emirates of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Sharjah, Fujairah, Um Al Qwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Ajman
If you are a Filipino who wish to come to the UAE on visit or tourist visa, here are some quick notes.
If you are a Filipino who wish to come to the UAE on visit or tourist visa, here are some quick notes.
Filipinos need a sponsor, in general
Philippine passport holders are not in the list of nationalities who can be granted tourist visa on arrival to the UAE so their tourist visas are provided through sponsors. However, Filipinos who have residence visas from other GCC countries and who meet the guidelines can apply for a tourist visa directly from the Ministry of Interior. Check this link : Ministry of Interior
Other than a GCC resident, someone who has a UAE resident relative who meet the guidelines to be their sponsors may apply a visit visa for them.
Otherwise, most tourist visas are obtained through UAE tour operators/ travel agencies, hotels or other companies/ entities/ individuals subject to the guidelines.
Tourist , Visit or Transit Visa
There are factors that determine what type of visa you would require that include the purpose, sponsor and duration:
- Tourist Visa - is for a duration of 30 days/90 days from the date of entry, depending upon the visa type. This requires sponsorship from a hotel/ tour operator/ travel agency
- Visit Visa - duration is same as tourist visa, and this requires sponsorship from a UAE resident, company or hotel
- Transit Visa -duration is for 96 hours
HOW FILIPINOS NORMALLY APPLY FOR TOURIST VISAS VIA TRAVEL AGENCIES IN THE UAE
A relative or friend usually visits one of the travel agencies in the UAE that provides tourist visa sponsorships. Some get to know of the travel agencies by recommendation, by advertisements, among others.
The requirements by the travel agency would usually include the following:
1. Documents of the individual for whom the tourist visa will be applied for (clear colored copy of passport and ID photo)
2. Guarantee of person applying the tourist visa who will act as the guarantor (signed guarantee form specifically provided by the travel agency, including additional contact details of friends/ relatives, passport and visa copy of the guarantor)
3. If tourist visa holder will come from the Philippines -- documents required to secure an authenticated affidavit of support from the Philippine Consulate/ Embassy. This is from the relative of the person for whom the tourist visa is applied for supported by documents showing their relationship (signed and affidavit of support form, salary certificate or employment contract of the relative in the UAE, birth certificates of both tourist visa holder and the relative in the UAE signing the affidavit, NSO marriage contracts, where necessary).
4. Other documents as may required.
A tourist visa to be honoured, also requires a return flight ticket to and out of the UAE.
DURATION OF VISA PROCESSING:
One would have to ask the travel agency how long the visa processing would take. A visa for which no original print out is needed will take a shorter time to process, this visa is usually required if the visa holder is coming from a country other than the Philippines. Whereas, it is still safest that the Filipino tourist visa holder travelling via Philippine immigration still hold an original visa to avoid possible inconvenience during screening from Philippine Immigration.
The tourist visa on orange paper may take about one week to process with the travel agency (may take lesser days for some agencies), whereas as allowance of two weeks is to be provided for the Affidavit of Support to be received back from the Philippine Consulate/ Embassy.
AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT
The Affidavit of Support from the Philippine Consulate/ Embassy requires personal appearance by the person signing the affidavit, bringing with him/ her the requirements. He/ she will then wait for the authenticated document to be delivered to him/ her by the courier.
COSTS:
The tourist visa cost to a travel agency varies as to the duration, and to the price specific to the travel agency. At the moment, the average cost of a three months tourist visa is AED 1,100.
The return flight ticket would depend on the airline, season of purchasing the ticket, among others.
Meanwhile, an Affidavit of Support will cost AED 100 plus AED15 courier, not taking into consideration the cost of time to go the Philippine Consulate or Embassy during office hours.
The courier cost to send the visa and documents to the Philippines would start around AED80.
THE VISA:
Visas issued are bound by their duration and there's a note to the holder:
ENJOY YOUR VISA AND LEAVE BEFORE YOUR VISA EXPIRES SO WE CAN WELCOME YOU AGAIN.
Tourist or visit visas are to be used as per their purpose. Working while on tourist or visit visa carries a hefty amount of fine. Should one receives an offer to work, it's best to wait until the employment visa is received before he/ she starts reporting for work.
For job hunting guide while on tourist visa, read also:
The Filipino Guide on Job Hunting in the UAE
For list of of career websites, head to:
List of some job sites in the UAE
4. Other documents as may required.
A tourist visa to be honoured, also requires a return flight ticket to and out of the UAE.
DURATION OF VISA PROCESSING:
One would have to ask the travel agency how long the visa processing would take. A visa for which no original print out is needed will take a shorter time to process, this visa is usually required if the visa holder is coming from a country other than the Philippines. Whereas, it is still safest that the Filipino tourist visa holder travelling via Philippine immigration still hold an original visa to avoid possible inconvenience during screening from Philippine Immigration.
The tourist visa on orange paper may take about one week to process with the travel agency (may take lesser days for some agencies), whereas as allowance of two weeks is to be provided for the Affidavit of Support to be received back from the Philippine Consulate/ Embassy.
AFFIDAVIT OF SUPPORT
The Affidavit of Support from the Philippine Consulate/ Embassy requires personal appearance by the person signing the affidavit, bringing with him/ her the requirements. He/ she will then wait for the authenticated document to be delivered to him/ her by the courier.
COSTS:
The tourist visa cost to a travel agency varies as to the duration, and to the price specific to the travel agency. At the moment, the average cost of a three months tourist visa is AED 1,100.
The return flight ticket would depend on the airline, season of purchasing the ticket, among others.
Meanwhile, an Affidavit of Support will cost AED 100 plus AED15 courier, not taking into consideration the cost of time to go the Philippine Consulate or Embassy during office hours.
The courier cost to send the visa and documents to the Philippines would start around AED80.
THE VISA:
Visas issued are bound by their duration and there's a note to the holder:
ENJOY YOUR VISA AND LEAVE BEFORE YOUR VISA EXPIRES SO WE CAN WELCOME YOU AGAIN.
Tourist or visit visas are to be used as per their purpose. Working while on tourist or visit visa carries a hefty amount of fine. Should one receives an offer to work, it's best to wait until the employment visa is received before he/ she starts reporting for work.
For job hunting guide while on tourist visa, read also:
The Filipino Guide on Job Hunting in the UAE
For list of of career websites, head to:
List of some job sites in the UAE
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