What challenges did you face applying for a DTV visa from Dubai and how did you overcome them?

I just got my DTV visa in Dubai - and it was a mistake 😅

A little background about me. I’m a content creator based in Dubai. I have a 10-year Golden Visa residency in the UAE thanks to my work with the Dubai Media Office. This kind of visa allows me to live, work, and even open a business in Dubai without the need for a sponsor (like an employer), which regular work visas don’t allow.

But I recently quit that job to become a freelancer and travel more.

Excited about the new chapter, I started my DTV application in Dubai on June 8, 2025. I prepared all the required documents:

* A full portfolio as a freelance content creator, with contracts and receipts for paid work (shout-out to a helpful group member who guided me with this!)

* Financial proof of having more than 500K THB in my bank account

* My apartment lease in Dubai and a recent electricity bill as proof that I reside outside Thailand

I submitted the application and paid 1,500 AED (around $408).

A week later, I got a request for additional documents: a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from an employer and a work permit in Dubai, which I didn’t have anymore, since I had quit.

So I wrote myself an NOC explaining that I’m a freelancer and outlined my visa status in the UAE, and then resubmitted the application.

A week after that, they asked for a freelancer permit (in Dubai, it’s mandatory to have one if you’re working with brands or doing paid collaborations as a content creator). I was already in the process of applying for it and once it was issued (which cost me 7,500 AED, approx. $2,000 per year), I uploaded it and waited for their response.

A few days later, I got an email from the Royal Consulate of Thailand in Dubai requesting an in-person interview. They asked me to bring my:

* Original passport

* Emirates ID

* New bank statement from the past 3 months showing over 500K THB with a wet stamp from the bank

* Round-trip plane tickets

* Confirmed hotel reservation

The appointment was within a week.

I prepared everything and I went to the consulate, I was the first person there.

A nice lady came over, took my passport and residency ID, and began the interview, right there, standing in the waiting area. She asked me to:

* Show my social media profile

* Share examples of paid collaborations

* Show my bank balance using my bank’s mobile app, including some payment transactions from clients

* Explain my intentions for the DTV visa, whether I planned to work in Thailand or create travel content (I told her I make science and technology videos only)

Then she said, “Okay, please upload all of these documents to the online portal.”

When I got home, I found new document requests on the Thai visa portal (as written on the online portal):

1. Financial evidence (again, the same one I showed in the interview)

2. Fully-paid round-trip airline tickets from airline

3. A condo rental agreement in Bangkok or a PDF file of a confirmed hotel reservation covering the full trip

4. My Dubai apartment rental agreement (which I had already uploaded before)

I uploaded all the new documents.And just like that… the next day, the visa was approved!

I’m so happy it worked out in the end, but the process was long, stressful, and expensive, it took almost 40 days. Looking back, I probably should’ve just gone to Vietnam or another country where people seem to get the DTV in a week or so.

Also, I think my Iraqi passport may have raised some red flags, which could have made the process more complicated. Honestly, I might be the first Iraqi to ever get a DTV visa 😅

So yeah… I don’t recommend applying for the DTV from Dubai, especially if you’re a freelancer and don’t already have all the official permits in place.

Thanks to this group for all the support and helpful info! Wishing everyone good luck with your applications 💙🌏✈️