Dubai travel guidelines for expats, tourists and citizens


From June 22, 2020 UAE residence visa holders who have been stranded outside the country will be allowed to return to the UAE

From June 23, people will be allowed to travel out of the UAE to destinations that have started to receive flights in accordance with protocols put in place by their governments.

• From July 7, Dubai expects to welcome international tourists.

General guidelines
• Citizens and residents are allowed to travel to any foreign destination, according to measures taken by countries regarding foreign arrivals.

• Travellers bear full responsibility for their actions and for checking the COVID-19 situation of the country they wish to visit, as well as self-monitoring any symptoms they may experience.

• All citizens and residents will have to undergo a PCR test (Polymerase chain reaction test, which is the COVID-19 test accepted by health authorities) upon arrival at Dubai airports.

• Tourists are given the option to show their PCR test results (valid for 96 hours) upon their arrival to Dubai or carry out a test at Dubai airports.
These are some basic responsibilities that any traveller needs to be aware of:

• Adhere to all official measures and requirements established by the Dubai Government and other countries before travelling and after returning to Dubai.

• Disclose any symptoms before travelling by filling in the form provided by airlines.

• Ensure you have international health insurance coverage before travelling.
• Residents and tourists will bear the costs of examination and treatment abroad, in the event they are infected with COVID-19.

• Take precautionary measures and self-monitor for any symptoms of COVID-19.

Guidelines for Dubai residents, returning from June 22
• No need Return approval. Verify your data through uaeentry.ica.gov.ae to check if you are eligible to enter UAE.

• PCR tests are taken at Dubai airports.

• 14-day quarantine imposed for all positive COVID-19 cases.

Procedures to follow
• Pre-book flights through official websites of airlines operating at Dubai airports.

• Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs organises the arrival of residents.

• Returning residents can fly on any of the airlines that have approved flights to Dubai airports.
• Residents sign a declaration stating their commitment to bear the costs of examination and treatment in the event of contracting COVID-19.

• Those arriving to Dubai must complete Health Declaration Form before leaving their destination to ensure that they are clear of any symptoms.

• All passengers arriving must register their details on the COVID-19 DXB app.
Travel procedures from country of departure
• No PCR test required before departure
• Fill out the Health Declaration Form before departure and sign the costs declaration

• Airlines have the right to deny travellers if they display any symptoms of COVID-19.

Procedures for leaving the airport
• Residents must stay home until their PCR test results come out.

• Obligation to abide by 14-day quarantine for positive COVID-19 cases.

• Home quarantine possible if the conditions of quarantine are met, according to official guidelines from the COVID-19 Command and Control Centre.

• Residents who test positive for COVID-19 and are homesharing or live in high-density housing, will be required to be isolated at a facility. Their employer should provide the quarantine facility in accordance with COVID-19 Command and Control Centre guidelines or choose a quarantine facility provided by the government in return for bearing the costs involved.

• Compliance with all precautionary measures applied in Dubai (wearing masks, maintaining two metre social distance and washing hands regularly).
Arrival procedures at Dubai Airport
• PCR test taken upon arrival at Dubai airports

• Ensure arrivals download COVID-19 DXB app

If returning resident tests positive for COVID-19
Strict compliance with the procedures set out for positive cases by the COVID-19 Command and Control Centre, including institutional quarantine, home quarantine or hospitalisation.

Guidelines for citizens and Dubai residents travelling abroad from June 23
• Citizens and residents allowed to travel to foreign destinations, according to Dubai airports’ official flight schedules and subject to airports being operational at these destinations.

• PCR tests at Dubai airports must be taken upon their return.

• 14-day quarantine imposed for all positive COVID-19 cases.

Procedures for Dubai’s citizens and residents travelling abroad
• Citizens and residents have freedom to travel to several countries on any of the airlines that have approved flights to and from Dubai airports.

• Adherence to the measures specified by the destination country upon arrival.

• Complete Health Declaration Form before departing to ensure travellers are clear of any symptoms.

• Register details to the COVID-19 DXB app.

Departure procedures
• Comply with the official procedures established by the destination country regarding testing and quarantine.

• Complete Health Declaration Form before departing to destination.

• Airlines have the right to deny travellers if they display any symptoms of COVID-19.

Procedure to follow at travel destination
• Comply with the official procedures established by the destination country regarding testing and quarantine.

Procedures to follow on returning to Dubai
• PCR test required, taken upon arrival at Dubai airports.

• Residents must stay home until their PCR test results come out.

• Passengers arriving are required to download COVID-19 DXB app.

• Obligation to abide by 14-day quarantine for positive COVID-19 cases.

• Home quarantine possible if the conditions of quarantine are met, according to official guidelines from the COVID-19 Command and Control Centre.

• Residents who test positive for COVID-19 and are home-sharing or live in high-density housing, will be required to be isolated at a facility. Their employer should provide the quarantine facility in accordance with COVID-19 Command and Control Centre guidelines or choose a quarantine facility provided by the government in return for bearing the costs involved.

• Compliance with all precautionary measures applied in Dubai (wearing masks, maintaining two metre social distance and washing hands regularly).

For those testing positive for COVID-19:
• Strict compliance with the procedures set out for positive cases by the COVID-19 Command and Control Centre, including institutional quarantine, home quarantine or hospitalisation.

Guidelines for tourists and visitors entering the country from July 7
• Tourists and visitors allowed to enter, according to Dubai airports’ official flight schedules and subject to airports being operational at their departure destinations.

• Show their PCR test results (valid for 96 hours) upon their arrival to Dubai or carry out a test at Dubai airports.

• 14-day quarantine imposed for all positive COVID-19

Requirements to travel to Dubai
• Fulfil entry visa requirements to visit the UAE.

• Ensure you have medical travel insurance before traveling, in the event you do not have international coverage. Sign a declaration to bear all costs of quarantine and treatment and complete the Health Declaration Form before departure to ensure the passenger has no COVID-19 symptoms.

• Tourists required to register all their details in the COVID-19 DXB app.

Procedures to follow from departure destination
Tourists must take a PCR test up to four days prior to their date of travel (maximum 96 hours)

• Take a PCR test before travelling, or if this hasn’t been done, a PCR test is carried out upon arrival at Dubai airports.

• Complete Health Declaration Form before departing.

• Airlines have the right to deny travellers if they display any symptoms of COVID-19.

Arrival at Dubai Airports
In the event the tourist is not carrying a valid PCR test result, a test will be carried out at Dubai Airports.

• All arrival passengers will have their temperature taken with thermal screening devices.

• Tourists who do not carry a valid PCR test result will take the test upon arrival.

• The PCR test can be repeated for tourists who had tested negative before departing but display COVID-19 symptoms.

Procedures to follow after leaving Dubai airports
• Tourists required to download the COVID-19 DXB app.

• 14-day quarantine imposed for all positive COVID-19 cases.

• Compliance with all precautionary measures applied in Dubai (wearing masks, maintaining 2 metre social distance and washing hands regularly).
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Marriage procedures in UAE

These are the general requirements for a marriage to take place:
• Approval of the bride

• In Dubai, at least one party to the marriage contract (husband, wife or wife’s guardian) should have a residence visa in the UAE. In other emirates, both bride and groom must be UAE residents.

• A positive pre-marital screening certificate for the couple issued from the concerned public healthcare facilities in the UAE

By making pre-marital screening mandatory, the UAE aims to arrest the spread of communicable diseases such as AIDS.

Marital screening test must be done through one of the medical centres of the:
• Ministry of Health and Prevention
• Department of Health - Abu Dhabi

• Dubai Health Authority.

Based on the medical screening certificate, application for marriage may be denied if one of the parties suffers from a:

• genetically inherited blood disease

• transferable disease.
Online request for marriage certificate
Even before the coronavirus-related restrictions were implemented, UAE courts allowed applicants to request for marriage certificates online.

Ministry of Justice
To register for a marriage contract: https://www.moj.gov.ae/en/services/services-categories/general/marriage-contracts.aspx
Contact: 800 333 333

Dubai Courts
To register for a marriage contract:https://www.dc.gov.ae/PublicServices/ServiceDetails.aspx?serviceid=1508&lang=en
Contact: 04 3347777

Abu Dhabi Judicial System
https://www.adjd.gov.ae/en/pages/servicepages/concluding-marriage-contracts-inside-adjd.aspx
Contact: 800 2353

Non-Muslim expats can conclude marriage formalities at:
• the embassy or consulate of their country in the UAE; Click here for the procedures at Indian Consulate.
• or at a temple, gurudwara or a church as per their religion.

Some countries require their citizens to file an application of intention to marry at their embassy or consulate in the UAE. You are advised to check with your embassy and proceed accordingly. The marriage must also be registered in the embassies of both partners in the UAE.

Documents required
• Original Emirates ID card of all signatories/parties of the contract – the couple, guardian and witnesses.

• The guardian needs to have a power of attorney, in the absence of the woman’s father.

• Original medical examination

• There may be additional requirements in special cases, which, should be confirmed through each court.

Before COVID-19
Both spouses would have to visit the court according to a scheduled appointment along with their official documents, the bride’s guardian and witnesses.
An authorised marriage cleric would conduct the marriage in the physical presence of all these people.

After COVID-19
All marriages were suspended during the first phase of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, but phase two saw marriages being conducted virtually after the Ministry of Justice and the Dubai Courts launched online services for the purpose.

The service allows couples to upload their documents on the Ministry of Justice website, or the Dubai Courts website, based on where they are getting married.
They can then choose an available date to schedule an online appointment with a cleric. Whereas the essentials for an Islamic marriage remain constant, the only change is the aspect of physical presence, which was replaced by a digital interface. During the virtual ceremony using a video conferencing facility, a cleric would identify the required witnesses in the marriage, execute the marriage contract between the parties through digital signature, following which he would confirm the marriage by issuing an attested certificate to this effect.
Islamic marriages are governed by the Sharia law. If both husband and wife are Muslims and residents in the UAE, Sharia/UAE law will most likely be applied to their divorce. The same is likely if the husband is a Muslim and the woman a non-Muslim.

Divorce
Islamic marriages are governed by the Sharia law. If both husband and wife are Muslims and residents in the UAE, Sharia/UAE law will most likely be applied to their divorce. The same is likely if the husband is a Muslim and the woman a non-Muslim.

Divorce laws for non-Muslim couples
Non-Muslim expatriate residents can file for divorce in their home country (domicile) or apply for divorce in the UAE.

If the parties wish to have the law of their home country applied, they may petition for this before the court. Article 1 of the Federal Law No 28 of 2005 for Personal Affairs states: “The provisions of this Law shall apply on citizens of the United Arab Emirates State unless non-Muslims among them have special provisions applicable to their community or confession. They shall equally apply to non-citizens unless one of them asks for the application of his law.”

This means that relevant parties may ask to apply their own laws to personal status matters.

It also provides: The law of the state of which the husband is a national at the time the marriage is contracted shall apply to the effects on personal status and the effects with regards to property resulting from contracting of the marriage.

Whenever the law of the parties' home country fails to cover an aspect of the divorce procedure, the courts hold discretion to apply the UAE law.

Documents required:
• File an application with the Family Guidance Department.

• Copy of marriage certificate.

• Copy of identity cards of both parties.

Even though a copy of the marriage certificate is required initially, it is important to keep the original for a later date, to submit to the court when required.

Family counselling before COVID-19
Before the pandemic, spouses seeking divorce had to physically attend a mandatory meeting with the staff of Family Guidance Department who would either succeed in amicably resolving the marital dispute or issue a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to both parties to proceed with the registration of their divorce case before the Personal Status Court.
No spouse is allowed to skip the mandatory mediation meeting before a case with the Personal Status Court is registered but this had to be suspended as part of the precautionary measures taken to combat a spread of COVID-19.

Family counselling after COVID-19
To adapt to the restrictions implemented by UAE authorities to ensure community health and wellbeing, a change was brought to make these counselling sessions possible.
Family Guidance Department staff started calling each spouse individually in order to achieve amicable settlements between couples to subsequently curb the number of divorces.
If the counselling team is unable to reach an amicable settlement, the process for issuing an NOC for the couple to proceed with the divorce case has also changed.
Earlier, such certificates were duly signed by the mediator with the court stamp, but now an electronic document can be downloaded from the court’s website to replace the No Objection Certificate (NOC) without the requirement of a wet ink signature or a court’s stamp.

Court proceedings online
The court proceedings, too, have moved online and the judge hears the case through video conferencing. The two parties receive the necessary links and details for the video conference via email, which is sent to the parties involved or their lawyers.

When do I need a divorce lawyer?
any divorce which involves custody and financial rights dispute or financial arrangements would need a lawyer.
In some divorce cases both parties accept to an amicable arrangement amicable, especially if they do not have kids. They do not want a complicated arrangement, and proceed with the divorce, without the need for a lawyer.

Execution of the divorce
The execution of a divorce and settlement agreement was the step which did not shift online as it mandated the physical attendance of the parties signing the agreement, as agreements may contain details that are private and confidential to families.
As of now, Dubai courts have started accepting people to come in to sign the agreements, after movement restrictions were lifted. 
Read more; Mutual consent divorce process in the UAE
GUIDANCE

Online appointment booking for Indian passport service centres in UAE

The Indian passport and visa service centres in the UAE, run by BLS International, have introduced an online appointment booking system through its website on Monday, June 15.

Appointments can now be booked at 10 BLS centres across the UAE apart from two of its premium lounges which already had the online booking facility.

Walk-in slots for workers
BLS centres would continue to offer some slots for walk-in customers using tokens to assist Indian workers who may not be able to book appointment online.
The consulate official said only those who need to renew their passport for urgent reasons must come for renewal.

The diplomat reiterated that Indian expats need not rush to renew their passports thinking they might be fined.

There are no fines for not renewing a passport. A passport can be renewed without any issues for up to three years. Once the three year period is over, consulate will require police verification from India.

How to book an online appointment
Online appointments can be booked through the home page of BLS International UAE https://www.blsindiavisa-uae.com/

Clicking on the blinking tab 'Book Your Appointment'.
Another tab on the home page lets applicants book appointments with the BLS premium lounges, which charge Dh225 more.

The new appointment booking system has added the premium lounges in Dubai and Abu Dhabi along with 10 BLS Centres in the drop down menu of the centres in the UAE.

In the case of newborn babies, passport number of either of the parents is mandatory.

Applicants can book only one slot per passport. This will require a separate appointment for more than one applicant from a family or company wishing to visit a centre together for passport services.

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How to set up your UAE business in any emirate in 15 minutes?

No need to worry about endless paper works.
Bashr services help anyone in the UAE set up a business online.

What is Bashr?
This platform is connected with federal and local government entities which provide commercial licence services. Each emirate has a Department of Economic Development and other respective local and federal entities involved for business licensing. 

What are the services offered through Bashr?
The following services are offered through the programme.

a. A Trade License
b. A membership number in the Chamber of Commerce of the respective emirate.
c. An Establishment Card number from Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship.
d. A membership number from Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.
e. A Quota for three work permits.
f. Renewal of commercial license for more than 1200 commercial activities. 

How do I start?
The process is completely online. Visit Bashr website: https://services.government.ae/business/#/

At the time of applying you need to have the following documents:
  • Valid Emirates ID
  • Valid UAE Pass Account.
  • UAE Pass digital signature (required only for LLC legal type)
It is also advisable to have the following documents on the ready:
Company information (required only for LLC legal type)
Investor details (required only for LLC legal type)
Partner's Emirates ID number and address (required only for LLC legal type) 
Trade Name
Once you enter these details, you will be informed of the total cost of the license.

You can pay using:
e-Dirham
Credit Card
After submitting the application and paying the fees, all Bashr documents will be issued electronically. Now you are ready to start your business operations.

Call us for your business set-up requirements:First Gate Business Service
Dubai, Qusais (Al Nahda-2) Near Zulekha Hospital: 
Tel. 009714-239 1302 
Mob: 00971-55 273 2295, 055-345 7829
Mail: visaprocess.ae@gmail.com

www.visaprocess.ae 

How to renew Dubai Driving License online?

Here is how you can renew your driving licence online with RTA
Do eye test from an RTA authorized Optical Centre. Result will be automatically updated in your RTA file. 


Now visit www.rta.ae and click on Driver and Car owner
Under Drivers licensing, select Renewing a driving licence

Eligibility
Individual customers, citizens and residents, are eligible to apply for this service.
Required documents
For all nationalities
For applicant younger than 21 years old
Original valid Emirates ID

For applicant older than 21 years old
Original valid Emirates ID
Eye test according to the required category.

Service fees
If the applicant is younger than 21-years-old
100 AED for renewing a driver license
+ 20 AED Knowledge and Innovation fees.

If the applicant is older than 21-years-old
300 AED for renewing a driver license
+ 20 AED Knowledge and Innovation fees.

Note: The fine for the delay in renewing the driving license for less than 10 years is 10 AED per month, with a maximum of 500 AED. In the case of its expiration for more than 10 years, the customer is only allowed to renew it after passing the road test.

Click apply now>>> you will reach below link page https://traffic.rta.ae/trfesrv/public_resources/public-access.do?switchLanguage=en

Click Vehicles & Drivers License Services
Verify your traffic file through a popup window



Click on I'm not a robot
Fill the details and make online payment
You can choose mode of receiving the license according to your convenience. 

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