Traveling to the UAE: What You Need to Know About Tourism

Personal safety rules while vacationing in the UAE

The visa is obtained through a sponsor in the UAE. As a rule, the sponsor is a travel agency, or rather, the Arab partner of the travel agency where you purchase a package tour. The largest hotels in the UAE also have the right to be sponsors and issue visas, but to use this service, you must contact the hotel in advance. Some visitors can obtain visas with the help of relatives living in the UAE.

Important point!: Confirmation of visa receipt must be obtained before departing to the country. The visa to the UAE for Belarusians is opened by a sponsor in the Emirates. And you will receive an email stating that the visa has been issued. The letter needs to be printed out and taken with you on the plane. Upon arrival at the international airport of the United Arab Emirates, this letter together with the passport will need to be presented when passing through passport control. This visa procedure takes from one to five days (additional time should be taken into account in case of public holidays in the Republic of Belarus or the UAE). The sponsor provides an individual with an invitation to visit the country and thus is responsible for him during his stay in the UAE.

The procedure itself for obtaining:

1) Information about the applicant: (a copy of the passport with a photo and period of validity) is provided to the sponsor at least five days before the date of the planned visit.

2) The sponsor fills out an application in the name of the applicant and submits it to the immigration authority of the emirate in which he resides. As soon as the visa/entry permit is confirmed, it is sent to the Immigration Department of the airport where the applicant arrives.

3) The sponsor sends the applicant confirmation of visa receipt (usually by fax) and informs that he will be met at the airport.

Required documents:

- A copy of the applicant's passport (only officially completed pages) and the original passport.

- An application form obtained from the UAE embassy in the Republic of Belarus, filled out and signed by the applicant in accordance with the requirements of the Department of Immigration and Naturalization (a copy of the application form can be found on the embassy's website).

- One color and recently taken photograph

- A letter from the sponsor stating that he is responsible for the applicant during his stay in the UAE. (if possible).

Possible difficulties: a little About the difficulties of obtaining a visa to the UAE for Belarusians. The authorities of the Arab country are extremely reluctant to issue entry visas to young girls under the age of 30 who are traveling independently without the accompaniment of a man. If this is your case, then obtaining a visa through a travel agency greatly increases your chances of success.

You can find more detailed information regarding entry documents by following the links: http://www.uaeembassy.by/ and http://turisto.by/poleznoe/chavo/voprosi-o-visah/830-nuzhna-li-visa-v-oae

Features of tourism in the UAE:

The official language is Arabic, English is widely spoken. The currency is the UAE dirham. The time difference with Minsk is plus 1 hour. The phone code is 971.

Transportation: Air tickets to the UAE can be purchased at any time for scheduled flights of Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi. In addition, charter flights to Dubai from Minsk operate annually (usually for tours to the UAE).

Safety: There is practically no street crime in the UAE: you can walk safely at any time of the day without worrying about robbery or violence.

However, there are some bans and warnings for tourists:

- Drinking and smoking in public places is prohibited. In addition, it is forbidden to transport alcohol from emirate to emirate. Being on the street in a state of alcoholic intoxication can result in arrest and deportation from the country.

- Gambling is prohibited in the UAE.

- You cannot photograph or film Arab women, military installations, government buildings, and banks.

- Nude swimming and sunbathing are prohibited.

- Swimwear is allowed only on the beaches and around the hotel pool (but never in the restaurant or lobby of the hotel).

- Entering the water and swimming along the shores of the Persian Gulf should be done with caution, as the currents of the surrounding waters are completely unpredictable.

- The fine for smoking in public places, littering, or jaywalking is about $135.

- During the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, which lasts a month, it is not recommended to eat or drink on the streets of the country. This can be seen as disrespect for the laws and traditions of the country and may result in detention and a fine. During Ramadan, it is necessary to eat in restaurants, bars, or on the hotel premises.

- Men's clothing is not restricted in any way. However, women should adhere to the rule: "longer and more modest".

You can learn more about the specifics of tourism in the UAE by following the link http://www.holiday.by/countries/United_Arab_Emirates

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