Cost of Dubai tourist visas rises, extension option withdrawn

The cost of tourist visas issued in Dubai have reportedly been increased with the option to extend them being withdrawn.

Travel industry executives have said that the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) has increased the cost of the single entry 30-day tourist visa from AED210 to AED250 from January 1, Dubai daily Gulf News reported, citing its sister publication XPRESS.

It added that the 10-day grace period and the option to extend it for a month have been removed and quoted travel agents and tour operators as saying they are now passing on the additional AED40 to visa applicants.

Kulwant Singh Lama of Lama Tours, which issues around 150,000 visas a year, was quoted as saying: “It is a small increase and the visa cost remains lower than in many Western countries where it can go up to AED600.

“The non-extension clause will ensure that people will no longer misuse tourist visas.”

The move is seen as a way to stop job seekers entering the UAE on a tourist visa and who extend the visa when they can't find a job within 30 days.

Last August, a new visa fee structure came into effect designed to encourage growth in the country's economy.

The new measures included the issuing of a new array of entry permits and visas, such as multiple entry permits for visit or work; the activation of study visas, and entry permits for medical care and attending conferences.

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