UAE VIP Residency Process vs Standard Processing

Suppose you decided you want to make the UAE the basis for your business, new or established. As part of this critical step, you’re also interested in acquiring residency in the UAE. As the UAE has looked to speed up its bureaucratic process, how can you opt for your residency’s fast-track process? Discover the VIP residency option that can move your results along faster.

A brief overview of UAE immigration law

While we go more into depth about the full residency process in the United Arab Emirates in a previous article, there are four main classes of visas that foreigners can opt for as they seek to establish permission to live in the Emirates. They are:

• Work Visa for those gaining employment from an Emirati private sector company or for the government.

• Investor Visa for those starting a business or buying a property under the qualifying parameters, like the Gold Card visa.

• Family Visa for those who are accompanying a family member on another visa type or a family member of an Emirati national.

• Student Visa for those pursuing education in the UAE.

Most visas have an average validity of two-three years, while there are longer-term options for qualified individuals with five or ten year periods. 

For most expatriates who come to live in the UAE through sponsorship from an employer, they have first to get their employer to request an entry permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) that is valid for two months from the day it gets issued. Once you enter the UAE, this is where the fast-track versus standard processing comes into play. Immigration consultants in the UAE can also facilitate many procedures for those looking to procure residency, even accompanying them to many of the appointments for obtaining the Emirates ID card and other pieces to formalise their paperwork. 

How can you get VIP processing of your UAE residency visa?

One of the Emirati residency process quirks is that part of the immigration paperwork report requires all applicants to pass a medical test for both their initial application and the renewal. In Dubai, the more you pay for this test, the more quickly you can get the results you need to move ahead and acquire the Emirates ID card you need for just about every part of your life in the country. 

Standard processing for all visa categories except female household domestic workers costs 270 AED, with the general turnaround time being five working days. The Medical Fitness Certificate declares that an applicant does not have any infectious diseases, and there are a plethora of medical centres across Dubai that offer this service. While there are 24-hour and 48-hour turnaround options, there are even faster ones appealing to those who are executives or applying for Golden Visas.

For 700 AED, you can get your results back in four hours, and if you strategically go to one of the medical centres near an Emirates ID hub, you can combine those processes more frequently. And, if you don’t want to travel around the city, the Tawajod service offers you the ability to get your test completed anywhere in the city through the Al Muhaisnah Medical Fitness Centre for 1,020 AED.

How can they do it so quickly? In 2020, the “Smart Salem” mini-clinic opened and uses AI technology to offer people the medical test services for their residency permits (with blood tests being a critical part of this procedure) in 30 minutes. A series of robots identify patients, determine which vein is best for blood withdrawals, offers them an option of sceneries and draws painless blood samples with the mere press of a button. The purpose of combining all these technological solutions is to reduce the steps to a compact customer journey seamlessly. With the visa stamping included, it’s an example of employing new technology for more seamless procedures. 

How do I contact UAE immigration?

The best way to obtain all the necessary details regarding immigration to the UAE is by using reputable consultants like our UAE Residency team at Europe Emirates Group. We will ensure you, and your entity prepares the necessary documentation for you, your employees and dependents while taking you to the best authorised typing centres that can formalise the rest of your paperwork. If you would like to get started on fast-tracking your application and medical exam, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today. 

Written by
Adrian Oton

CEO, Europe Emirates Group