How to apply for a Canada visa from Dubai

• Eligibility
• What is a Canada visit visa?
• Canada visa requirements
• FAQs

Dubai’s popularity as a global trade and tourism destination makes it easy to apply for visit visas for countries across the world. Those looking to apply for a Canada visa from Dubai can do so through a fairly simple process with great chances of approval (provided they meet the Canada visa requirements). In today’s blog post, we tell you how to apply for a Canada visa from Dubai for tourism or business trips.

Note: Due to the coronavirus pandemic, visa applications may be delayed or cancelled as both the UAE and Canada have imposed travel restrictions. 

WHO CAN APPLY FOR A CANADA VISIT VISA FROM DUBAI?

Most visitors from Dubai, including residents, will need a valid visit visa to travel to Canada. The criteria for a visa to Canada from Dubai depends on your nationality. So even if you reside in Dubai, your nationality will determine your eligibility for a Canadian visa. Here is a list of nations that require a visa to enter Canada:

• Afghanistan
• Albania
• Algeria
• Angola
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Argentina
• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Bahrain
• Bangladesh
• Belarus
• Belize
• Benin
• Bhutan
• Bolivia
• Bosnia-Herzegovina
• Botswana
• Brazil 
• British subjects, subject to control
• Burkina Faso
• Burma
• Burundi
• Cambodia
• Cameroon
• Cape Verde
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• China
• Colombia
• Comoros
• Costa Rica
• Cuba
• Democratic Republic of Congo
• Djibouti
• Dominica
• Dominican Republic
• East Timor
• Ecuador
• Egypt
• El Salvador
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Fiji
• Gabon
• Gambia
• Georgia
• Ghana
• Grenada
• Guatemala
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• Guyana
• Haiti
• Honduras
• India
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Iraq
• Israel
• Ivory Coast
• Jamaica
• Jordan
• Kazakhstan
• Kenya
• Kiribati
• Korea, North
• Kosovo
• Kuwait
• Kyrgyzstan
• Laos
• Lebanon
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Libya
• Macao Special Administrative Region
• Macedonia
• Madagascar
• Malawi
• Malaysia
• Maldives Islands
• Mali
• Marshall Islands
• Mauritania
• Mauritius
• Micronesia, Fed. States
• Moldova
• Mongolia
• Montenegro
• Morocco
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Nauru
• Nepal
• Nicaragua
• Niger
• Nigeria
• Oman
• Pakistan
• Palau
• Palestinian Authority
• Panama
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Philippines
• Qatar
• Romania 
• Russia
• Rwanda
• Sao Tomé e Principe
• Saudi Arabia
• Senegal
• Serbia
• Seychelles
• Sierra Leone
• Somalia
• South Africa
• South Sudan
• Sri Lanka
• St. Kitts and Nevis
• St. Lucia
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• Sudan
• Surinam
• Swaziland
• Syria
• Taiwan
• Tajikistan
• Tanzania
• Thailand
• Togo
• Tonga
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Tunisia
• Turkey
• Turkmenistan
• Tuvalu
• Uganda
• Ukraine
• Uruguay
• Uzbekistan
• Vanuatu
• Venezuela
• Vietnam
• Yemen
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

So if you are a resident of any of these countries and are currently living in Dubai, you will have to apply for a Canada visa. 

WHAT IS THE CANADA VISIT OR TOURIST VISA?

This visa is for travellers who are planning a vacation and those who want to visit family and friends in Canada. If you to visit Canada for a business conference or meeting, you can apply for a business visa. Continue reading to know more about how to apply for a Canada visit visa from Dubai.

WHAT ARE THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR CANADIAN VISA?

Here are the documents you need to apply for a Canada visa from Dubai:

UAE RESIDENCE VISA

To start off, you need a valid UAE residence visa with a 3-month validity to be eligible for a visit visa to Canada from Dubai. 

ORIGINAL PASSPORT

Second, you need to submit your original passport to apply for Canada visa from Dubai, which should have a minimum validity of six months or at least for the period of your visit. It’s also important to check if your passport has at least two blank pages.

EMPLOYER NOC

Canada visa requirements from Dubai also include a No Objection Letter from your employer addressed to the Canadian Embassy. This should include important details like your salary, designation, joining date and the purpose of visit.

If you own a business in Dubai, you need to submit a copy of your trade licence, a self-introduction letter with details of your monthly income as well as passport details for partners and investors. 

INVITATION LETTER

The Canadian embassy can also ask for invitation letters from friends or relatives in Canada. The invitation letter is mandatory for a business visa. 

OTHER CANADA VISA REQUIREMENTS

• Three recent passport size photographs with white background
• Bank statement of last six months (authorised by the bank in case you are submitting a copy)
• Marriage certificate (in case you are married)

You can also attach details of your hotel bookings, which are not mandatory but beneficial. In any case, you will have to show the confirmed return ticket and hotel voucher at the airport during the visit to Canada.

It is also helpful that you create a cover letter clearly stating your personal and financial details, your purpose and duration of the visit, your travel itinerary and accommodation details and the assurance that you will return to Dubai once the duration of your visit ends. This letter will support the documents required for a Canadian visit visa from Dubai.

So once you have the required documents, you can visit the Canadian consulate in Dubai, located on the 19th floor of Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Sheikh Zayed Road. Like other embassies in the UAE, opening timings for Canada visa application centre Dubai might be changed due to CO-VID 19.

You can also avail the document collection service in Dubai. Of course, with the current coronavirus pandemic in the UAE, the consulate advises you to complete your Canada visa application online. You can also reach out to the Canadian consulate at this number: +971-4-404-8444.

Once your visa is processed, it will be stamped on your passport.

FAQs

WHAT IS THE COST OF CANADA VISIT VISA?

Multiple entry visit visa which is valid up to 5 years costs around AED 388. Please note that the visa fee is non-refundable, even if your Canada visa application is rejected. 

How long does it take to process the visa? 

It can up to 35 days for visa processing. The Canada visa application period largely depends on the timely submission of required documents and how well the applicant fulfils the eligibility criteria. 

Can I book tickets before obtaining the Canadian visa?

You can book your air tickets before or during the Canada visa application process.

This concludes our guide on applying for Canada visa from Dubai. This information will benefit those applying for tourist, transit or business visas. For immigration applications as well as other visa services, you can consult immigration services in Dubai.

And if plan to add the USA in your itinerary, we also have a guide on how to apply for US visa from Dubai.