📍 Moving to Abu Dhabi? Here’s Our Insider Guide to Visa Options

Welcome! This is the blueprint to our move: two very different routes

When I [Amber] heard the news (no pun intended) that my transfer request was approved, I was ecstatic, to say the least! My mind was racing with idyllic daydreams of boozy brunches and soaking up the sun at luxurious beach clubs. And then reality set in… how would I logistically manage this? I had worked in Australia before, which had all ended in visa-driven tears. How would I navigate such issues on this new adventure?

Luckily, I quickly found out that work visas are a pretty standard part of expat employment in Abu Dhabi, and my company would take me through the process step by step. I’m sure it isn’t as simple for everyone, but this is how the process looked for me:

1. Pre-approval from immigration – handled by my employer.

2. Entry permit issued – allowing me to travel into the UAE for work purposes.

3. On-arrival documents – presented the entry permit to immigration.

4. Medical fitness test – a standard health screening (blood tests and chest X-ray).

5. Biometrics for Emirates ID – fingerprints and photo at an authorised centre.

6. Residency visa stamping – passport stamped and Emirates ID issued.

   
   

Please note – the above last step is vital: without an Emirates ID, you can’t open a bank account, sign a tenancy contract, or even get a local SIM card (you can get tourist SIM cards on a month-by-month basis).

Now I was mentally set again, scheduling beach days and visits to lush restaurants in my diary, but Sam’s path was different. Very different. He didn’t have a job waiting for him or a helpful employer to hand-hold him through the process. For him, it was like being dropped into the Wild Wild West. Visa info and pathways aren’t exactly straightforward to navigate, especially when Google, Reddit, Quora, and AI all seem to weigh in with completely different answers. Go on, type in a search – I dare you!

We knew he could enter on an automatic tourist visa from the UK. There would be no need to complete any forms, but how long would this last? We read 30 days, 60 days, 90 days – what was the actual answer?

Disclaimer: DO NOT DO THIS! We assumed it was 90 days, which reset every time you left the country. “Simple,” we thought. Stay for a few months, have a little holiday outside of Abu Dhabi, or travel back to the UK to see family and check on our properties (see here for our guide on UK property management services). But this was not the case – which we only found out months later!

The safest approach to take is: As a UK citizen, your visa lasts for 90 days within a 180-day period. During this 180-day period, you can leave and return as many times as you like, as long as you do not spend more than 90 days in total. For example: you can visit for 30 days, leave for a week, come back for 30 days, leave for a month, and come back for another 30 days – then your allowance will be spent. Once your 90 days are spent, you need to exit Abu Dhabi for 90 days before you can have another “90 days in 180 days” visa again.

Another option, once your 90 days are spent, is to apply for another visa, which can be for 30 days or 60 days at a fee of 700–900 AED. However, this is a single-entry visa, meaning once it is approved, you cannot leave and return. You can either stay for the visa’s duration or leave and invalidate the visa.

During our visa woes, we made some great contacts out of necessity for visa assistance, so get in touch and we can point you in the right direction.

Bear in mind: entering Abu Dhabi on a tourist visa for British passport holders doesn’t grant the legal right to work, access to healthcare, or the ability to secure long-term rental contracts and utility accounts.

You can check your visa status on Abu Dhabi’s official ICP website. Click here to check your visa status.

In Sam’s case, the tourist visa was a temporary bridge, buying time to plan the next step. If your goal is to make Abu Dhabi home, you’ll want to convert to a residency visa sooner rather than later.

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