scot-ish

Hi,

im just new here, and my partner this week has just moved to Fujairah, to Teach young children. so i thought i best join up.

currently i work offshore north sea, 7 weeks/ 7 weeks, and on my time of i hope to spend 4 or 5 of them weeks in fujairah with my partner.

anyways, 1st off, can i enter the country 4 times per year, on the brittish passport, which gives me 60 days on a visit visa? i cant seem to find anywhere that i cant do this more than once per 12 month period, so im assuming its ok??

secondly, at present, my partner is in a shared accomodation, with another teacher, so we are not sure weather, as its paid, i can visit/stay for this length of period, as we are not married, she still has to speak to the school head about this....

anyways, if its not possible for me to stay there, i will be looking to stay in a hotel/rent for 4 weeks at a time.

so far ive found the Fortune Residence, for AED 5200 for a 26 night period, which i believen equates to just shy of £900, which seems reasonable... can anyone give me feedback on this place? or somewhere else that might suit my situation better?

after her 2 year contract, if she decides to stay on, i will probably up sticks and move on out with her, but untill then, we are stuck in this situation.

sorry about the long winded post, i like to babble

Thanks in advance

Jamie

Blue Cat

yes you can enter as many times as you wish on your British passport but the visa is only valid for 1 month not 60 days, and it is 28 days not a calendar month.

I don't think we have any posters on Fujairah, I am sure you will enjoy it.

Co habitating is up to the school I would imagine and I think they will come back with a no.

scot-ish

hey,

thanks for the reply.

im thinking if the co habiting thing is a no(is this illegal if you are not married??) i will just stay in a nearby hotel for this 28day stay, and then after xmas, around february time, we will look to rent a property between us, and see if her employer will put an allowance towards this, instead of the shared accomodation they have her in just now. can you advise me, even a rough guide, on a price expected to pay for an appartment for the two of us to stay, all bills etc included???

thanks

Jamie

Patsy Stoned

if you come out for an extended visit, you can pay 500 dhs at immigration and get your visa renewed 1 time, you also get 10 days grace so you can actually do almost 2 1/2 months.... 30 days + 10 days grace + 30 days + 10 days grace,
A lot of the hotels will do a deal for an extended stay, I am sure this would be nicer than a flat share ( I don't understand why the school has her in shared accommodation..all the single teachers that I know have 1 bedroom apartments each) Enjoy your visit, I think that if she just asked her flatshare person if they minded you staying for a month or so will be fine...I wouldn't bring it up at the school...or just stay in a hotel.

scot-ish

hey,

thanks for the reply.

i think as things stand, with the flat share she is still waiting to meet her housemate, that will be this evening, or early tomorow morning. and we spoke about it, and thought it best for her to speak to her first, and see if the girl minded about this?? and just hope she doesnt. the appartment has a security guy at the door, and i dunno how this would work out with me staying there for a month while she is working during each day?? would it stand out for us in the same apparntment, not married, or would it not matter to him?

it would obviously be more beneficial for us, if i could stay with her for the month, that way i could save the extra £££ for other things, and untill we get married, which might be sooner than we thought, if she decides to stick out the job.

what is the likelyhood of some1 picking up that we are staying together for this month? and what would the consequences for this be? obviously i dont want to take a chance, if it will cause problems with her job/career?? and since its only for 4 weeks, i am not sure about it.

is there anywhere i could find hotels that would give me some sort of deal on a months stay? even the likes of a self catering appartment, if i could find one nearby to her appartment, which is just along from the Rotana hotel, i would stay there, but its priced at £2000 for 26 nights, which im sure isnt tyhe cheapest around??

thanks again

Jamie

Ethos83

Jamie,

I'm surprised more people haven't jumped in, but that's probably due to it being the weekend in the UAE.

Cohabitating outside marriage is legally a very serious offence anywhere in the UAE. If discovered, you will be arrested, in prison for months till the trial, found guilty, sentenced and then deported. Your partner will lose her job and also be imprisoned. And the flatmate will also be found guilty. You really should not put someone, especially someone you don't know, in a very awkward and dangerous corner.

Plenty of people cohabitate in Dubai and the general sense is that the authorities turn a blind eye as long as you're a westerner, but if their attention are drawn to you and your partner for whatever reason, they will not hesitate to arrest you and that's the end of your time in the UAE, not to mention a spell in jail. That's the risk many take in Dubai, but it's still a dangerous risk.

Fujairah Emirate is not Sharjah Emirate (very conservative), but it is decidedly not Dubai either. Fujairah is a quieter, more old fashioned quarter of the UAE with both a large population of locals and expatriate bachelor labourers primarily from Pakistan and India. It will not be easy being a single western woman living in Fujairah and your partner will stand out and receive much unwanted attention. Put it this way, it will be considerably easier for people in Fujairah to cue in on her unmarried status and grow suspicious at your long visits to her.

There's been a few incidents of witch hunts on the east coast - Dibba, Khor Fakkhan and Fujairah. One particularly sticks to mind - a female diving instructor at one of the padi diving schools was literally hunted down by a group of the typically low skilled, uneducated Muslim men and accused of sex outside of marriage with another diving instructor and last I heard she was sent to jail regardless of the lack of any evidence whatsoever.

Another point to consider - Fujairah is a backwater place and not particularly charming. You will grow bored out of your mind very quickly. You might find it better to get a place in Dubai and have your partner drive up on the weekends. Trust me, she'll be desperate to get out of Fujairah. It'll be easy to find a western flatshare in the Marina for 4000 aed a month.

zamboooka

Totally right... do that!

scot-ish

hey, thanks for the replies, although now im quite worried about her, she is a very attractive young blonde woman, so what youve said does worry me quite a bit.

ive looked into hotels, and as at the moment, i will only spend 4 or so weeks here every 3 months, its cheaper for me to rent a hotel for one month @7000 AED, than to get a flatshare @ 12000AED over that 3 month period.

i think weve decided not to risk the co habitant, for the same of a few thousand pounds every 3 months, as as said, its not worth the risk. now i have other things to worry about though.

thanks for the replies.

Jamie

Blue Cat

Jamie stop worrying, I am sure she will be fine are you on twitter by any chance? I have two friends who are living in Fujeirah they moved there a few months back and are loving it.

Blue Cat

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fujair...20993984592876

the guy who runs this page is based in Fujeirah, he will help you if he can, I think he works at a School as well

scot-ish

hey, thanks for the replies again.

i think the biggest thing for me was not researching properly, I've been to fujairah a few times, joined and left ships there 2 years ago, and stayed a week, and i had forgot about the co-habiting. so whilst we planned this move, i had it in my head, that on my time off, i could spend it living with her, but booking a hotel and what not, and realising i wont see so much of her as i first though, put a bit of a downer on yesterday.

she has met 3 other new teachers today, and seems much more upbeat, which inturns has the same effect on me

im on twitter, but i havent a clue how it works haha, ive "liked" the facebook group, and will deffo be asking for some hints/tips and stuff, so thanks very much for that

Jamie

Blue Cat

stick with twitter, follow me and I will follow you back and introduce you to the couple I know up there who might be able to advise about hotels etc.
@geordiearmani

scot-ish

ok thanks, i clicked follow on your thing, mines is "@jalochy"


ive booked a hotel this morning, so for the first 4 weeks, we will do it like that, as i like to have things arranged, it was quite expensive, but at least i know everything is in place for this trip

thanks again

Blue Cat

found you, and good luck, Iam sure it will be fine

scot-ish

right, im getting the hang of this twitter now, and thanks for the help, ive had a little chat with the guy i followed.

I have another question now though , as my missus will be teaching full time, and if she decides that after 1 year, she wants to stay on, i dont want to spend £10,000 a year on hotels, when we could get an apartment, so we would be looking to marry next summer, before her second year starts anyways, with her being full time working as a teacher, could she then sponsor me for a residency visa?? even though i wont be working in or around the country? but so on my 7 weeks from work, i can just fly straight out, and be with her my whole leave, without having to pay for an extended visa, and not being able to have a car and what not?

thanks

Jamie