In today’s world, most of us are privilege enough to work remotely, acknowledging the risk of going out. Although the virus has forced us to stay indoors and operate from home as much as possible, this has also opened many doors to connect to people globally or work in an international organisation. Before the pre-pandemic era, we had to head out to the country where an organisation or a firm is based in. Now we don’t mandatorily do that as the companies allow us to work for them being safe.
If you are someone who has been offered a job by a global organisation and allowed to work remotely but are worried about not having a virtual work visa permit, the post is for you. Keep reading up.
Let’s assume you applied for a job in such an organisation based out of Dubai or any other emirates in the United Arab Emirates a few months ago, and it responded, stating that the organisation would love to welcome you as soon as you make it to the UAE. You were all prepared to board a flight and visit Dubai, but the sudden outbreak of the second wave of coronavirus barred you from travelling. In such a situation, your organisation permitted you to work remotely for the time being. Still, they also mentioned that you need a virtual work visa to continue working with your preferred organisation. Now, you are vague about the procedure to apply for a virtual work visa as the embassies are still not on their work track entirely.
Do not worry! You can still apply for a remote work visa as per the UAE administration guidelines announced on March 21, 2021. Follow the below process to go ahead with your virtual work visa application.
Remote Work Visa Application Process for Dubai
Before starting the application, ensure that you have a passport with a minimum of six month’s validity, health insurance with UAE coverage, proof of employment with a one-year contract validity, a minimum of AED 18,366 salary per month, last month’s payslip and three preceding month’s bank statements.
- Now, start the application process by visiting the Dubai Corporation of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM) website.
- Fill in your details such as full name, email address, mobile number and current country of residence, passport number, etc. by entering this address ‘https://www.visitdubai.com/en/business-in-dubai/travel-to-dubai/visas-and-entry/work-remotely-from-dubai‘
- Once the fields are filled, attach your documents and review it.
- Finally, pay a total fee of AED 2,244 (INR 45,490), including application fees, processing cost, medical and Emirate ID.
Remote Work Visa Application for UAE countries except for Dubai
- Apply through the Federal Authorities for Identity and Citizenship (ICA)
- First, log in to the ICA website ‘https://ica.gov.ae/en/‘
- Select ‘e-channel services’
- Then click on the ‘public services’
- Select ‘virtual work residency’ under the visa service. People inside the country issue residence
- Fill in the required information such as your full name, passport number and Emirates ID.
- Attach documents to complete the application process
- Review your application form and pay AED 1,054 (INR 21,365) fees, excluding the medical insurance and the processing fees.
Once the process from your end is done, wait for approval by the UAE authorities. However, submission of the fees doesn’t guarantee approval of a virtual work visa or application.
