dundonald

Hi,

yes i know I will probably get another RTFM response from someone but WTF...I did search but honestly havent seen anything in the first couple of pages so either I repost something thats probably been asked a million times and hope some nice friendly person will give a reply or I keep searching for ever...

anyway ..

1. how long does it take to get a residency visa for Dubai.
2. Whats the basic process.
3. What do you need to be able to purchase a car ( apart from money that is !!).. How long to get the license , wil they accept UK license..

oh a nice simple one, need some banking advice , whats it liek over there, shodul i get salary paid into UK bank and just transfer out what I need each month, do I really need a local bank account..most of you resident expats must have been though all this so no doubt there's a wealth of info just waiting to be thown at me....I hope!!!

Roadking

Aaaah shit, I hate being the one that answers real questions. Anyhoo:

Visa depends on your PRO. You will arrive on a visit visa, PRO will take his time so you may have to extend which isn't an issue. Provide passport and 93.5 passport photos (have plenty is what I mean). PRO does all the running about...at a walk...then appointment for medical. Do that and blood tests and maybe X-ray and taraa; a visa.

Then, and only then, can you do anything else like bank account (contact Meow re offshore), driving licence (simple exchange) and the all important liquor licence.

Now piss off and let me be my usual unhelpful self!

have fun!

csdf

NBAD will let non-residents open a savings account (though you have to keep a fairly stiff sum in there to avoid penalties).

Millhouse

I'm impressed, especially given the fertile ground for punctuation corrections.

Millhouse

You can't buy a car without a visa or license.

Bahtatboy

Have been here 2 years and still surviving without a local bank a/c. Salary paid directly to my UK bank, when I need cash here I withdraw at an ATM using my debit card or go to a money exchange. Having said that, my company provides virtually everything (flat, utilities, car, fuel) so I only need cash for the essentials: booze, fags and floozies. Oh yeah, and food, forgot that.

dundonald

ok I will....happy now ..but thanks for all the usefull info guys...

Guernsey Donkey

An additional follow-on question

I am coming out in first week of January, and my employer is arranging for a month in serviced accommodation before I need to move in to a place of my own. Various bits of paper are currently being stamped at various offices so that is all in hand, but I realise I still have to have a medical etc so my visa won’t be ready for a while after I arrive. However, if I need a residency visa to open a bank account that has an associated cheque book (I think that you can only open an account with no chequebook without being a resident?), how can I rent a place without first having a visa, and so post dated cheques to hand over?

I think I can get around the requirement of having to have a visa to rent a place if my sponsor supplies a letter saying it is in the pipeline, but not sure about cheques. I have no intention of handing over cash, and I can’t see a cheque from my local HSBC going down very well, so what is the normal workaround?

Cheers

Millhouse

don't think you can get around this. Don't worry though. Medical takes about a week (or can be done in 2 hours if you pay a couple of hundred dirhams). Visa after medical only takes a couple of days or so.

get your sponsor to take the apartment in their name?

Guernsey Donkey

Magic - thanks Millhouse - I assumed most things would take a while to get done, but forgot that with a little extra incentive there are official workarounds.

So if I have my visa, is the turnaround time on setting up a bank account and getting a cheque book pretty quick? The reason that I ask about timings is that the wife is coming out mid Jan to "help" me select a place to live - but if it takes a week to get an account, and then the typical UK 7-10 working days to get a chequebook that I would need for deposit / rent, then probably best that she comes out a bit later.

If there is a local banking expert that I should be speaking to the let me know.

Cheers

Dubai GRO

1- I'm a PRO myself and can assure you that it won't take more than a Week.
2- You need original passport+stamped employment visa+5 photos+medical check-up.
3-apart from the money, you need bank account+residence visa+employer's NOC+orginal Insurance+one photo+UAE driving license (UK license are instantly swapped with a local license!... all thee best

Millhouse

I, rightly or wrongly, bank with HSBC. I opened the account the day after I got my visa and they printed me the cheque book while I was in there. Took about 2 hours all in. Always carry loads of copies of documents with you.

Meow

Quite a few banks will allow you to open a bank account that has a cheque book prior to having residency. Even easier is to open an account with the bank your employer uses with a letter from then confirming your visa is in progress.

You must have a local bank account for your salary and day to day expenses. Constantly transferring monies from one currency to another is just throwing money away


I can't be the only one laughing at Dubai GRO's comment assuring that a visa only takes a week to organise. In reality it can be done quicker, but usually takes a lot longer...

Victor Meldrew

Correct.
I arrived in Dubai September 2007. My visa was done by March 2008.

My work colleague - similar story.

It is something you should address with your potential employer - ask them what the typical turnaround time is within the company you will be working for.

haloola

I'm in Al Ain but anyway - my work arranged my health screen for the day after I started work, took 2 days for the results to come through and a week after that I had my visa. I didnt have to do anything apart from go to hospital, as is how it should be I believe.

Got my Visa on Thursday, bank account today (without my certificate of salary). Should have my cheque book in 3 days and cash card in 5 - both being sent in the post. Guess Al Ain is a bit behind Dubai