Adventures are supposed to happen like lightning. It strikes anywhere and anytime, but not my type of adventure. Before I hopped on Etihad Airways going to Abu Dhabi from Manila, Philippines I went through a lot of red tapes to finally get hold of one paper that would open the doors of the land of the Zaby.
For couples who are separated by thousands of miles away, the constant communication can reach its strain after a few years. And for someone who just got married, that’s me, a few months away from my husband is almost like years. We were married on January and had a quick honeymoon and back to our separate lives again. It was like it never really happened. The exchanged “I do’s” was just a fleeting moment and was not really meant to start a new beginning. So, to actually make it a real marriage we decided that I should go and join my husband in Abu Dhabi. I’m located in Davao, Philippines and that is exactly an 11-hour flight away. So how did we go about it? First things first, you need to have your marriage certificate signed and approved by the church and by your local civil registrar. If you don’t have that paper, you probably were not married at all. In the Philippine, the time period for those marriage certificates usually takes from 2 months to 6 months from the day of your marriage to be registered in the local registry system then to the National Statistics Office (NSO) which serves as the archive vault of the country. But, yes there is always a shorter version for those who have a time limit in staying away from husband too long. That’s me again. So I did frequent visits to the church where we were wed and the local civil registrar. After, 7 pleading and begging moments, 50 taxi rides from the city proper to the outskirts and 2 cake bribery, I am holding my NSO certified and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) authenticated marriage certificate and ready to be sent to my husband. In obtaining an UAE Husband’s visa you would be required of the following documents:
a. A photocopy of husband’s passport
b. A photocopy of husband’s residence visa
c. A photocopy of husband’s labor card
d. Husband’s salary certificate with Arabic translation
e. Husband’s employment contract with Arabic translation
f. Marriage certificate. NOTE: 1.) Should be red ribbon certificate/ DFA authenticated with stamp of UAE embassy in the Philippines at the back;2.) Should have a stamp of UAE in Abu Dhabi at the back ( this is obtained through the office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs located at Carrefour Airport Road, just tell the attendant that the documentation is urgent so you can get the it stamped immediately); 3.) Should have an Arabic translation.
g. Wife’s recent ID picture with white background (minimum of 4 copies)
h. Scanned copy of wife’s passport
My husband was the one who processed my visa. So upon completion of all those requirements my husband went to the Abu Dhabi Immigration office and did the following:
a. Went straight to the typing center. These offices are located at the left side of the immigration building. There are many typing offices to choose from. Accommodating merchants will be standing outside their offices and are ready to assist you with your needs.
b. Get a priority number. If it’s your turn, you give your documents and inform the typist that you are applying for an urgent husband’s visa in order to get the visa after 2 hours.
c. After payment, the typist will print the application and the husband shall sign on to the sponsor space. Please make sure to check the spelling of the name and other information to avoid any repetition of the whole process.
d. Bring the documents (application form and required documents aforementioned). Go inside the immigration office and into the New Visa section. The office is located at the left side upon entering the building.
e. Get a priority number and wait for your turn. If your number is called proceed to the counter and submit the documents.
f. If your application is approved, the officer will give you another priority number and will ask you to proceed to the releasing area upstairs of the same building.
When you get hold of the visa, the husband can now send this document/paper to his wife in the Philippines so she can now process her travel documents. A 90-day allowance shall be given to the wife to process the resident visa sticker for her passport upon her arrival in UAE. I’m also done with that, but that will have to wait. This is the longest prologue to an adventure ever.
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