Husband's VISA

This post is for ADEC hopefuls with spouses and or dependents. However if you aren't an ADEC hopeful and want to read it please feel free.

You have your Residency VISA and Emirates ID now what? Well, if you have a family you must begin the process to sponsor them and get their VISA. Everyone has said different things about this process but ultimately you have to do a little research on your own.

Americans come to the UAE on a 30 day tourist VISA. What this means is every 30 days you have to "leave" the country and come back in until you have a Residency VISA or until you have been issued an Entry Permit which is the first step in getting a Residency VISA. This process is called a Border Run. In a sense you go over the border get your passport stamped for exiting, get it stamped for entering, pay some dirhams and you're good for another 30 days. Every country is different. I heard some countries have 90 day VISAs. If your country does that's great!

Anywho you will need to compile some paperwork to turn in for this process to be underway. We are still in the middle of the process so I'm going to update this blog with timestamps so you can get an idea of how fast or not fast things will move.

As soon as I got my Passport with Residency VISA and Emirates ID I uploaded Mike's information into the ERP system. I had to wait for that to be approved before I could apply for this Residency VISA on the ERP. I was having some issues with the ERP after he had been approved so I skipped applying for his Residency VISA on the system since we have to hand in paper copies of everything anyway. I went to hand in all of the necessary documents only to find out the Tenancy Contract given to me by ADEC was expired and I was going to have to wait until they renewed our tenancy contracts. I was told 10 days however it ended up being like 17-20 days. I had to go to ADEC to pick up my ID Card so while I was there I asked about housing contracts and they were ready. I was told we would be notified but we weren't. So my advice is to stay on top of everything. If you need something, keep asking. Also, I was able to skip applying for his Residency VISA online but our friends were not able to skip that step. Again, everything depends on who you talk to and what mood they are in when you talk to them.

Monday, September 25

Once I got the tenancy contract, I went downstairs to ADEC Customer Service - Counter 4 and turned all of the following documents into the VISA guy.

• My Passport Copy
• Mike's Passport Copy
• Copy of my Emirates ID - front and back
• Actual Emirates ID
• Authenticated Marriage License
• Translated Marriage License
• Copy of our ADDC (lights and water) bill
• Tenancy Contract
• 1 passport sized photo of Mike
• Salary Certificate (can be generated through ERP, we were given one by EMT Support)

I wrote my mobile number down and he said it would be ready in 2 days. 

Wednesday, September 27

The VISA guy called me and told me the Salary Certificate I gave him was old and he needed a new one with a more recent date. He also said I could come pick up my Emirates ID. I took him a new Salary Certificate once I left school.

Thursday, September 28

I got a text saying Mike's Entry Permit for his VISA was processed and ready to be picked up. The text was in Arabic. Thank God for Google Translate. I left work and went right to ADEC to pick up Mike's Entry Permit and all of my documents.

Here's what we must do now. Mike must exit the country and enter on that Entry Permit. He must apply for his Emirates ID, do a medical check which includes urine, blood work, and XRay. I'll have to apply for an insurance card for him and then go back to the VISA Guy with all of this paperwork+what is mentioned above and turn in Mike's Passport so he can have a Residency VISA stamped in his Passport.

Thursday, September 28

I applied for Mike's Emirates ID. It was 340AED which will not be reimbursed by ADEC.

Saturday, September 30
We went to Tasheel to activate Mike's Entry Permit. We were there right then they opened. We paid 600AED to change his status. We could've done a border run but we just decided on Tasheel because it took less time.

Sunday, October 1
Mike went to complete his Medical Screening. He went to the Capital Health Screening by the Sports Stadium. He got there at 6:50am and he said he was the 4th one in line. He did his health screening and fingerprints and he was done by 7:40am. His health screening included an XRay and Blood work. He also saw a nurse who asked him to pull up his shirt and show his skin. He said he'd recommend going early because when he got there people were there waiting outside in line and when he left they were already on number 40. Mike was number 4. He had to pay 250AED. I will turn in the receipt and invoice to the VISA guy and this will be reimbursed.

Wednesday, October 4
Mike picked up his Medical Screening Certificate.

Wednesday, October 4
I went to apply for Mike's Insurance Card. I had to take his Emirates ID Application, My Insurance Card, My Emirates ID, His Stamped Entry Permit. She made a copy of all of those documents and told me the card would be ready the next day but not to pick it up the next day because she would not be able to give it to me until ADEC paid the fee.

Monday, October 9
I went to go pick up Mike's Insurance Card. I also applied for his Residency VISA. I had to turn in the same documents that I turned in for his Entry Permit along with his actual passport. I also had to turn in another passport photo.

Sunday, October 15
I had to go back to ADEK and pick up Mike's passport because his Residency Permit had been stamped in his passport.

Saturday, October 21
Mike's Emirates ID was ready and we picked it up.

That's it. Mike is now a resident of Abu Dhabi. He can now get an Abu Dhabi License and we can now get Mobile Postpaid plans so we don't have to put money on our phones for data and minutes.