Apart from business, the UAE is an attractive place for tourism, leisure, shopping, education in local universities and working. Most Russian citizens come to the UAE to visit friends and relatives and to have talks with business partners. Many people who decided to visit the country would like to know whether Russian citizens require a visa to the UAE. There are different kinds of visas for Russian citizens depending on purpose and duration of visit, which will be detailed further below.
Types of UAE visas for Russian citizens: obtaining
Starting from 1.02.2017 Russian citizens can obtain UAE visas on arrival to the country. The visa (a stamp in passport which indicates date of arrival) is free of charge, and can be extended for 30 days after paying AED 650-850 (depending on emirate).
There is also a long-term UAE visa for Russian citizens for a period of 90 days. The visa which is applied online before flying to the UAE is issued in the form of a file with ID-number sent to e-mail address. The printed file shall be presented when entering the UAE. Single-entry visa to Dubai and other emirates costs Russian citizens USD 450, multi-entry – USD 700.
The best option for Russian citizens is UAE residence visa.
UAE residence visa for Russian citizens and its benefits
Residence visa permits long-term living in the UAE. It grants its owner many valuable benefits:
- full tax exemption;
- UAE residence permit for family members;
- unrestricted acquisition and renting of any real estate for accommodation or commercial activities;
- free entry to neighbouring countries;
- right to obtain residence visas for company employees;
- living in a country with stable political and economic systems, developed infrastructure, high living standards, low prices for energy resources, technical equipment, clothes, jewellery and other products;
- opening a bank account in the UAE that has one of the most reliable and secure financial institutions.
In September 2018, the UAE signed the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement (MCAA) for exchange of information about financial accounts. As a result, all local banks are obliged to automatically report information about accounts of non-residents to financial structures of their countries.
MCAA and the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) for automatic exchange of account information are based on Article 6 of the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, 1988, as amended by the 2010 Protocol.
According to the article, data exchange is determined by mutual agreement of parties (two or more). Russia joined the agreement on May 12, 2016. The key benefit of residence visa for Russian citizens is that the UAE no
longer exchanges tax information with Russia and other countries. For example, if a Russian citizen with UAE residency has a bank account in a Swiss bank, no information about the account will be shared, as presenting residence visa changes tax status.
The basic condition of residence visa is attending the country not less than once per 180 days if you are leaving the territory of the UAE. There are different ways to obtain a residence visa. To do that, you will need:
- to register a local company or a company in one of the free economic zones;
- to buy real property worth AED 1 million and higher;
- to enrol in a higher education establishment in the UAE;
- to obtain employment in one of the many companies. There are no requirements for employee nationality in the UAE;
- to obtain sponsor residence visa for family members through a certain procedure.
Experts from «Dynasty Business Adviser» will help you obtain a residence or long-term visa, validate documents or register a company.
