How to Travel to Dubai from Cameroon to Work – Cameroon Dubai Visa Requirements & Procedures

After publishing an article about the renewal of Cameroon passport in UAE, i received WhatsApp messages from many Cameroonians; who wanted to know how to apply for Dubai visa from Cameroon and how much it will cost them to travel to Dubai from Cameroon.

For someone who intends to travel to Dubai from Cameroon, I share your concern. Too much information online can be confusing. In this blog post, I will filter the information and give you just the right information you need to travel to Dubai for greener pasture.

The procedures to travel to Dubai from Cameroon is simple and easy owing to the fact that the UAE Ministry of Interior has made it possible for the Dubai visa agents to apply for visa online. In addition to that UAE offers a very basic requirement for obtaining a visa especially the tourist visa.

Who can apply for a Dubai visa on your behalf?

• Airlines such as Emirates, FlyDubai, Etihad Airways and Air Arabia
• Five, four and three star hotels where you have booked a stay
• Licensed travel agents or tour operators with whom you have arranged a trip.
• Friends or relatives who are residing in the UAE
• Companies or organizations

Simply put, if you have a family member or near relative who is a UAE resident, they can apply for a visa on your behalf at any of the ticketing offices of the airlines (Emirates, FlyDubai, Etihad Airways and Air Arabia) in the UAE.

A licensed Cameroon2dubai travel agent can also apply for a visa on your behalf. Please be sure to check the authenticity of travel agents before sharing any details and documentation.

There are some agents that make it even more complex as they claim to be “Dubai visa agents in Cameroon” but what they offer you is half-baked services and charge you high on the least tourist visa.

Summarily, if you are a Cameroonian who wish to travel to Dubai, you can either ask a friend or relation resident in UAE, to apply for a visa on your behalf or hire a Dubai visa agent who will handle your travelling affairs i.e. they will apply for a visa on your behalf, book a temporal accommodation for you in UAE.

If you were invited to Dubai by a company or an organization, the organization or company would be responsible for applying for your visa i.e. if you were invited by an organisation or company to attend a conference or seminar in UAE/Dubai.

The friend, relation or travel agent who is going to apply for a visa on your behalf, will be expected to pay your visa fee (and you will be expected to reimburse them depending on your arrangement with the sponsor)

Somebody may likely wanna ask, why must somebody else apply for a Dubai/UAE visa on my behalf?.

The UAE ministry of interior just want to ensure that you don’t get stranded upon arrival in Dubai.

The relation, friend, agent or organization that applied for your Dubai/UAE visa is expected to accommodate you or provide you with a temporal accommodation (bed space).

The applicant (your sponsor) will also act as your surety as he or she will be penalized if you don’t return to Cameroon after the validity period of your visa.

If you default your visa, the applicant (your sponsor) will no longer be allowed to apply for a visa for any Cameroonian who intend to travel to Dubai and your sponsor will be expected to pay your overstay fines; which will be calculated as Aed 125 for first day and then Aed 25 each day. WhatsApp me if you need more information on this.

Mindful of the above consequences, most residents of Dubai (especially the travel agents) will often carry out due diligence before choosing who to apply for and won’t apply for a visa for those who wish to apply for a short term visa i.e. visa’s with 14 to 30 days validity period as there’s a high probability of them overstaying their visit and putting them in trouble (unless they are very familiar with the person).

Types of Dubai/UAE Visa which Cameroonians who wish to travel to UAE/Dubai can apply for.

There are 3 types of Dubai visa which your travel agent or relation in Dubai can apply for, which include;

• Tourist Visa (for people travelling to Dubai for sight seeing)
• Work Visa   (for people who have gained employment in one of the companies in Dubai and wish to travel to Dubai to work)
• Stop Over/Transit Visa ( This visa type is for people who are just passing through Dubai to get to another country. If you will spend two days in Dubai before taking another flight to your final destination, you will need a stop over/transit visa that will permit you to stay in Dubai temporally before booking a flight to your final destination/country).

Validity period of Dubai Visa for Cameroonians

If you wish to travel to Dubai from Cameroon, its very important that you determine the type of visa and validity period of the visa you are interested in…clearly inform your travel agent about the visa type and validity period.

If you specify what you want, most unscrupulous Dubai travel agents will get you a short stay visa and charge you extremely high visa fee. You will only get to Dubai to find out that  your agent applied for a 30 days tourist visa even though you paid for more than a million frs CFA for his/her service.

The validity period of a Dubai tourist visa determine how long (the duration) you will stay in the UAE/Dubai, after which you will be expected to return back to your country or pay hectic fines for over stay.

The good news is, its also possible to extend the validity period of your visa when its about to expire.

However you are expected to renew your Dubai visa 3 days before its validity period to avoid paying fine.

Like i mentioned earlier if you overstay your visit, you or your agent will be expected to pay over fines; which will be calculated as Aed 125 for first day and then Aed 25 each extra day.

Below are validity period of Dubai Tourist visa….

• 48-hour (2 days) tourist visa valid for 48 hours; this type of tourist via is non-extendable i.e. you are expected to return to Cameroon within 48 hours.
• 96-hour (4 days) tourist visa valid for 4 days i.e. this type of tourist via is non-extendable i.e. you are expected to return to Cameroon within 4 business days and can’t be extended.
• Tourist – short term  visa (valid 30 days from arrival date) – You can extend the duration of a short term tourist visa.
• Tourist – long term visa (valid 90 for days which begins from arrival date)

For Cameroonians travelling to Dubai with a work visa, their duration of stay in UAE/Dubai will be determined by their contract with their company or employee. If their contract with their company or employer is terminated, they will be expected to return back to Cameroon or apply for visa change (switch from working visa to a 1 month or 3 month tourist visa) which will give them extra time to stay in Dubai/UAE and search for a new job within the validity period of their tourist visa.

The validity period begins from the day you step foot in Dubai (from arrival date) i.e. if you entered Dubai/UAE with a 30 days (1 month) tourist visa on the 1st of April, you will be expected to return back to Cameroon before the 1st of May or you can apply for the extension of your tourist visa.

Summarily, a Dubai/UAE visa is a document which gives you permission to visit Dubai and stay in the city/country for a specific period of time for a particular purpose.

What type of visa do you need?

The visa you need depends on the purpose of your visit. It could be for:

***Tourism
*** Visit ( to visit a close friend or relation)
*** Transit
***Work.

Best Dubai Visa for Cameroonians who intend to travel to Dubai/UAE to search for jobs.

Most Cameroonians who intend to travel to Dubai, UAE to look for jobs, often apply for a tourist visa with a hope to get a job within the validity period of their  tourist visa and apply for visa change (from Tourist visa to work visa) which will permit them to stay and work in Dubai.

If you intend to travel to Dubai/UAE to work, then its good to apply for the long term tourist visa type with a 3 months (90 days) validity period. This is because within the 90 days duration, you must have gotten a job in Dubai and apply for visa change.

Except you intend to buy a job in Dubai, a 30 days tourist visa is too short i.e. you may not get a job in Dubai within 30 days and you will be expected to spend a whooping sum of US$230 to extend your visa or return back to Cameroon.

Go for the 3 months tourist visa with a 90 days validity period which will give you enough time to search for a decent job in Dubai….and if you can’t find a job within 90 days (God forbid!), you can pay the sum of US$230 to extend the visa for  an extra 30 days and keep searching for a job.

Note: If you wish to extend your tourist visa, make sure you do so 3 days before your visa expires to avoid paying overstay fine.

Only Cameroonians who have already gotten a job in Dubai from Cameroon, can directly get a working visa…and its the company which responsible for applying for a visa on their behalf.

NOTE: its illegal to work on a visit or tourist visa in UAE.

Visitors and tourists should be aware that it is illegal to work in the UAE (with or without pay) while being on a visit or tourist visa. According to the UAE’s labour and residency laws, a person cannot work if he has not been issued a work permit and an employment visa. Violators may be liable to fines and deportation.

How much does it cost to get a Dubai Visa from Cameroon and the flight fee.

One of the questions i get asked on a weekly basis,  is, how much will it cost me to travel to Dubai from Cameroon???

The amount it will cost you to travel to Dubai will depend on factors such as;

• Type of Visa you intend to Apply for
• Validity period of the Visa type
• Current flight fee from Cameroon to Dubai
• Bed space fee (for those of you who don’t know, bed space is a temporal accommodation that Dubai visa agents often arrange for their clients)
• Service fee charged by your travel agent.

Below are the various Visa fee for the various tourist visa

• 48-hour (2 days) Tourist visa valid for 48 hours; The visa fee Cameroonians are expected to pay for a 2 days Dubai visa is just $10 (6000frs CFA)
• 96-hour (4 days)  Tourist Visa; The visa fee Cameroonians are expected to pay for a 4 days Dubai tourist visa is just $30 (17,000 frs CFA).
• Tourist – short term  visa (valid 30 days from arrival date) -The visa fee Cameroonians are expected to pay for a 1 month Dubai tourist visa is just $90 (51,000 frs CFA).
• Tourist – long term visa (valid 90 for days which begins from arrival date) – The visa fee Cameroonians are expected to pay for a 3 month Dubai tourist visa is just $175 (98,000 frs CFA).

Visa fees must be paid upon application (before visa application is submitted)

Like i mentioned earlier, the applicant residing in UAE (your sponsor), is expected to pay the visa fee on your behalf (depending on your arrangement with the agent or sponsor, you will be required to reimburse the agent or relation).

Required documents for Cameroonians applying for a Dubai Tourist Visa

• Passports with at least six months validity prior to you date of travel to Dubai. Passports must also be machine readable – handwritten passports will not be accepted.
• 4 colored passport size photographs (4×4 size photo taken on white background)
• Confirmed airline booking
• Application form or additional documents depending on visa type
• Negative COVID-19 test result (attestation) – without a COVID-19 certificate, you may need to take a COVID‑19 PCR test on arrival. If you take a test at the airport, you must remain in your hotel or residence until you receive the test result. If the test result is positive, you will be required to undergo isolation and follow the Dubai Health Authority guidelines.

Required documents for Cameroonians who intend to travel to Dubai/UAE with a working visa

Anyone is eligible to come and work in the UAE, provided they have a valid work visa.

Your employer will need to apply for your work visa. The duration and validity of this are subject to the terms of your employment contract.

You will require a passport valid for at least six months at the time of entry, recent colour photographs with a white background and other documents – please check the link below.

If you are already in the UAE, you can apply for a change of status or can exit the country and return.

For more information, contact your employer.

THE UAE EMPLOYMENT VISA PROCESS FOR CAMEROONIANS

Once you have found work in Dubai and accepted a job, your employer is responsible for sending the initial documentation to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) to start the UAE employment visa process.

The law also requires your employer to support your application with all documentation associated with the visa.

In total, the first phases of the UAE employment visa process take two to three weeks. The MoHRE sends you a two-month work permit, which allows you to enter the country.

HOW TO APPLY FOR A DUBAI VISA FROM CAMEROON? AND VISA TYPES

Like i mentioned earlier, you can’t apply for Dubai visa from Cameroon by yourself i.e. somebody (a resident of UAE) will need to apply for a visa on your behalf.

Who can apply for a Dubai visa on your behalf?

• Airlines such as Emirates, FlyDubai, Etihad Airways and Air Arabia
• Five, four and three star hotels where you have booked a stay
• Licensed travel agents or tour operators with whom you have arranged a trip.
• Friends or relatives who are residing in the UAE (who can act as your sponsor)
• Companies or organization.

Simply put, if you have a family member or near relative who is a UAE resident, he or she can act as your sponsor and apply for a Dubai visa on your behalf at any of the ticketing offices of the airlines (Emirates, FlyDubai, Etihad Airways and Air Arabia) in the UAE.  The airlines also have an online platform where your sponsor can apply for a Tourist visa from the comfort of their home hence the procedure is stress free.

A licensed Cameroon2dubai travel agent can also apply for a Dubai tourist visa on your behalf. Please be sure to check the authenticity of the travel agents before sharing any details and documentation.

There are some agents that make it even more complex as they claim to be “Dubai visa agents in Cameroon” but what they offer you is half-baked services and charge you high on the least tourist visa.

However,  with a genuine travel agent, the process is quick and better as they are masters of the game.

The challenge the travel agents face is, they pay the fines when you overstay.

Yes. They do.

You should think about it, most travel agents want you to give some cash as a security deposit. In case you change your mind during your stay and not return as intended.

The sponsor (agents) gets penalized when the applicants don’t return after their visa expired.

This is the main reason many travel agencies in UAE do not want to sponsor Cameroonians on 14 days and 30 days UAE visit visa.

Some still take the risk; they want to give their clients a benefit of the doubt because they know everyone is not the same. Like i mentioned earlier, you can do a visa change to avoid overstay.

Summarily, if you are a Cameroonian who wish to travel to Dubai, you can either ask a friend or relation resident in UAE (your sponsor), to apply for a visa on your behalf or hire a Dubai visa agent who will handle your travelling affairs i.e. the travel agent in Dubai will apply for a visa on your behalf, book a temporal accommodation for you in UAE and pick you up at the airport when you arrive Dubai.

If you were invited to Dubai by a company or an organization, the organization or company would be responsible for applying for your visa i.e. if you were invited by an organization or company to attend a conference or seminar in UAE/Dubai.

NOTE: Visa fees must be paid upon application.

The friend, relation or travel agent who is going to apply for a visa on your behalf, will be expected to pay your visa fee (and you will be expected to reimburse them depending on your arrangement with the sponsor or travel agent)

Somebody may likely wanna ask, why must somebody else apply for a Dubai/UAE visa on my behalf?.

The UAE ministry of interior just want to ensure that you don’t get stranded upon arrival in Dubai.

The relation, friend, agent or organization that applied for your Dubai/UAE visa is also expected to accommodate you or provide you with a temporal accommodation (bed space).

The applicant (your sponsor) will also act as your surety as he or she will be penalized if you don’t return to Cameroon after the validity period of your visa.

If you overstay, the applicant (your sponsor) will no longer be allowed to apply for a visa for any Cameroonian who intend to travel to Dubai and your sponsor will be expected to pay your overstay fines; which will be calculated as Aed 125 for first day and then Aed 25 each day you’ve spent in the country after the validity period of your visa. WhatsApp me if you need more information on this.

Mindful of the above consequences, most residents of Dubai (especially the travel agents) will often carry out due diligence before choosing who to apply for and won’t apply for a visa for those who wish to apply for a short term visa i.e. visa’s with 14 to 30 days validity period as there’s a high probability of them overstaying their visit and putting them in trouble (unless they are very familiar with the person).

Where can your sponsor apply for a Dubai/UAE visa on your behalf???

Your sponsor (close relation or friend residing in UAE) can apply for a Dubai visa on your behalf at any of the ticketing offices of the airlines of the following airlines

• Emirates
• FlyDubai
• Etihad Airways and
• Air Arabia

The above airlines also have also make it possible for sponsors to apply online via their official website.

If you are a sponsor, visit their website to apply for a visa for your loved ones.

The aforementioned airlines have their requirements.

For example for a sponsor to apply for Visa via Emirates, the following documents are required…

• 4 passport size photograph of applicant (photographs must taken on white background)
• Colour copy of applicant’s passport. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months.
• The original application form (available at all Emirates ticketing offices) can be accessed in Arabic or English, depending on the applicant’s nationality. You can download the English or Arabic application form from the emirates website.
• Copy of the Emirates ticket

Note: Before the sponsor or travel agent can submit the application, he or she will be expected to pay the visa fee and book an airline ticket with the airline. So if the travel agent is asking for advance payment, don’t think he wants to scam you. This is what he probably wants to do with money.

It should be noted that your sponsor can only buy flight ticket from the airline that he or she is applying for a visa.

For example if your sponsor intend to apply for a visa via the Emirates airline, then he or she will be required to buy a flight ticket from the Emirates ticketing office; where he is applying for the visa.

If you intend to hire a travel agent to take care of your travelling affairs, then you don’t need to be concerned about this info as your travel agent already knows what to do (as a seasoned professional in the bizness).

How long does it take to get approval after applying for a UAE/Visa???

Visa processing time is approximately 3 to 4 working days i.e. after this period, your sponsor will informed that his or her application has been approved and he will be expected to go and pick up the visa.

At this juncture, you are now ready to travel to from Cameroon to Dubai to get the job of your dream.

It is important to note that entry into the UAE is subject to immigration approval.

After you have arrived at the airport in Dubai, you will  be expected to pass through an emigration office where you will be questioned by an emigration officer regarding the purpose of your visit.

If you travelled to UAE from Cameroon with a 3 months tourist visa with a hope of searching for a job and do visa change, do not reveal your ulterior motive to the immigration officer. Simply tell them that you came to Dubai for sight seeing and will return to Cameroon before your visa expires.

I REPEAT, do not reveal your ulterior motive !

If you reveal that you intend to search for a job in Dubai, you might be sent back to Cameroon for you to get a working visa and return to the country.

Before travelling to UAE, also ensure that you have done your COVID 19 test and get your result as you will also be expected to provide a negative COVID 19 test result; viral COVID-19 test result issued no more than 3 days prior to departure (Viral tests include a NAAT/PCR test or an antigen test.)

If you fail to provide a viral COVID-19 test result, you will be quarantined upon arrival and required to undergo a COVID test before you will be allowed to go to your final destination.

If emigration officers think the COVID-19 test wasn’t properly done in Cameroon, you may need to take another COVID‑19 PCR test on arrival. If you take a test at the airport, you must remain in your hotel or residence until you receive the test result. If the test result is positive, you will be required to undergo isolation and follow the Dubai Health Authority guidelines.

The UAE government has specified designated laboratories. You can either use the recommended laboratories in the list or any trusted and certified laboratories in your country of origin to get your COVID‑19 PCR test.

How many hours does it take to travel from Cameroon to Dubai by air???

One of the questions i get asked very often  is ,how many hours will it take to travel from Cameroon to Dubai by air???

Flight time from Douala to Dubai is 9 hours 30 minutes
Distance from Douala to Dubai is approximately 5420 kilometers.

Why its now very easy for Cameroonians to travel to Dubai???

It all started in August 2015, when the United Arab Emirates made it easy for anyone who intends to visit the country.

The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Interior launched an online visa system, this visa system allows anyone anywhere in the world to process a tourist visa and get approval.

Your sponsor can easily apply via the internet any time from any place, and the payment is done online at the time of the visa process.

This simply mean that you can apply for Dubai visa at the comfort of your home, pay your application fee and get approval without you going to the UAE embassy.

WHY CAMEROONIANS  CAN EASILY MAKE IT IN DUBAI, UAE?

Dubai city in the United Arab Emirates attracts every year hundreds of Cameroonians from all walks of life who fly to the city with various visa types with a hope to get a decent job.

The UAE jobs are open to all nationalities and to the plugin, you need to have the right information and someone to guide you.

The career sector or job opportunities in Dubai varies, and most ones that attract Cameroon and other African countries are health and safety, hotels, security, CCTV operator and technician, real estate, lifeguard, nurse, teaching to mention a few.

Simply put, if you are a professional, then you will easily get a job in Dubai and earn a decent salary far better that what you are currently earning in Cameroon.

The fact that (in 2021), Cameroonians are still flying to Dubai in large numbers, is a clear testimony that the pasture in Dubai is still very green.

Total Cost of Acquiring a 3 months Dubai to Tourist visa to work in UAE

Visa fee = 98,000 frs CFA

Flight ticket = 380,000 frs CFA

In addition, to the visa fee and ticket, you will also need money for accomodation (bed space), money for transportation and purchase jobs in the UAE.

If you intend to travel to Dubai from Cameroon, its adviseable to budget atleast 1.200,000 million frs CFA; which will cover all the cost from visa fee.

IN CONCLUSION
To apply for a UAE visa in Cameroon you need a reliable agent or a sponsor residing in Dubai (UAE).

For someone visiting the first time, you need not only a visa; you need direction. You don’t need an agent who collects money and gives lame services.

I am sure you don’t want to be in the place of those guys; you don’t want to beg for a service already paid for.

Please and please! Don’t overstay your tourist visa in UAE.
It is not the right way to go.
You can do visa change if you still want to stay in the country.

When you choose the right travel agent for your visit to UAE, be it a vacation, business and even to know what you need for a job in UAE, it makes your life easier and you can really explore and enjoy your visit over and over.

The best platform to apply for a UAE visa in Cameroon is Cameroon For Sale.

Did I miss anything you want me to cover?

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU DEAL WITH WRONG CAMEROON TO DUBAI TRAVEL AGENTS

I remember on different occasions meeting some guys in Deira Park in Dubai, many lamented how they paid unreasonable fees for a tourist visa, I felt pity for them.

They wished I had handled their travel arrangement because of the way and manner I sorted out their challenges.

This is the norm each time you listen to some Cameroonians in Dubai.

Another had paid for full vacation packages to be disappointed at the airport without provision.

I can write a full post on these issues, that is not the point…

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Ok we have come to the end of this article.

Did I miss anything you want me to cover?

WhatsApp me if you wish to ask a question.

Disclaimer:

The visa rules are subject to change. The details on this page are just an overview of the general requirements for visas. You are advised to check with the UAE embassies and consulates abroad and/or contact the UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship- ICA.