Dubai Visa & Entry Information


Your guide to applying for a visa to the UAE

Your guide to applying for a visa to the UAE

The kind of visa you need to enter the UAE depends on several factors such as your nationality, the purpose of your planned visit and its duration. Currently, citizens of 47 countries apart from the GCC nations, can get visa on arrival.

Citizens of the following countries do not require advance visa arrangements to enter the UAE and can obtain a visa upon arrival for 90 days:

France Iceland Italy Norway Holland
Germany Sweden Austria Finland Liechtenstein
Belgium Greece Luxembourg Poland Switzerland
Estonia Portugal Malta Spain Cyprus
Denmark Croatia Slovenia Romania Slovakia
Bulgaria Czech Republic Hungary Lithuania Latvia

Please note:

  • Citizens of the countries listed above can obtain a visa upon arrival for 90 days from the date of entry with their normal passports.
  • It is not possible to extend this visa.
  • Passports should be normal and valid for more than six months.
  • The visa holder can use the 90-day visa upon arrival to be consumed within 180 days from first entry.

Citizens of the following countries do not require advance visa arrangements to enter the UAE and can obtain a visa upon arrival for 30 days with a 10-day grace period:

Andorra China Malaysia Singapore
Australia Hong Kong Monaco South Korea
Brunei Ireland New Zealand The Vatican
Canada Japan San Marino United States
United Kingdom Russia

Please note:

  • Citizens of the countries listed above can obtain a visa upon arrival for 30 days from the date of entry with their normal passports.
  • The visa is extendable and the total validity, if extended, would be 60 days from the date of entry.
  • Passports should be normal and valid for more than six months.
  • This visa is considered a multi-entry visa, which allows the visa holder to consume the 30-day visa validity regardless of whether the visa holder is inside or outside the UAE. Any number of days the visa holder stays outside the UAE would be calculated from the 40-day validity of the visa.
  • Visitors can contact the AMER service call centre at 8005111 to check the validity of their visas.

Other Visa Types:

Service Visa
Duration: 14 days from the date of entry
Validity: 14 days from the date of issue

Tourist Visa
Duration: 90 days/30 days from the date of entry, depending upon the visa type
Validity: 60 days from the date of issue
Prerequisites: Sponsorship from a hotel or tour operator and prearrangement

Visit Visa

Duration: 90 days/30 days from the date of entry, depending upon the visa type
Validity: 60 days from the date of issue
Prerequisites: Sponsorship from a UAE resident, company or hotel

Transit Visa

Duration: 96 hours
Validity: 14 days from the date of issue
Prerequisites: Confirmed hotel reservation

Documents Required for a Visa (travel agency requirements)

  • Coloured passport copies
  • Copy of confirmed flight booking
  • Bank approval letter
  • Passport-sized photographs
  • Visa fee

Work Visa

Regulations for a Work Visa application:

  • Passport must be valid for a minimum of six months at the time of entry to the UAE.
  • Only recent colour photographs are accepted (Non-Polaroid) with a white background.
  • Those who are already in the UAE can apply for a change of status inside the country or they can exit the UAE and come back.
  • Change of status option is subject to approval, depending upon the visa type.
  • If you do not fall into one of the above categories, you will require a visa and a sponsor for your visit, and the sponsor normally applies for the visa on your behalf.

Apply for a Visa

For more information and to apply for a visa, please visit the General Directory of Residency and Foreigners Affairs.

Toll Free (Int.): +971 4 313 9999
Fax: +9714 5011111
E-Mail: amer@dnrd.ae
Mail Address:
General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs-Dubai, P.O BOX: 4333 Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Valid sponsors:

  • Hotels and tourist companies can apply on your behalf for a Service Visa (14 days), Tourist Visa (30 days) or a Visit Visa (90 days).
  • Airlines and airline handlers can apply on behalf of their crew members for a 96-hour Transit Visa.
  • Other organizations based in the UAE may only apply for Visit Visas and Service Visas.
  • Individuals (relatives or friends) who are UAE residents may, subject to guidelines, also apply on your behalf for a Visit Visa.


If you are coming here to work, you will require a visa that can be obtained on your behalf by your employer or sponsor.

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