This article has been reviewed by Wego’s editorial team to ensure that the content is up to date & accurate.
Updated March 2023
As one of the world’s most visited cities, international tourists from over 70 countries may now visit Dubai without requiring a pre-arranged visa. However, those not eligible for visas on arrival would first need to obtain a tourist visa prior to making their way to Dubai and the UAE in general.
Here’s all you need to know about the Dubai/UAE tourist visa; its requirements, validity period, fees, and extensibility.
Dubai and UAE tourist visa latest news
Minimum salary to sponsor relatives
UAE expats wishing to sponsor five relatives on a residence visa must have a minimum monthly salary of AED 10,000. The sponsors must also have adequate housing.
Those who plan to sponsor six relatives must have a higher salary of at least AED 15,000. In this case, the director-general will review applications of expats wanting to bring in more than six relatives. This includes more than 15 types of visas, including tourist entry visas.
Advisory for Pakistani visitors
In a recent announcement, the Pakistan Embassy in the UAE released a travel advisory that applies to Pakistani nationals arriving on a visit visa with plans to travel to another country. The advisory requires that Pakistani visitors must acquire the appropriate visa for the third country from Pakistan before departing for the UAE.
In addition, the embassy highlighted that it is important for Pakistani visitors to leave the UAE before the expiration of their visit visas. If they fail to do so, they could face a penalty or fine for overstaying.
Dubai and UAE tourist visa requirements
UAE visa on arrival
Passengers travelling to the UAE from these 70 countries can receive their visas on arrival at the immigration counter. These visas on arrival can have a stay period of 30, 90, or 180 days, depending on the country you’re arriving from.
Indian nationals who hold a USA visa, USA Green Card, UK Residence, or EU Residence are allowed a visa on arrival with a stay period of 14 days and the possibility of its extension for another 14 days.
UAE pre-arranged visa
You would require a pre-arranged tourist visa to enter the UAE if you’re not from the list of countries available for the visa-on-arrival scheme.
In principle, the tourist visa is obtainable by eligible tourists from around the world. However, as per the UAE’s official government portal, there are some specific rules in place for travelling with infants and children.
UAE multi-entry visa
As a part of the UAE’s new visa scheme, a new multi-entry tourist visa has been introduced, which can now be issued for all nationalities, in a step that aims to facilitate the process for tourists and visitors.
Dubai’s tourism body is working with authorities to roll out the five-year multiple-entry tourist visa on a much bigger scale to attract more tourists. Currently, the visa is being rolled out softly. Initiatives are being taken to roll out more visas and make applications accessible via the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing digital platform.
Dubai & UAE tourist visa validity period
The UAE has resumed issuing a 60-day tourist visa. This means all visit visas will now be valid for 60 days from their date of issuance. This initiative is part of the new rules.
Moreover, the multi-entry tourist visa enables tourists to enter multiple times on self-sponsorship and remain in the country for 90 days on each visit, which can be extended for another 90 days.
Please note that all UAE visit visa holders must enter the country within the specified time frame after the issuance of their visas. If they fail to do so until the expiry date, they are required to either cancel their visit visa or extend the entry period.
Dubai & UAE tourist visa extension
Launched by The Federal Authority for Identity, Nationality, Customs and Ports Security (ICP), the new service allows visitors to extend the validity of all types of visas issued to them for 60 days for one time only. It must be done online, via the ICP website or its app via the UAE PASS, before the visitor enters the country, and it will only cost AED 200.
However, there are additional charges that should be noted; AED 100 for the smart services, AED 50 for the application form and AED 50 for the Authority and the electronic services offered to customers.
This means that the grand total will come in at AED 400, which is still less than AED 600 fee that visitors who are already in Dubai have to pay when renewing a visa on arrival by an additional 30 days once in the UAE.
If you’re looking to find budget-friendly ways on how you can extend your Dubai & UAE visit visa, please consult our article below.
Dubai & UAE tourist visa grace period
As per the latest announcement, visa overstayers will also need to obtain a Dubai/UAE out pass on top of the overstay fine. The out pass is essentially an exit permit allowing holders to leave the UAE, which costs up to AED 300.
Overstayers will also have to pay in full the overstay fines, levied at AED 50 per day of overstay. UAE visit visa holders will get a grace period of 10 days from the visa expiry date, after which the overstay fines shall start accruing.
Dubai & UAE tourist visa required documents
Generally, the required documents are as follows:
- 6×6 cm photograph in colour (minimum of 600×600 pixels) with a white background (at least 80 percent of your face must be visible)
- a colour copy of your passport showing your full name, nationality, date and place of birth, passport number, date of issue and expiry, name of father/legal guardian, and the name of your mother
- valid passport with at least six months validity at the time of travel
- a copy of the flight ticket of your preferred airline
- for nationals of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan, a national ID is also required
Note that depending on the airline, minors and children under the age of 18 may be required to present additional documents such as birth certificates and photo IDs of parents.
Dubai & UAE tourist visa unused visa
As per the recent regulation, all international travellers to the UAE are now required to either cancel or extend their unused visit visas.
If, for some reason, travellers are not able to enter the UAE within the validity period of their visit visas, they can apply for an extension of the validity period by 60 days. This should be done through the immigration portal itself and will cost AED 200.
If travellers who have not used their visit visa do not wish to get it extended, they will have to cancel it through the immigration portal. The immigration system has stopped automatically deleting old visa requests and now does it only upon the applicant’s request.
Therefore, unless the previous, unused visit visa is cancelled, travellers will not be allowed to apply for a new UAE visit visa. According to travel agents, cancellation of the UAE visit visa can cost anywhere between AED 160 to AED 300.
Dubai & UAE tourist visa application
It is both easy and convenient to apply for your tourist visa online.
The UAE tourist visas are not directly issued to travellers. To obtain one, you would need to apply through the approved airlines, hotels, travel agencies or tour operators.
Arranging your tourist visa through airlines
The requirements and conditions set by an approved airline may vary slightly. One such requirement is naturally for you to be flying with them to your destination. Prices may also vary and are subject to change, so it’s best to check with your airline of choice for the latest prices and requirements. The following are some of the approved airlines.
- Emirates Airline visa services
- Etihad Airways visa services
- Fly Dubai visa services
- Air Arabia visa services
Book cheap flights to Dubai
Arranging your tourist visa through travel agencies and hotels
You can also opt to allow your travel agents or your hotel of choice to apply for a tourist visa on your behalf. Note that you would need to ensure that the travel agency or hotel is licensed and authorized by the relevant UAE authorities before providing them with payment or any sort of documents.
You can verify the authenticity of a travel agency or hotel by consulting the UAE embassy in your country. You can find the UAE embassies or missions in your country here.
You can check the status of your visa application from the website of the airline, hotel, or agency you applied through.
Find your Dubai hotel on Wego
Dubai & UAE tourist visa prices
The prices and charges of a Dubai tourist visa depend on the kind of visa you are applying for.
But to give you an idea, Emirates Airlines currently charges USD 90 for the short-term single-entry visa and USD 177 for the long-term single-entry tourist visa. Etihad currently charges USD 122 for the short-term single-entry visa and USD 204 for the long-term single-entry tourist visa. Check the complete price details on the respective sites of Emirates and Etihad.
As confirmed by a customer care agent at the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP), the prices for all types of UAE and Dubai visas, including 30 and 60 days tourist visas have now increased by AED 100. The fee for the one-month visit visa issued by the ICA, for example, has gone up from AED 270 to AED 370.
