Dubai residency permit/visa

[Corpulent Tosser]

Just an idea at the moment but Mrs Tosser and i are considering living in Dubai for a couple of years,it would be from the middle of next year if it happens at all.
It would mean her living there full time while I work on 28/28 rotation elsewhere, returning to Dubai for my time off.
Neither of us would be working in Dubai.

My understanding on residency requirements are
1 Get a job in Dubai and your employers gets you a permit. Not applicable in our case
2 Buy a property or business in Dubai. Again not applicable, we would rent property.
3 Be a dependent (spouse or child of a resident). Not applicable.

However
My daughter and son in law would be resident but only son in aw would have a work permit, could he sponsor us?

Is there any other route to a residency permit?

Ta
CT

[dxbtiger]

Creating a freezone company?

http://www.rakftz.com/en/section/company-set-up

[Corpulent Tosser]

We were not thinking about setting up a business but supposing I did and it did not actually do much/any business, would that attract unwanted attention do you think?

Am I correct in thinking a plain simple residency permit with no employment/business interest is not possible?

[dxbtiger]

Corpulent Tosser said:

We were not thinking about setting up a business but supposing I did and it did not actually do much/any business, would that attract unwanted attention do you think?

Am I correct in thinking a plain simple residency permit with no employment/business interest is not possible?

Don't think it would be a massive issue no.

Easier and cheaper in RAK, Fujeirah etc than Dubai I think.

Correct to second part, you need a sponsor. The freezone entity would be your sponsor.

You know anyone that has a business here?

[Corpulent Tosser]

Not anyone with a business, but son in law will be working in a managerial position in Dubai, not his business, he works for a multi-national.

[shirt]

what would your wife be doing? seems to me that only she would need a residency visa as you could just keep entering on a 30day tourist visa.

creating a company wouldn't cost a great deal, say £4-5k, certainly a lot less than UK taxes anyway.

[e21jason]

Renting in dubai, means paying by cheque up front, which menas a local bank account which generally needs a local job to open.

You can come and go on tourist visa indefinitely at the moment (I have since feb as my work is crap at these things) and pay your rent a year in advance.

Not get the son in law to employ the wife on nominal salary £100 a month, and get her a visa through his work (Visa cost a few quid depending on the work)

Edited by e21jason on Sunday 2nd September 22:40

[Mike Biddle]

Residence requires that you either;

Are employed by a Dubai company or government department.

Are sponsored by your spouse who is employed as above. Ladies can only sponsor their husbands if they are employed in certain proffesssional occupations such as doctor, engineer, teacher, there is a list.

Are in full time education at a UAE university

Are a partner with a UAE national in a UAE based business (LLC). This is an expensive way to do it as there is a big deposit to pay both for the LLC and for a visa, 120,000.00 Dirhams in Dubai rings a bell just for the visa.

Are the owner of, or partner in a free zone company. Jebel Ali free zone requires a capital deposit of min 500,000.00 Dirhams, free zones in other emirates require less, but wherever you go you will also have to rent an office in order to set up and keep the trade licence that allows you to have a residence visa.

In order to rent accomodation/have power and water supply, you must have a visa.

Ditto to own a car/have a bank account/driving licence, etc etc etc.

You might be able to get away with coming in and out on visit visas and renting a hotel apartment by the month, but it won't be easy.

The system is designed to prevent anybody from doing what you want to do.

[Corpulent Tosser]

Thanks Mike.

I hoped perhaps as neither of us intended working and were financially self sufficient there might be a way to live there, it appears it will not be easy.

If I purchase a house do you know if that would that would get us residency or do you need to have residency first before buying ? I don't think I want to go that route but it could be considered.

[dxbtiger]

The laws regarding residency with a property purchase are murky at best.

Used to come with one, then it was removed, now afaik they are considering a six month renewable option but the property has to be over 1 million aed in value.

[mcbook]

Actually I don't think it would be problematic at all.

Stay in a serviced apartment (a little more expensive but no rent contract, and hence visa, required). Enter the country on a tourist visa and simply drive to Oman and back every month (3 hour round trip) to renew.

I'm assuming you all have British passports.

[Hitch78]

But then you have to live in a serviced apartment which is a bit limiting if you want to be here for a couple of years.

Easiest route would be to find someone with an existing Free Zone company and nab one of their employment visas for a small annual payment. You can then sponsor your wife.

I know a couple of people who do this.

[Corpulent Tosser]

mcbook said:

Actually I don't think it would be problematic at all.

Stay in a serviced apartment (a little more expensive but no rent contract, and hence visa, required). Enter the country on a tourist visa and simply drive to Oman and back every month (3 hour round trip) to renew.

I'm assuming you all have British passports.

Yes wife and I have British passports and although I would leave to go back to work after 26/27 days each trip, there are complications regarding the wife going to Oman every 30 days, although my daughter did suggest that.

Biggest one being we would want to bring our dog with us so a residency visa would be required for my wife as we would need a house with garden of some kind.

It is looking like it will just not happen, although after my daughter/son-in-law get there his HR department might be able to assist, maybe as someone suggested he could employ my wife as a maid. Our main reason for wanting to live in Dubai for a couple of years is for my wife to be near our daughter to help with the grandkids (so the maid thing is only stretching the truth a little), the tax benefits are of course attractive but I would still be paying tax in my place of work, albeit far less than UK tax, but tax benefit is not the primary reason for the move.

Anyway none of it will happen until into next year, I was just trying to get an idea if it was possible.

Thanks for the replies.

[Corpulent Tosser]

Hitch78 said:

But then you have to live in a serviced apartment which is a bit limiting if you want to be here for a couple of years.

Easiest route would be to find someone with an existing Free Zone company and nab one of their employment visas for a small annual payment. You can then sponsor your wife.

I know a couple of people who do this.

That is interesting, possibly get my wife 'employed' and I could just come in on 30 day visas.

Thanks

[Hitch78]

No probs. Short story is that at least one of you needs a visa to live here and this is the only way I know of getting one without actually working.

Or she could get a job!

[Corpulent Tosser]

I have contacted RAKFTZ about the possibility of setting up a business entity in RAK, I answered some questions from them and am waiting on the reply telling me if my idea of me working out of UAE through a knowledge based consultancy company based in RAK would work and what the costs would be.

Alternatively.
I could get my son-in-law to employ my wife as a maid (she will be helping out with the grandkids anyway) not sure if she would be able to rent a house on that basis though.

Anyway lots to consider and I have in the space of a day gone from thinking it just can't be done to thinking maybe it can.

No rush as it is all at least 9 months away.

Edited by Corpulent Tosser on Monday 3rd September 14:38

[Hitch78]

No western maids unfortunately - they're not quite that stupid.

[Corpulent Tosser]

Hitch78 said:

No western maids unfortunately - they're not quite that stupid.

Ah, that would perhaps have been too easy, other options will have to be looked at.

[Hitch78]

A mate tried to get his Bulgarian girlfriend in as one a couple of years back.

[Corpulent Tosser]

Setting up a business entity could be the way in, will wait to hear from RAKFTZ.

Presumably a business registered in RAK with visa(s) would allow residency in any emirate and not just RAK.