Dubai residents can now apply, renew visas via phone app

Dubai residents can now apply, manage and/or cancel residency visas for their spouse and/or children on the official DubaiNow app, which handles all government services.

Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) recently introduced these services on the DubaiNow app, it was announced.

DubaiNow offers a total of 88 Dubai government services, as part of the Dubai paperless strategy. Dubai residents have successfully transacted over Dhs4bn worth of transactions on the app thus far.

I have directed all government entities to provide their consumer services through the ‘DubaiNow’ app, which provides 88 government services and has already facilitated transactions worth AED4 billion. Our aim: the Dubai government to become 100% paperless by December 12, 2021.

— Hamdan bin Mohammed (@HamdanMohammed) October 21, 2019

DubaiNow is a Smart Dubai initiative to facilitate Dubai’s transition to a digital city.

The app allows residents to pay their utilities and bills, renew vehicles, report violations, search for general business information and garner relevant transport information.

Launched in February 2018, the Dubai paperless strategy aims to digitise all internal and external government to consumer transactions, ensuring all transactions are 100 per cent paperless by December 12, 2021.

So far 15 entities have partnered with Smart Dubai to offer their services via the app. They include Dubai Land Department (DLD), Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Knowledge and Human Resources Authority (KHDA), Dubai Airports, Dubai Police, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Department of Economic Development (DED), Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Dubai Courts, Dubai Municipality (DM), Dubai Public Prosecution, Dubai Health Authority (DHA), Community Development Authority, the Federal Authority for Identity & Citizenship (FAIC) – Dubai, and Dubai Customs.

Dr. Aisha bint Butti bin Bishr, director general of Smart Dubai, said: “We will continue to work with all Dubai government entities to accelerate our transition to fully paperless transactions.

“We estimate that with the 88 government services now being offered digitally via Dubai Now, we will save 28 hours per user, in addition to also eliminating the need for 14 visits to government services centres,” she added.

After 2021, government entities will no longer issue or request paper documents from customers for any transaction, while government employees will also stop issuing or processing paper in key or supporting internal operations.

The implementation of the strategy is expected to eliminate the use of over one billion pieces of paper per year, saving 130,000 trees.