Dubai Forums Dubai Expat Forums Dubai Expat Help Forum

[YabbaYabba]

Hi,

My family and I are moving to Dubai later this year, but would be grateful for some advice regarding school places.

I am a little confused regarding the rules on school places with reference to the need for a residence visa.

We have a property in Dubai, which will not be ready until the end of the year and so cannot get a residence visa until we take possession. We intend to rent until it is ready.

I will still be travelling to and from work in the UK until the end of the year, and so will not be looking for work in Dubai until January, and so I cannot get a residence visa that way.

Is there any way we can get a school place under these circumstances?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[arniegang]

The Bad News

Without a work visa or residence visa you cannot rent anything in dubai.

without these you or your children/family cannot stay more than 60 days.

You children will not be able to attend school

The good news

there is none i am affraid

[sharewadi]

Without a work visa or residence visa you cannot rent anything in dubai.

without these you or your children/family cannot stay more than 60 days.

What? Surely you can do short term lets at least? And I know people who've rented accommodation long term while only being on visit visas (how they did that I don't know - I'll ask next time I see them).

Before 60 days is up, leave and re-enter the country to get a new visit visa (assuming you have UK passports). Fly or drive.

Is there any way we can get a school place under these circumstances?

Phone the school you're interested in and explain. It makes sense that they wouldn't enrol students who aren't resident but at the same time, many people arrive here and their children are attending school while the father or mother is waiting for their own resident and work permit to be arranged - rest of family can't be sponsored until that happens.

[arniegang]

Unless its a hotel sponsored visa SW - then no you are not allowed to rent at all without a residency visa. Those that do are generally using the "sub let" system.

Things are all ok until someone get caught and as you know doing the "visa run" will catch up with you eventually.

Even the English school in the springs breaks the law by employing teachers on a visa run by sending them back end of term, then a long summer break and back again September.

To have a contract authorised by the gov and to connect services with DEWA requires production of the contract, passport and visa's.

[benwj]

1st
I don't think that they need to work here, and only want to know how to stay here 6 months on a visit visa.
Theoreticaly, it would be possible to spend 6 months here with 2-3 visa runs.
2nd
I havn't heard of anyone requiring a residence visa to enrol their children at school (I didn't). GABs might know the answer to this. Maybe some schools require it and others don't.
Regardless, You are leaving it a bit late to enrol at any of the decent schools, so will have to settle for a crap one for the first year.
3rd
Same with renting. As long as you have the cash, you should be able to find someone to rent to you (one cheque, 12 months).
4th
This is where it all comes crashing down. As Arnie has pointed out, you need a visa to open an electricity/water account.
This could be a problem. You can rent with this included, but be prepared to pay for it.

Disclaimer: some/all of the above may be illegal,
however they are commonplace.

[MaaaD]

i remember reading that they are working on a visa where by you can come to the UAE and work as a consultant/specialist and yet be legal. Since most of the time people are coming on visit visas which legally you are not allowed to work on (but this is often overlooked). I am nor sure what happened with that.

[sharewadi]

i remember reading that they are working on a visa where by you can come to the UAE and work as a consultant/specialist and yet be legal. Since most of the time people are coming on visit visas which legally you are not allowed to work on (but this is often overlooked). I am nor sure what happened with that.

You can set up as a consultant in the free zones. Is that what you're thinking of?

[MaaaD]

i remember reading that they are working on a visa where by you can come to the UAE and work as a consultant/specialist and yet be legal. Since most of the time people are coming on visit visas which legally you are not allowed to work on (but this is often overlooked). I am nor sure what happened with that.

You can set up as a consultant in the free zones. Is that what you're thinking of?

No, it was something from immigration proper. I will try to look it up.

[MaaaD]

Here we go:

Mission Visa: The newly added type of visa, it is issued for the purpose of temporary work in the country. It is issued for a maximum of 180 days with a combined fee of Dh1,800. It is issued for three months against a fee of Dh600 and can be renewed for another three months against a fee of Dh1,200.

It has been introduced to facilitate Labour Ministry's Temporary Work Permit. An applicant must obtain the permit from the Labour Ministry first to get the visa.

from: http://www.gulfnews.com/factfile/visas/index.html

[sharewadi]

It has been introduced to facilitate Labour Ministry's Temporary Work Permit. An applicant must obtain the permit from the Labour Ministry first to get the visa.

from: http://www.gulfnews.com/factfile/visas/index.html

Now what's the chances of this being another one of those circular deals - the Labour Ministry will ask to see your Mission Visa before they'll process your application for a Temporary Work Permit ?

[Rose91]

Also, is it true that children aren't even allowed to move to dubai unless they have a secured school possision?

[Rose91]

position*

[sharewadi]

position*

You know you can edit your posts ?

AFAIK children have to go to school but I don't know if proof of school registration is needed when applying for a residence visa. You'd probably enter the country on a visit visa initially anyway.

[Rose91]

whoa you CAN cool, thanks for that. Learn a new thing every day.