Citizens of the Arab Gulf Co-operation Council member states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia) do not need a visa to enter the UAE. You will simply need to produce your GCC country passport upon arrival at the point of entry into the UAE.

Foreign Nationals

Foreign nationals from the below listed countries do not require a visa before their arrival in the UAE and will be given a transit visa (for stays of up to 14 days) or visit visa (valid for a stay of 30 days) on arrival.

Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America, Vatican.

It should be noted that this list may vary slightly from time to time and it is therefore best to check with your local UAE embassy or the airline that you are using to fly to the UAE.

Foreign nationals from countries other than those mentioned above can obtain either a visit or transit visa both of which must be guaranteed by a UAE sponsor. The sponsor normally applies for the visa on your behalf.

Valid sponsor can be either a hotel or tourist company, Emirates Airlines, a business registered in the UAE, or by an individual holding a valid residency in the UAE that is either a relative or friend and earns a salary above a specified minimum. The 14 day transit visa cannot be extended. However, the 30 day visit visa can be extended twice-one month at a time- for a maximum of three months.

Transit passengers stopping at Dubai International Airport for a minimum of 8 hours and meeting the certain conditions mentioned below are also eligible for obtaining a 96-hour transit visa. These conditions are as follow:

Airlines sponsored only (prior arrangements maybe required)
Applications should have confirmed onward booking to the 3rd destination
For transit passengers or those holding special permits, or for visit or mission, the passport or the document must be valid for at least three months

Citizens of the following countries are not eligible for the 96 hours visa on arrival: Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Niger, and Yemen.

The 30-day visa can be extended for a further 30 days in the Emirate in which you arrived by visiting the appropriate immigration office and paying an extension fee. Do not outstay your visa or you will be subject to a fine.

If you have entered Dubai on a visit visa and you wish to work then you should first acquire a probationary work permit, which is available from the Ministry of Labour and is valid for up to three months. If you do not get this permit and you are caught working whilst on a visit visa, then you risk being jailed or fined and deported.

*PLEASE NOTE THAT VISA REGULATIONS MAY BE REVISED BY THE GOVERNMENT AT ANY TIME WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE. FOR UP TO DATE VISA INFORMATION PLEASE CHECK WITH THE NEAREST UAE EMBASSY OR CONSULATE.