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Thevisa policy of the United Arab Emirates allows citizens of certain countries to enter the United Arab Emirates without a visa. Citizens of certain other countries must obtain a visa from one of theUAE diplomatic missions. Alternatively, they may obtain an online visa through Smart Service or airlines.
All visitors must have a passport valid for at least 6 months, or 3 months if holding a residence permit. Citizens of Gulf Cooperation Council countries need only show a government-issued ID card.
Holders of ordinary passports of the following countries and territories may enter the UAE without a visa for the following period:[1][2]
Freedom of movement 180 days 90 days 90 days within any 180 days
30 days[3] |
ID – May enter with an ID card.
1 – For holders ofbiometric passports without "Article 17" stamp.
2 – Days above are for holders of ordinary passports only, non-ordinary passports are visa-exempt for 90 days within any 180 days period instead.
3 – For holders ofordinary passports and passports for public affairs.
4 – ForBritish citizens,British Overseas Territories citizens andBritish Subjects who have a certificate of entitlement to theright of abode.
| Date of visa changes | ||
|---|---|---|
|
In addition to countries whose citizens are visa-exempt, holders of diplomatic or official/service passports ofAlgeria,Burkina Faso (30 days),Cameroon,Central African Republic,Colombia,Congo,Cuba,Egypt,Equatorial Guinea,Ghana,Grenada,India,Indonesia (30 days),Jordan,Liberia,Morocco,Rwanda,Serbia,Thailand (30 days),Tonga,Tunisia,Turkey,Turkmenistan,Vanuatu,Vietnam (30 days) and holders of diplomatic passports ofArmenia,Burundi,Chad,Congo DR,Ethiopia,Guinea,Kyrgyzstan,Mali,Mauritania,Niger,Senegal,Uzbekistan do not require a visa for 90 days (unless otherwise stated).
United Arab Emirates has signed visa exemption agreements with the following countries, but they have not yet been ratified or applied:
| Country | Passports | Agreement signed on |
|---|---|---|
 Ghana[18] | All | 6 August 2021 |
 Jamaica[19] | Diplomatic, official | 23 September 2019 |
 South Sudan[20] | Diplomatic | 23 April 2019 |
 Papua New Guinea[21] | All | 21 October 2017 |
 Kenya[22] | Diplomatic | 25 February 2017 |
| Moldova | All | 4 September 2025 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Diplomatic | 29 September 2025 |
Citizens of other countries have the option to obtain an online visa by 2 ways:[23]
Visitors may obtain a visa online through Smart Service for Dubai[24] or other emirates.[25] Passengers must have a printed Online Visa confirmation.
Visitors may obtain a visa online through an airline if they are arriving onAir Arabia,[26]Air Astana,[27]Emirates,[28]Etihad[29] (andAir Baltic,Air Serbia,flydubai,[30]Turkish Airlines[31] andIndigo Airlines.
Passengers on all international airlines may enter the United Arab Emirates for 96 hours after obtaining a transit visa at the airport.
The time difference between the 2 flights must be over 8 hours and the passenger must continue to a third destination.
Passengers also must have a hotel booking. This is not applicable to citizens ofAfghanistan,Iraq,Niger,Syria,Somalia,Yemen.[23]
All travellers in transit are exempt from entry fees for the first 48 hours; this short time may be extended for up to 96 hours for a fee of 50AED.[32][33]
Citizens ofIndia with an ordinary passport valid for 6 months from the arrival date with a visa issued by the USA which is valid for a minimum of 6 months may obtain a visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 14 days. They may apply before departure.[34] Indian citizens may extend their stay for an additional 14 days.[23]
The UAE has also introduced a new Green Visa for people with bachelors degrees who earn Dh 15,000 (4,084USD) or more per month.
The five-year visa policy would offer greater stability and flexibility to middle-income workers in the education sector and attract new talent to the Emirates.[35]
The Golden visa was invoked by the government of the United Arab Emirates in 2019,[36]under Cabinet Resolution No.56 of Organization of Residence Permits for Investors, Entrepreneurs and Professional Talent, 2018.[37]
Citizens ofNigeria are required to hold a hotel booking or an accommodation address for the whole period of their intended stay.[23]
Citizens ofSouth Sudan who hold a "business passport" are refused entry into the United Arab Emirates, but are allowed to transit in the UAE.[23]
The UAE visa or residence permit is accepted as a substitute visa and this visa allows simplified entry into the following countries:
Armenia – UAE residents may obtain a visa on arrival valid for up to 120 days.[38]
Azerbaijan – UAE resident may 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.[39]
Georgia – UAE residents and visa holders may enter Georgia without visa for 90 days within any 180-day period. UAE visa and/or a residence permit must be valid on the day of entry into Georgia.[40]
Kyrgyzstan – Citizens of Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tunisia and Yemen who are UAE residents can obtain a short-term entry-exit visa under a simplified procedure.[38]
Uzbekistan – Since June 2022, UAE residents with residency valid for at least 90 days can enter Uzbekistan visa-free for 30 days.[41]Most visitors[note 1] arriving toEmirate of Dubai were from the following countries of nationality:[42][43][44][45]
| Country | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 India | 1,842,000 | 1,970,000 | 2,032,000 | 2,073,000 | 1,800,000 | 1,601,000 |
 Oman | 1,311,000 | 1,030,000 | 829,000 | 862,000 | 1,037,000 | 1,002,000 |
 Saudi Arabia | 1,216,000 | 1,565,000 | 1,568,000 | 1,529,000 | 1,638,000 | 1,542,000 |
 United Kingdom | 1,043,000 | 1,200,000 | 1,212,000 | 1,265,000 | 1,245,000 | 1,188,000 |
 Russia | 758,000 | 728,000 | 678,000 | 530,000 | 240,000 | 211,000 |
 United States | 590,000 | 667,000 | 656,000 | 633,000 | 607,000 | 602,000 |
 Germany | 422,000 | 560,000 | 567,000 | 506,000 | 462,000 | 461,000 |
 China | n/a | 989,000 | 857,000 | 764,000 | 540,000 | 450,000 |
 Pakistan | n/a | 501,000 | 513,000 | 598,000 | 607,000 | 513,000 |
| Total | 14,360,000 | 16,730,000 | 15,920,000 | 15,790,000 | 14,900,000 | 14,200,000 |
Hotel guests[note 2] checking in hotels in theEmirate of Abu Dhabi were from the following countries of nationality:[46]
| Country | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 450,000 | 416,000 | 360,000 |
| China | 396,000 | 401,000 | 372,000 |
| United Kingdom | 267,000 | 278,000 | 261,000 |
| United States | 204,000 | 194,000 | 164,000 |
 Egypt | 184,000 | 169,000 | 160,000 |
 Philippines | 175,000 | 183,000 | 181,000 |
| Saudi Arabia | 163,000 | 168,000 | 152,000 |
| Germany | 128,000 | 142,000 | 131,000 |
| Total | 5,100,000 | 5,043,821 | 4,852,405 |
