dub

Hi there,

New to this forum and the UAE. Settling in nicely but have a query:

I have a friend who is a Turkish national and we were hoping that she would be able to come out and visit me for a holiday (I'm male) and stay at my flat but as she is not from one of the countries where you can just turn up she'd have to apply for a visa.

I'm told that as she is of the opposite sex that I will not be able to sponsor her and therefore the only way she would be able to come to the UAE is if she came on a tourist visa with a hotel sponsoring her!

Is that really the case?

She asked a UK travel agent who told her only top hotels offer this service and flights and hotels would cost 1300GBP over Easter and the process would take 6 weeks!

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

cheers

jvr20

could your company perhaps sponsor her for a 'business trip'?

dub

I'm afraid that's not an option.

benzonar

You'll have to marry her.

Inselaffen

I thought Visa's could be provided by Emirates Airline?

dub

Cheers - I'll look into that. I just spoke to a travel agent and his advice seems to be that I'll have to book and pay her a hotel and the hotel will sponsor her. I'm keen to avoid that charge.

Norm_uk

Am sure you can find a company (or hotel) that would arrange for the visa without you having to pay for actual hotel accomodation.

dub

now that would be ideal. any suggestions?

Miss Eck

Most hotels and serviced apartments offer this service. I can't remember the charges offhand but it does vary from hotel to hotel.

I didn't think that it would be a problem for you to sponsor her.

This site is pretty good ... it will give you all the info you need

http://guide.theemiratesnetwork.com/living/visa.php

AndyB123

Reading the above threads makes ask the following question, my son and his fiancee are planning to visit us around July in Dubai for about three weeks during Uni recess. Does he need visa to come here on holiday with his parents, also how does it work for his fiancee who is not obviously not yet a blood relative or whatever the phrase is.

Do I as a resident have to sponser them both in some way?. I will be working in Dubai and will also have a residents visa.

Thanks all for any advice and clarification on this sticky subject

Andy

Sam FTQ

If they are British, then no. Dub's friend is Turkish.

dub

Thanks for all your suggestions.

In the end have gone for a hotel sponsoring her. Just hope when the immigration authorities see my credit card as the guarantor (you need to put up a refundable 5,000AED) it doesn't raise any eyebrows.

As thr last poster said, its only because my friend is not one of the nationalities where you can just turn up at the airport and get your passport stamped that i have had to go through all these hoops. No probs for UK passport holders.

Inselaffen

he does need a visa. but he will get a 60day visit visa at the immigration desk at the airport upon arrival. Its just a stamp in the passport. no special process and no money to pay. Will be the same for his fiancee.

AndyB123

Hi guys,

Many thanks for the support and helpful info, it's put my mind at ease and just getting all the last bits and bobs sorted before we fly out Saturday to arrive early hours Sunday morning.

Will have a manic two days after that getting things for the house. The company have part furnished it in advance for us with a load of white goods including, cooker, washing machine, dish washer and so on. So should not be too much left to organise in the first few days.

Inselaffen

looks like a trip to Ikea then
good thing here is that they deliver and assemble it all for you