UAE & Dubai Tourist Visa, Made Simple.

Do you need a visa for Dubai?

It depends on your passport, not on where you live:

• GCC citizens do not need a visa.
• Many nationalities enter visa-free or get a visa on arrival. Examples are the UK, the EU, the US, China, Russia, Australia, Japan and Malaysia, for 30 or 90 days depending on the passport. The UAE government portal does not publish one country list; it refers travellers to their airline and the UAE missions. Check yours before you book.
• Visa on arrival or fast-track e-visa (expanded 25 June 2026). Nationals of India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Kenya and South Africa get a visa on arrival if they hold a valid visa, residence permit or Green Card issued by the US, a valid visa or residence permit issued by the EU or the UK, or a residence permit from Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand or Canada. ICP offers 14 days for AED 100 (extendable once) or 60 days for AED 250 (single entry, not extendable, applied for online before travel). The passport must be valid for 6 months.
• Everyone else needs a tourist visa before travel. This applies, for example, to most Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Nigerian and Egyptian passports without such a document. Rules by passport: India, Pakistan, Philippines, South Africa, Bangladesh, Egypt, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Türkiye, Kenya, Indonesia, Ghana, Morocco, Nepal, Vietnam, Uganda, Ethiopia, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq.

Who issues a UAE tourist visa

Tourist visas are sponsored by airlines, hotels and licensed tourism establishments. UAE embassies do not issue them. GlobalVisaShop is a DTCM-licensed Dubai travel agency, and we apply for the visa on your behalf. The visa is electronic and arrives by email. You must enter the UAE within 60 days of issue.

UAE tourist visa types

• 30-day or 60-day tourist visa, single or multiple entry. These are the standard visas for holidays and family visits. Our prices start at AED 400 for the 30-day visa (see the plans above).
• 5-year multiple-entry tourist visa. Open to all nationalities. You need a bank balance of USD 4,000 (or equivalent) over the last 6 months, UAE health insurance and a return ticket. ICP allows 90 days within a year, extendable once by 90 days, up to 180 days a year.
• Transit visas of 48 or 96 hours, covered below.

Dubai visa price: government fees

Our price for each plan is shown above. For reference, GDRFA Dubai publishes these government fees for a tourist visa:

• Single entry: AED 200 for 30 days, AED 300 for 60 days.
• Multiple entry: AED 300 for 30 days, AED 500 for 60 days.
• On top: 5% VAT, plus AED 10 Knowledge Dirham and AED 10 Innovation Dirham. Applying from inside the UAE adds AED 500.

Health insurance valid in the UAE is mandatory for a tourist visa. You can add UAE travel insurance to your application.

Dubai visa requirements: documents

• A passport valid for at least 6 months.
• A recent colour photo on a white background.
• A return or onward ticket.
• Health insurance valid in the UAE.
• Pakistani, Iraqi, Iranian and Afghan nationals must also submit their national ID card (CNIC for Pakistan).
• Hotel booking or the address where you will stay. Airlines may ask for it at check-in.

How long does a UAE visa take?

GDRFA Dubai states 48 hours and ICP 2 days for processing. Our normal service is 2 to 4 working days, or 24 working hours with Express. Apply at least 4 working days before you fly.

Extending a UAE tourist visa, and overstay fines

• A tourist visa can be extended inside the UAE, once or several times, up to 120 days in total. Only an accredited tourism establishment can apply for the extension.
• GDRFA Dubai lists the extension at AED 600 plus 5% VAT, plus AED 500 and AED 20 when processed inside the UAE. ICP lists AED 500.
• The overstay fine is AED 50 per day (ICP). The grace periods you may read about apply to residence permits, not to visit visas, so extend or leave before the visa ends.

Dubai transit visa (48 or 96 hours)

Transit visas are for 48 or 96 hours, single entry, and cannot be extended. They are sponsored by UAE airlines, and travel agencies and airport hotels can also apply. GDRFA Dubai lists a government fee of AED 50 plus the airline’s own charge.

Visiting family or friends in the UAE

Since September 2025, ICP sets a minimum monthly income for a UAE resident who sponsors a visit:

• AED 4,000 for first-degree relatives.
• AED 8,000 for second- and third-degree relatives.
• AED 15,000 for friends.

A tourist visa through a licensed agency like ours does not need a personal sponsor.

How to check your UAE visa status

Use ICP’s smart services: Track visa application needs the application number, and Check visa validity checks an issued visa. For Dubai-issued visas, use GDRFA Dubai’s status inquiry. Our UAE visa status check guide walks through each one. If we applied for your visa, track it in your GlobalVisaShop dashboard.

Moving to the UAE instead?

For a 10-year residence through property, salary or a deposit, see our UAE Golden Visa guide.

Sources: ICP (tourist visa issuance and extension, 5-year visa, visa on arrival update of 25 June 2026, overstay fines, new visit visa rules of 29 September 2025), GDRFA Dubai (tourist visa single and multiple entry, transit visa, extension), u.ae (tourist and transit visa pages, visa tracking) and MOFA, checked 1 October 2026. Rules change; we re-confirm the current rule for your passport before we apply.