Expert Info
on 29 Jun 2013
I am moving to Abu Dhabi with my family in August. My son is an infant, so I need to bring my husband and son with me when I arrive. My company told me since they are US citizens they can enter the country on a visitor visa.
The issue I am having is that I read on the UAE embassy website they will need a round trip ticket to get this visitor visa and my company is only giving us one way tickets. I called the embassy and the visa person said he couldn't be sure whether this would be a problem or not. Has anyone from the US gotten a visitor visa without a return ticket?
I suppose I can contact the airline and pay to convert their tickets to round trip, but how long can I extend those tickets out? More than 30 days?
I'm just concerned that my residency visa will take more than 30 days and then if we try to extend their visitor visa, we will need to purchase another return ticket to the US. Any advice on our situation would be appreciated. I read your visa page and did not find answers.
The issue I am having is that I read on the UAE embassy website they will need a round trip ticket to get this visitor visa and my company is only giving us one way tickets. I called the embassy and the visa person said he couldn't be sure whether this would be a problem or not. Has anyone from the US gotten a visitor visa without a return ticket?
I suppose I can contact the airline and pay to convert their tickets to round trip, but how long can I extend those tickets out? More than 30 days?
I'm just concerned that my residency visa will take more than 30 days and then if we try to extend their visitor visa, we will need to purchase another return ticket to the US. Any advice on our situation would be appreciated. I read your visa page and did not find answers.
If your husband and son are arriving in Abu Dhabi on a tourist visa they will need to have a return ticket as this acts proof that they are entering the country as visitors and that they have plans to leave the country after a certain period of time. If you plan on doing this, then it is best to get the most flexible ticket possible. Most airlines will allow you to change the date on the ticket for between 6 months to a year - but the exact time limit will depend on the airline itself.
Unfortunatley, family sponsorship is a long and frustrating process - so its hard to give you an accurate idea of how long the visa process will take.
For more information check out the Expat Arrivals page on Visas for Abu Dhabi.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
Shantalie