The visa, which allows a three-month stay during each entry, can be extended for a further 90 days
When it comes to giving people the opportunity to create a better life, the UAE is no stranger, with its ease of visas, career and lifestyle options. One of the most appealing permits for tourists right now is the five-year multiple entry visa.
Be it for family, business or personal visits, the permit offers travellers a chance to enter the country for 90 days over the course of five years, without having to worry about the formalities of issuing a new visa every time.
The visa, which allows a three-month stay during each entry, can be extended for a further 90 days in one year. Reflecting the UAE’s hub of diversity, this permit is available for all nationalities.
Initially approved in 2021 by the UAE cabinet during a meeting chaired by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai,the visa was aimed at positioning the UAE as an ideal work and tourist destination.
Along with the multiple-entry permit, the cabinet had also approved a remote work visa at the time, allowing employees from all over the world to live and work in the UAE for one year.
These permits are not the only such kind of initiatives that invite people to excel and grow in the country, while becoming the backbone of its infrastructure.
Recently, the Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism announced the launch of ‘A Dubai Invite’, running from July 20 to October 31, 2026. Under the initiative, residents who successfully nominate family members or friends and verify their visit can access a range of rewards, from hotel stays and restaurant offers to experiences at some of the city’s attractions.
From fees to basic requirements all applicants must bare in mind, here is a complete guide to applying for the five-year multiple entry visa.
Basic requirements before applying
In order to avoid legal action or rejection, applicants must remember the following before applying for the permit.
- The applicant’s passport or other travel documents must be valid for at least six months and allow entry into the country and return to the country where the holder currently resides or from which the document was issued.
- The applicant must have a travel ticket to continue his/her journey or a ticket to leave the UAE.
- The applicant must have a valid health insurance in the UAE.
- The applicant must provide documentation showing a bank balance of $4,000 or equivalent in other currencies over the six months before the submission.
- The applicant must remain in the country continuously for no longer than 90 days; this period may be extended for a similar amount of time as long as the total number of days spent there in a year does not exceed 180.
- The applicant must provide a coloured passport-size photograph of themselves.
- For children under the age of 18, a family visa application can be submitted.
- In cases of certain nationalities, an ID card must also be provided along with the documents. This includes an Iraqi Population Card, the Iranian Censenamah, Pakistani ID card and Afghani ID card for the beneficiaries.
How to apply for 5-year multiple entry visa
There are multiple platforms through which visitors can apply for the visa, with digital channels like the ICP and GDRFA’s websites as well as in-person locations like customer happiness centres, typing and GDRFA’s centres.
Through all channels, it takes up to 48 hours for the visa to be issued. Here is how to apply:
Digital channels
- Log in to the smart services system through UAE Pass or username.
- Search for the 5-year permit application
- Fill in the application information
- Pay the service fee
Customer happiness/GDRFA/typing centres
- Visit the nearest customer happiness/GDRFA/typing centre
- Get the automated turn ticket and wait for your turn
- Submit the application with all information and documents
- Pay the service fee
Fees explained
The application fee may differ slightly based on where you are applying from.
If applying through the ICP’s website, customers will have to pay a fee of Dh3,775. Here is the breakdown:
- Request fees: Dh100
- Issue fees: Dh500
- Security deposits: Dh3,025
- E-services fees: Dh28
- ICP fees: Dh22
- Smart Services Fee: Dh100
If applying through the GDRFA’s website, customers will have to pay a fee of Dh3,713.5. Here is the breakdown:
- Application fee: Dh100
- Issuance fee: Dh500
- Guarantee amount: Dh3,000
- Warranty service fee: Dh21
- Fee for collection and return of the guarantee: Dh20
- Knowledge Dirham: Dh10
- Innovation Dirham: Dh10
- Service fee: Dh52.5
Important guidelines after your visa has been issued
To avoid any penalties or future rejections, it is important for visitors to follow certain guidelines after their visas have been issued.
- The visa holder must enter the UAE within 60 days from the date of issuance.
- The visa holder must not exceed the 90-day stay period within the year, with the year being calculated from the date of the first entry into the UAE and not the beginning of the calendar year or the visa issuance date.
- The five-year visa is a multiple-entry visa, which means multiple entries are allowed as long as the stay in the country does not exceed 90 days.
- The duration of stay can be extended for an equal period, provided that the total duration of stay does not exceed 180 days per year.
- If the stay within the country does not reach 90 days, the remaining days will not be carried over to the new year.
- The visa becomes invalid and the applicant will not receive a refund if the holder violates the specified duration of stay within the country.
- For those wanting to know how many days of the visa they have used up, the visa holder or a representative should request a travel report to show entry and exit traffic.
Why your application may be rejected
The application will be automatically rejected if the required data is not completed within 30 days from the return date, or if the application is returned three times due to missing information or incomplete documents.
The reason for rejecting the application is usually provided if the conditions are not met, but if the rejection reason is not mentioned, the authority reserves the right not to disclose the reason.
In case of a violation, the fines will be collected at the departure port, and the financial security amount will be forfeited.
How does refund of financial deposits work
Unlike most cases where application fees are non-refundable, the five-year multiple entry visa offers a refund to applicants in cases of cancellations, expiry or rejection.
If an application is rejected, the applicant will receive the refund of the issuance fees, health insurance fees and paid financial deposits.
Refunds for paid fees will be processed through the credit card that was used for payment within 180 days from the main application submission date. If the refund conditions are met, applicants may request a refund by cheque or bank transfer to banks located within the UAE.
If the main application submission date exceeds 180 days, the refund will be processed through a cheque or bank transfer to banks located within the UAE only, which will be available for up to five years from the refund entitlement date to begin the refund process.
It is important to note that financial deposits are directly executed in case rules related to entry and stay in the country are violated.
Source: khaleejtimes