United Arab Emirates' Dubai Access Club offers invited nomads a 5-year visa

A paid membership route to the five-year visa

Dubai now sells its five-year multiple-entry tourist visa through an invitation-only membership. Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed announced Dubai Access Club on Nov. 1 and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai and the Department of Economy and Tourism released the terms days later. Members can stay up to 90 days at a time within a one-year period and the membership lasts as long as the visa.

• Application fee: Dh4,032.50, covering membership, the visa application and benefits
• Applying from inside the UAE: an extra Dh650, for Dh4,682.50 in total
• Rejected visa: refund minus Dh183
• Benefits: up to Dh2,000 ($544) in credit at selected hotels, attractions and shops, a free du prepaid SIM and the GDRFA's ALSAADA card

Applicants need a personal photo, passport copy, six-month bank statement, proof of health insurance and a round-trip ticket. Processing typically takes up to 48 hours once payment is in.

Invitations come through airlines, hotels and employers

Nobody can apply cold. Invitations go out through loyalty programs and multinational companies tied to launch partners Emirates, Accor and Visa. Listed programs include Emirates Skywards, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honours, IHG One Rewards and Jumeirah One. Anyone can register interest on the Visit Dubai website, but that guarantees neither an invitation nor a visa.

Repeat-visit nomads gain perks, not work rights

• Frequent visitors with partner loyalty status: nomads who pass through Dubai often can register interest and, if invited, get the visa plus credits.
• Nomads without an invitation: GDRFA's standard five-year tourist visa is still open directly. It lists a total of AED 3,713, including an AED 3,000 guarantee, requires a $4,000 bank balance over six months and allows 90 days a year, extendable to 180.
• Remote workers planning to base themselves in Dubai: the club visa is a tourist visa. GDRFA's one-year virtual work residence permit is the route for people working remotely for organizations outside the UAE who earn at least $3,500 a month.

For nomads weighing the two tourist options, the club costs about Dh320 more than the standard visa's listed total but adds up to Dh2,000 in credit. Neither the club terms nor the reporting say whether the GDRFA guarantee or the 180-day extension applies to club visas, so applicants should confirm both before paying. Our UAE guide covers the other entry routes.