• The UAE is offering new types of visa, including options for long-stay tourists, jobseekers, accomplished professionals, star students and high-net-worth individuals. Wam
    The UAE is offering new types of visa, including options for long-stay tourists, jobseekers, accomplished professionals, star students and high-net-worth individuals. Wam
  • A 60-day visit visa for tourists is now standard instead of a 30-day one. Christopher Pike / Bloomberg
    A 60-day visit visa for tourists is now standard instead of a 30-day one. Christopher Pike / Bloomberg
  • The Job Exploration Entry Visa was created to attract young talent and skilled professionals. Photo: Dubai Airports
    The Job Exploration Entry Visa was created to attract young talent and skilled professionals. Photo: Dubai Airports
  • Holders of the Green Visa for Skilled Employees and Freelancers will be able to bring any first-degree relative to live with them. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
    Holders of the Green Visa for Skilled Employees and Freelancers will be able to bring any first-degree relative to live with them. Khushnum Bhandari / The National
  • A five-year multi-entry tourist visa has been introduced. This does not require a sponsor and allows the holder to stay in the country for up to 90 consecutive days, as long as they have $4,000 or its equivalent in their bank account. Christopher Pike / Bloomberg
    A five-year multi-entry tourist visa has been introduced. This does not require a sponsor and allows the holder to stay in the country for up to 90 consecutive days, as long as they have $4,000 or its equivalent in their bank account. Christopher Pike / Bloomberg
  • A Green Residence visa for an investor or partner in a company provides five-year residency. It replaces the previous residence permit, which was valid for two years. Photo: DMCC
    A Green Residence visa for an investor or partner in a company provides five-year residency. It replaces the previous residence permit, which was valid for two years. Photo: DMCC
  • The five-year Green Residence for Skilled Employees visa is to attract experienced professionals, freelancers, investors and entrepreneurs. AFP
    The five-year Green Residence for Skilled Employees visa is to attract experienced professionals, freelancers, investors and entrepreneurs. AFP
  • The 10-year Golden Residence Scheme visa is open to investors, entrepreneurs, scientists and certain other professionals; humanitarians, first responders, and outstanding students and recent graduates. Photo: National Geographic
    The 10-year Golden Residence Scheme visa is open to investors, entrepreneurs, scientists and certain other professionals; humanitarians, first responders, and outstanding students and recent graduates. Photo: National Geographic
  • The Golden Visa for Outstanding Students and Graduates is available to secondary school pupils and undergraduates of exceptional academic ability, as well as outstanding graduates of UAE universities and the best 100 universities worldwide. Pawan Singh / The National
    The Golden Visa for Outstanding Students and Graduates is available to secondary school pupils and undergraduates of exceptional academic ability, as well as outstanding graduates of UAE universities and the best 100 universities worldwide. Pawan Singh / The National

UAE jobs and visas: 60-day entry now standard for many visitors


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Related: Why jobseekers will benefit the most from UAE's new visa rules

The UAE will allow visitors and holidaymakers to enter and stay for 60 days as standard from September.

The decision to double the time tourists can stay is one of a series of visa changes approved by the Cabinet.

It will benefit people looking for longer breaks and those who are considering a permanent move.

While there are separate visas available for jobseekers — called a job exploration entry visa — a 60-day tourist visa would allow people an idea of what the lifestyle and job market have to offer.

“Major improvements include facilitating the entry requirements for all visa types, offering flexible visa durations that meet the needs of the visitors and the purpose of the visit,” the UAE Government Media Office said on Monday.

“In addition, all entry visas are available for single or multiple entry, can be renewed for similar periods and are valid for 60 days from their issuance date.”

All entry visas are available for single or multiple entry and can be renewed for similar periods and are valid for 60 days from their issuance date
UAE Government Media Office

Until now, a 30-day visit visa on arrival was standard for many nationalities including British, Americans and Australians.

After 30 days, there was a nine-day grace period before fines for overstaying were applied. This amounted to a costly Dh200 on the first day and Dh100 for each consecutive day.

In contrast, visitors from countries that do not have a visa-on-arrival arrangement with the UAE, such as India and Pakistan, must arrange a paid-for visa in advance through a travel agency.

Meanwhile, visitors from Schengen zone countries in Europe have different arrangements, with 90 days allowed in any 180-day period.

The announcement on Monday made no reference to any changes to these arrangements.

Tourism numbers have steadily grown since the coronavirus pandemic slump when aircraft worldwide were grounded and lockdowns became the norm.

Dubai International Airport, the busiest in the world for international traffic, recorded 29.1 million passengers through its terminals in 2021.

This was above the 28 million target the airport set but far below the 86.4 million passengers who used it in 2019.

Dubai airport chiefs predict close to 60 million travellers will use the airport this year as traffic and Dubai's tourism industry continue to recover.

Spring boomtime for Dubai tourism: in pictures

  • Dubai's post-pandemic boom has made it one of the most visited places in the world today. Further to that, the city has seen tens of thousands of new residents arrive to settle down. Reuters
    Dubai's post-pandemic boom has made it one of the most visited places in the world today. Further to that, the city has seen tens of thousands of new residents arrive to settle down. Reuters
  • Between late 2020 and spring 2022, the city's population grew by close to 100,000 people. Karim Sahib / AFP
    Between late 2020 and spring 2022, the city's population grew by close to 100,000 people. Karim Sahib / AFP
  • Lifestyle and a growing jobs market has attracted many residents to flashy communities such as Jumeirah Beach Residence. Reuters
    Lifestyle and a growing jobs market has attracted many residents to flashy communities such as Jumeirah Beach Residence. Reuters
  • Population growth is a major part of Dubai's 2040 Urban Plan, which seeks to boost the population to 5.8 million. Chris Whiteoak / The National
    Population growth is a major part of Dubai's 2040 Urban Plan, which seeks to boost the population to 5.8 million. Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • There are plans to physically expand Dubai, creating new beaches and parks for the larger population. The government wants 60 per cent of the city to be green parks and reserves. Photo: Dubai Media Office
    There are plans to physically expand Dubai, creating new beaches and parks for the larger population. The government wants 60 per cent of the city to be green parks and reserves. Photo: Dubai Media Office
  • The past two years have \seen a rush of foreign investors looking to buy new property in places such as Palm Jumeirah, where prices have risen significantly. AP Photo / Kamran Jebreili
    The past two years have \seen a rush of foreign investors looking to buy new property in places such as Palm Jumeirah, where prices have risen significantly. AP Photo / Kamran Jebreili
  • Landmarks such as Bluewaters Island and Ain Dubai, the world’s largest observation wheel, have put Dubai on the map as a global lifestyle destination. Reuters
    Landmarks such as Bluewaters Island and Ain Dubai, the world’s largest observation wheel, have put Dubai on the map as a global lifestyle destination. Reuters
Why are you, you?

Why are you, you?
From this question, a new beginning.
From this question, a new destiny.
For you are a world, and a meeting of worlds.
Our dream is to unite that which has been
separated by history.
To return the many to the one.
A great story unites us all,
beyond colour and creed and gender.
The lightning flash of art
And the music of the heart.
We reflect all cultures, all ways.
We are a twenty first century wonder.
Universal ideals, visions of art and truth.
Now is the turning point of cultures and hopes.
Come with questions, leave with visions.
We are the link between the past and the future.
Here, through art, new possibilities are born. And
new answers are given wings.

Why are you, you?
Because we are mirrors of each other.
Because together we create new worlds.
Together we are more powerful than we know.
We connect, we inspire, we multiply illuminations
with the unique light of art.

 Ben Okri,

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

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Updated: April 20, 2022, 9:02 AM