All visitors to the UAE require a visa to enter the country, except citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries, who are exempt from this rule.

Visit visas can be of short term (30-day duration) or long term (90-day duration) and is available on payment of nominal fees of AED610 or AED1110 respectively*. Visitors on visit visa are not allowed to remain in the country following the expiry of the visa.  In addition, the Dubai Department of Naturalisation and Residency (DNRD) also offers a transit visa facility for a maximum period of 96 hours from entry, for visitors who are passing through Dubai. This facility can only be availed by passengers who already carry a confirmed ticket for the onward journey from Dubai.

The DNRD has shortlisted about 34 nationalities who can avail of the ‘Visa on Arrival’ facility at the Dubai International Airport and do not need to apply for a visit visa in advance. These countries include: Andorra, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America and Vatican City.

Nationalities not mentioned in the above list need to apply for the visit visa in advance through a resident of the UAE or hotel or tour operator operating in the UAE. Do ensure that you have a confirmed visa to enter the UAE before buying your airline tickets.

* All rates and visa regulations are subject to change. It is best to reconfirm all information from the nearest UAE Embassy or a reliable travel agent prior to travel.