This article has been reviewed by Wego’s editorial team to ensure that the content is up to date & accurate.
Updated September 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. The UAE government offers a variety of visa types, making it easy for travellers to apply for UAE visas online. The Dubai visit visa is one of the most applied visas in the Emirates.
Here’s all you need to know about the Dubai visit visa; its validity period, fees, and more.
Table of Contents
What is the Dubai visit visa?
Dubai offers visit visas for visitors who want to stay in the city for more than 14 days, either for work or pleasure. A visit visa to Dubai can be obtained for a period of 60 days and will be renewed for similar periods.
The United Arab Emirates has resumed issuing the ninety-day visit visas. According to industry experts, this visa option was reintroduced by the end of May 2023, allowing visitors to stay in the UAE for up to 90 days. Additionally, the visa can be extended from within the country at an additional cost based on the service provider’s policies.
Moreover, the majority of entry visas, including the Job exploration visa, the Business entry visa, the Multi-entry tourist visa, and the entry permit to visit relatives and friends, can be obtained without the need for a sponsor or a host.
For details about Dubai’s new rules for tourist visas, check out our dedicated article.
Dubai visit visa application
You can apply for a Dubai visit visa through a travel agent or an online booking website or get sponsored by any of the renowned hotels or airlines that are based in Dubai.
Dubai visit visa online
It is both easy and convenient to apply for a visit visa online via the ICP Smart Services portal or the GDRFA website.
Simply provide the required information and documents and complete the payment online without having to send documents by email or visiting the office in person. Once your visa application is approved, you will receive an approved e-visa copy via email.
Dubai visit 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
Dubai visit visa through travel agencies and hotels
You can also opt to allow your travel agents or your hotel of choice to apply for a visit 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.
Find your Dubai hotel on Wego
Dubai visit visa status
You can check the status and validity of your Dubai visit visa by visiting the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) website or by using the GDRFA mobile application.
For visas issued in Dubai, you can communicate with Amer service on the toll-free number 800 5111 if you live in the UAE. If you are in a country outside the UAE, call Amer on the toll-free number +9714-313-9999.
Dubai visit visa status (GDRFA mobile app)
You can check your Dubai visa status through the GDRFA Dubai mobile app (Android or iOS) and upload your details on the app as required.
- select “File Status Inquiry” under the services label
- click on “Entry Permit Inquiry” if you have a labour contract but have not yet received your visa
- click on “Residency Inquiry” if your entry permit is approved and you have completed the ID test and medical typing
- enter your details, including your name, visa number, nationality and date of birth
- double-check the details you have entered and click on “Inquiry”
If all your details are correct, you will see a green checkmark at the bottom of the page along with additional visa details such as your full name, visa expiry date, type of visa and visa number.
You can now make more inquiries regarding the GDRFA service with the help of the DUBAI NOW mobile app (Android or iOS).
Dubai visit visa status (GDRFA website)
You can check your Dubai visa status through the AMER GDRFA portal by following the steps mentioned below:
- visit the GDRFA official website
- under general inquiry, select “File Type” – entry permit or residence
- select “Residence Validity”
- enter your details, including your name, visa number, nationality and date of birth
- enter the captcha code and hit submit
If all your details are filled in correctly, your visa validity details will appear in green below your submission form with all your visa details, such as your full name, visa expiry date, type of visa and visa number.
Dubai visit visa download (ICP website)
To obtain a copy of your visit visa, follow these steps:
- Visit the UAE ICP portal and navigate to ‘Public Services’ > ‘Reports’ > ‘Other Services – Reports – Visa Details – Print’.
- Click ‘Start Service’ and select ‘Passport Information’ or use ‘File Number’ or ‘Unified Number’ if available.
- Enter passport details, birthdate, email, and mobile number, complete captcha, and proceed.
- The ICP system will retrieve your visa details; review and click ‘Next’.
- Pay the required fee, if applicable.
- Within minutes, receive a verified copy of your visa details on the ICP website for digital saving or printing.
Dubai visit visa grace period
Dubai has now scrapped the previous 10-day grace period, which was granted to visitors whose tourist visas to the UAE had expired. The same was confirmed by a local travel agent and a Federal Authority ICP agent.
Applicants who overstay their visas will be subject to a daily fine of AED 50. They will also need to obtain a Dubai/UAE outpass 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.
Dubai visit visa extension
As confirmed by a Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) agent, applicants can still apply for a 30-day extension of the visa to legally remain in the country. All types of tourist visas may be extended for 30 days twice. Typically, to renew each tourist visa, you will be charged a fee of AED 200 (USD 54,45).
The United Arab Emirates Federal Authority for Identity, Nationality, Customs and Ports Security (ICP) has introduced a one-time 30-day visa extension facility for travellers visiting Dubai and the rest of the country on 90-day visit visas. They will be able to extend the visit visas of family members and friends on a single trip or multiple trips for a period of 30, 60 and 90 days, as well as the pre-entry validity of visas.
Furthermore, UAE travellers holding a visit visa can now extend their visas from within the country. However, the applicant must enter the UAE within 60 days from the date of issuance of their visa, and the validity of the entry permit will be 30 days or 60 days, depending on the type of visa.
Please note that the visitors must make sure to leave the UAE on the last date of their visa’s validity or extend their visa before its expiry, as a fine will be levied in case they fail to do so.
If you’re looking to find budget-friendly ways of extending your Dubai visit visa, please consult our article below.
Dubai unused visit 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 visit visa price
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.
Please make sure to consult the individual airlines for the latest fees and updates, as the fee may be subject to change. Check the complete price details on the respective sites of Emirates and Etihad.
Dubai visit visa for GCC residents
According to the GDRFA website, GCC citizens are eligible for a Dubai visa on arrival.
Note that GCC residents who hold passports from non-GCC countries might still be required to apply for the Dubai visit visa in advance, depending upon whether they are from the listed countries.
Dubai visit visa from Pakistan
In principle, the UAE tourist visa is obtainable by eligible tourists from around the world, including from Pakistan. The UAE tourist visa is now valid for 60 days as part of the new visa reforms, which came into effect on October 2022.
For more details about Dubai visit visas for Pakistanis, check out our dedicated article.
Pakistan Embassy in the UAE recently advised Pakistani nationals who are travelling to the UAE on a visit visa and intend to visit another country to issue a third country’s visa from Pakistan before departing for the UAE. Since the policy to apply for a third country’s visa in the UAE is only eligible for legal citizens with active Emirates Identification Cards, foreign missions of other nations are unable to request visas on behalf of other countries.
That is why it is advisable for Pakistani nationals to issue a third country’s visa beforehand before coming to the UAE.
