UAE updates its entry and visit visa rules

The UAE has introduced four new specialist visas and revised conditions for many existing categories in the seventh amendments to its entry visa regulations.

These changes impact professionals, businesspeople, friends and family visiting, and even truck drivers, including 274,590 Nepalis employed there.

Here’s a detailed breakdown.

Four new categories

The UAE now offers special entry visas for professionals in:

• Artificial Intelligence: For tech specialists contributing to the UAE-based AI projects
• Entertainment: For artists, performers, and entertainment professionals entering the UAE.
• Event: For attendees of conferences, exhibitions, festivals, or seminars.
• Cruise Ship and Leisure Boat Visa: For travellers arriving via cruise ships, yachts, or leisure boats.

Applying in these categories requires a letter from a sponsoring or hosting entity in the respective field. With this, the country aims to attract global talent in specialised industries.

Besides, the revisions in the existing visit visa categories are as follows:

Friends and relatives visa

The UAE has clarified rules for sponsoring friends or relatives up to the third degree:

• First-degree relatives (parents, children, spouse) → Sponsor must earn AED 4,000/month
• Second and third-degree relatives (grandparents, cousins, etc.) → Sponsor must earn AED 8,000/month
• Friends → Sponsor must earn AED 15,000/month

Before these amendments, the UAE did not have standardised income requirements for sponsoring relatives or friends on visit visas. Sponsorship eligibility was generally determined by the sponsor’s employment status, legal residency, and the relationship to the visitor.

Truck driver visa

Truck drivers entering the UAE now need:

• A sponsor or host, such as a shipping or cargo company
• Fulfilled financial guarantee and prescribed fees
• Health insurance coverage

Business exploration visa

To enter the UAE for business purposes, applicants must prove financial solvency through one of the following methods:

• Establishing a company in the UAE
• Owning a share in an existing company outside the UAE
• Demonstrating proven professional practice in a field that indicates financial independence or business activity.

Duration and extensions for all visa types

The Seventh Amendment has brought clarity to UAE visa rules, standardising the duration of stay and extension conditions across all visa types. 

Before the Amendment, visa durations were often unclear or inconsistent. Extension rules were vague, confusing eligibility and required documents, while a 10-day grace period existed after visa expiration.

After the Amendment:

• Each visa now specifies a clear authorised duration of stay.
• Extension procedures are explicitly outlined, including eligibility and documentation.
• The 10-day grace period has been removed; overstays are penalised immediately.

Why does it matters for Nepal?

The UAE is the top job destination for Nepalis. 

In FY 2024/25, Nepal’s Ministry of Labour issued job permits to 839,266 Nepalis, including 505,957 re-entries and 333,309 new entries. Of these, 274,590 workers—comprising 201,148 new entries and 73,442 re-entries—received approval to work in the UAE.

The new categories, except for the cruise one, and standardisation of business exploration visas underscore a potential job and upscale market for the country’s skilled resources.