Dubai reveals plan to enable visa renewals online in minutes

Strategy is part of wider effort to support government's digital transformation and increase efficiency

The 'Salama' platform harnesses AI to speed up the visa-renewal process. Pawan Singh / The National

Dubai on Monday announced a new online system to enable residents to complete visa renewals in minutes, in support of a nationwide drive to boost government service efficiency.

The "Salama” platform – overseen by the emirate's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – automatically recognises user details once they are logged in, displays the status of dependents’ visas and even highlights the remaining days until expiration, authorities said. The programme harnesses artificial intelligence to speed up the visa renewal process, cutting down on waiting times and paperwork.

Users can choose the duration for renewal and have their requests processed immediately. The platform also offers services such as cancelling a dependent’s visa and addressing general inquiries related to visas and residency.

It features an integrated payment feature, removing the need for people to navigate multiple digital platforms or visit service centres. No further details on when the scheme will go live and how residents can access the platform were disclosed. People renewing visas are still required to undergo medical screening beforehand, but the Salama platform aims to reduce wait times for renewal when the examination has been conducted.

“We believe that digital transformation is not merely an upgrade of services, but a redefinition of user experience,” said Maj Gen Mohamed Ahmed Al Marri, director general of the GDRFA. “This enhances government performance and achieves our leadership’s vision of providing services that are easier and smoother.”

Col Khalid Al Falsi, assistant director general for digital services at the authority, said the scheme represented a step forward in the government's efforts to use advanced technology to make services more efficient.

“It relies on advanced algorithms to understand user needs and respond with precision and speed,” he said. “The platform offers a tailored experience that boosts operational efficiency and provides proactive services reflective of the future of smart government.”

In January this year, the department announced plans to introduce a single platform to manage residency procedures for government, semi-government and free zone entities.

Cutting the red tape

In June, the UAE expanded a government strategy to cut processing times for residency visas and work permits from up to 30 days to five. The scheme – first introduced in Dubai in April before being rolled out nationally – aims to allow companies to hire staff more quickly and easily.

The Work Bundle platform is part of a wider effort to address government bureaucracy. It aims to simplify the processes involved in securing residency and work permits.

“The initial launch of the Work Bundle platform witnessed a strong response from companies,” said Khalil Khoori, undersecretary for Human Resources Affairs at the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, at the time. He said the move would benefit more than 600,000 businesses employing more than seven million staff.

“Procedures that took 20 to 30 days can now be completed within five days through the new platform," he said. “The platform allows companies to submit requests and upload fewer documents. Before this service, multiple documents had to be submitted to different departments. Now, all necessary information is accessible through a single platform.”