Real Estate

Some of the well known real estate brokers are listed below:

• Emirates Group: Tel: 07-2277999
• Modern Real Estate: Tel: 07-2335588
• Al Madina Real Estate: Tel: 07-2288839
• Al Wafa Real Estate: Tel: 07-2335443

Visas & Immigration

The information concerning visa requirements are listed below, however visa regulations and costs are subject to change and should always be checked either with your travel agent or the nearest UAE embassy before traveling.

Visit Visas

Citizens of the UK (with right of abode in the UK) will be granted a free of charge visit visa on arrival in the UAE. Thirty day visit visas can be acquired from Immigration at any UAE airport. Although the visa is good for 30 days, it entitles the holder to stay in the country for 60 days and may be renewed once for an additional period of 30 days for a Dh500 fee.

Citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) do not require a visa and GCC citizens are automatically entitled to a visit visa upon entry. Other visitors who wish to stay longer than 14 days in the UAE must obtain a visit visa in advance through a sponsor. The sponsor can be your travel agency, your hotel, the company or department with which you are doing business in the UAE, or an individual (e.g. a relative or friend resident in the U.A.E).

The visit visa can be picked up on arrival at the airport with a fee of Dh100 plus a Dh10 delivery charge for this service. In order to complete your application, your sponsor will require your date of arrival, flight details, and a photocopy of the first few pages of your passport, which should be valid for at least three months.

A hotel will only provide a visa if you are a guest at the hotel. For an individual to sponsor a visit visa, he or she must have an income of over Dh4000 per month and hold a valid residence visa. Your visit visa must be deposited at the airport immigration one hour before the arrival of your flight. Note that your airline may require evidence (e.g. a photocopy) before departure that a valid visa awaits you on arrival.

Tourist Visa

This special category of visit visa is available for individual tourists from East and West Europe who are not entitled to be issued with a visa on arrival, as well as visitors from Thailand, South Africa and China. The tourist visa, which must be sponsored by hotels and tour operators, entitles its holder to a 30-day stay and is non-renewable. The fee is Dh100, with an additional Dh10 for delivery.

Entry Service Permit

An entry service permit (sometimes referred to as a 14-day stay) is available to businessmen and tourists. The permit must be sponsored by a company or commercial establishment or a hotel licensed to operate within the UAE. The visa, which is non-renewable, is valid for 14 days from the date of issue and the duration of stay is 14 days from date of entry exclusive of arrival and departure days. There is a fee of Dh120 plus Dh10 delivery charge for obtaining an entry service permit. Allow at least two weeks for processing of the permit.

Multiple Entry Visa

This is an option for frequent business visitors to the UAE who have a relationship with a reputable company in the UAE. The visa is valid for six months from date of issue. In order to obtain a multi entry visa, the visitor must enter the UAE on a visit visa and then obtain the multi entry. The cost is Dh1000.

German citizens (both tourists and business visitors) may apply for one or two year multiple-entry visa through the UAE embassy in Germany. No sponsor is required. The maximum duration of stay should not exceed three months. The visa fee is Dh1500.

US citizens may apply through the UAE embassy in the US for one to ten year multiple-entry visa. Sponsor is required and the visa will be granted free of charge. The maximum duration of stay should not exceed six months per visit.

Documents

To obtain a visa from a UAE embassy, you will need the following:

Passport 2 photographs Duplicate application form Letter or fax from the sponsor in the UAE to the embassy concerned A letter from the applicant's company plus photocopy For more information please contact the immigration department at the following contacts:
Tel: 07 2273333
Or visit their website at: www.rak.ae

Phone & Internet Services

Etisalat has been the telecommunications service provider in the UAE since 1976. It has built up a modern telecom infrastructure and established itself as an innovative and reliable operator. Apart from equipping the nation with basic telecommunication services, Etisalat also offers a range of innovative and modern services that have served to position the UAE as one of the most advanced nations in terms of telecom services. Some of Etisalat's Phone & Internet Services are mentioned below:

Phone Services

• Fixed-line
• Calling Card
• Fixed Line SMS
• ISDN Line
• Prepaid Line
• Smart Payphone Cards

Internet Services

• Dial N' Surf
• Dial-up
• International Dial-In
• Prepaid Internet

For more information on the above services, please refer to Etisalat's website: www.etisalat.co.ae

Car Rental Information

Car hire companies in the UAE can be classified into two categories which directly relate to the security deposit left when renting a car.

Category 1 or credit card deposit rent a car companies require a valid credit card on collection of the car, which is either imprinted / photocopied or blocked / reserved for a given amount.

Category 2 or passport deposit rent a car companies require a passport that is left as a deposit and the passport holder must sign the car rental form. The majority of rent a car companies in the UAE are shifting to the credit card deposit security system, as it is the worldwide method of car renting.

Requirements

Most car rental companies require the driver to be over the age of 21 with more than one year driving experience. They also require a valid UAE, GCC, or International driver's license. Some companies also charge additional fees for drivers who are under the age of 25. Most car rental companies also require a passport and driver's license photocopy.

Drivers License

Requirements

• Two passport size colored pictures with white background
• Copy of residence visa
• Copy of passport
• Company letter confirming employment
• Fees starting from AED 250 for opening file
• Blood and eye test

Once the above requirements have been met, the candidate should undergo a 20-hour driving course before applying for the police test (this includes test for parallel parking, reverse parking and bridge). After the mentioned tests have been cleared, the candidate will go back to the driving school and take classes for driving in the city and accordingly appear for the final test.

The above data has been compiled by our office to provide a general overview of the facilities available in Ras Al Khaimah. Please note that we have not independently verified the service quality being provided by the shops / institutions stated above.