Visa policy of the United Arab Emirates
Visitors to the United Arab Emirates must obtain a visa prior to travel unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries or one of the countries whose citizens are eligible for visa on arrival.
Citizens of member nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council have a freedom of movement in the UAE, except for citizens of Qatar who are no longer allowed to enter, unless they are a family member of a resident.
All visitors visiting the United Arab Emirates must hold a passport valid for at least 6 months. GCC nationals need to only show their government issued ID card.
Visa policy map
Visa-free
Nationals of the following 54 countries may enter the United Arab Emirates without a visa:ID — May enter with an ID card.
1 — Not applicable to passports stamped "Article 17, paragraph 2".
2 — Also including holders of passports for public affairs.
3 — For holders of biometric passports only.
| Date of visa changes |
;Visa free
|
Visa on arrival
Holders of normal passports issued by the following 20 countries and territories are eligible to obtain a free UAE visa on arrival, which is valid for 30 days. Extension is possible for a fee.1 – Only applicable for British citizens, British Overseas Territories citizens and British Subjects who have a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode.
Substitute visas
Citizens of who are valid visa holders or residents of the United States, or who are residents of the European Union, are eligible to obtain a free 14 day visa on arrival.Diplomatic and service category passports
In addition to nations whose all citizens are visa exempt, holders of diplomatic or service category passports of Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Georgia, Grenada, India, Indonesia, Liberia, Morocco, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Serbia, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vanuatu and Vietnam and holders of diplomatic passports of Armenia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Congo DR, Ethiopia, Guinea, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Uzbekistan also do not require a visa or can obtain a free visa on arrival.Conflicting information
Government of UAE website lists on the list of countries whose citizens holding normal passports may obtain a visa on arrival valid for 90 days. IATA and the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of UAE do not hold the same information. Website of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, London suggests that there has been a visa on arrival facility in place since 1 June 2018.Only IATA lists as a country whose normal passport holders are visa exempt.
Future changes
United Arab Emirates has signed visa exemption agreements with the following countries that are not yet ratified or applied:- - on 2 February 2020
- - on 23 September 2019
- - on 24 June 2019 for ordinary passports
- – on 4 May 2019 for ordinary passports
- - on 23 April 2019
- – on 21 October 2017 for all passports
- – on 25 February 2017 for diplomatic passports
Transit visa
All travellers in transit are exempt from entry fees for the first 48 hours; this brief entry may be extended for up to 96 hours for a fee of 50 AED.
Requirements for visa application
For all others nationals who are not granted visa-free or visa on arrival, UAE visas rules vary according to nationality, age and gender.For example, for Moroccans, Algerians, Libyans, Syrians, Mauritanians and Tunisians, the minimum age requirement to apply for a visa is 40. For other nationalities, the minimum age requirement to apply for a visa is 21 for men and 23 for women.
Airline visas
Visitors normally require a sponsor but visas can also be arranged online through an airline if they are arriving on Air Arabia, Air Astana, Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, Turkish Airlines and Indigo AirlinesPassports that require prior confirmation
Entry to the UAE is refused to nationals of these countries without a prior authorization issued from UAE ministry of foreign affairs:- - UAE does not have official diplomatic relations with Israel and therefore, Israeli passports are denied entry. However, special visas are sometimes issued for sports or other international events. Israeli passport holders are free to transit via airports in the UAE while remaining in the transit area.
- - Prior confirmation from UAE ministry of foreign affairs is required before a visa is issued. Qatari nationals who are family members of UAE citizens/residents are permitted entry to the UAE. Qataris who want to visit the UAE need to either submit an application through the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship website or call a designated hotline. Entry is refused for applicants with security concerns. Since June 2017 to March 2019, over 95% of applicants were approved.
Use for other countries
- — Nationals of India with a UAE residence permit may obtain a visa on arrival valid for up to 120 days.
- — UAE residents can obtain a visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 30 days if they have a residence permit valid for at least 6 months from the arrival date.
- — UAE residents and visa holders may enter and stay in Georgia without visa for 90 calendar days in any 180-day period. UAE visa and/or a residence permit must be valid on the day of entry into Georgia.
- — Nationals of Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Tunisia who are UAE residents can apply for a visa on arrival valid for 30 days.
Visitor statistics
Emirate of Dubai
Most visitors arriving to Emirate of Dubai were from the following countries of nationality:| Country | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
| 2,073,000 | 1,800,000 | 1,601,000 | |
| 1,529,000 | 1,638,000 | 1,542,000 | |
| 1,265,000 | 1,245,000 | 1,188,000 | |
| 862,000 | 1,037,000 | 1,002,000 | |
| 764,000 | 540,000 | 450,000 | |
| 633,000 | 607,000 | 602,000 | |
| 598,000 | 607,000 | 513,000 | |
| 530,000 | 240,000 | 211,000 | |
| 506,000 | 462,000 | 461,000 | |
| 503,000 | 472,000 | 462,000 | |
| Total | 15,790,000 | 14,900,000 | 14,200,000 |
Emirate of Abu Dhabi
Hotel guests checking in hotels in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi were from the following countries of nationality:| Country | 2018 | 2017 |
| 416,000 | 360,000 | |
| 401,000 | 372,000 | |
| 278,000 | 261,000 | |
| 194,000 | 164,000 | |
| 183,000 | 181,000 | |
| 169,000 | 160,000 | |
| 168,000 | 152,000 | |
| 142,000 | 131,000 | |
| Total | 5,043,821 | 4,852,405 |