Visa Information

Please note that visa regulations and costs are subject to change. Remember to check with your travel agent or the nearest UAE embassy before traveling.UAE has decided to reduce the visit visa period for citizens of 33 countries who are allowed to enter the UAE without a prior visa to one month non-renewable instead of three months. A charge of Dhs100 for each visa will be collected at all entry points to UAE.

This would apply to citizens from France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Cyprus, Finland, Malta, Spain, Monaco, Vatican, Iceland, Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Visit Visa

Except for citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council who do not require a visa and those belonging to nationalities that are automatically entitled to visit visas on entry, all other visitors, wishing to stay longer than 14 days in the UAE, must obtain a visit visa in advance through a sponsor. The sponsor could be your travel agency, your hotel, the company or department with which you are doing business in the UAE, or an individual (e.g.:- a relative or friend resident in the UAE).

Citizens of the UK (with right of abode in the UK) will be granted a free of charge visit visa on arrival in the UAE. Passports will be stamped with the visit visa as you pass through Immigration at any airport in the UAE. Although the visa may be stamped for 30 days, it entitles the holder to stay in the country for 60 days and may be renewed once for an additional period of 30 days against a fee of Dh500.

You can pick up the visit visa on arrival at the airport, but there is a fee of Dh100 plus a Dh10 delivery charge for this service. In order to complete your application, your sponsor will require your date of arrival, flight details, and a photocopy of the first few pages of your passport, which should be valid for at least three months.

A hotel will only provide a visa if you are a guest. An individual can sponsor a visit visa if he or she earns over Dh 4000 per month and holds a valid residence visa. Your visit visa must be deposited at the airport immigration one hour before the arrival of your flight. (Please note that your airline may require a photocopy before departure that a valid visa awaits you on arrival.)

Please note that holders of British Passports, who do not have the right of abode in the UK, need visas to enter the UAE.

Tourist Visa

This special category of visit visa is available for individual tourists from East and West Europe who are not entitled to be issued with a visa on arrival, as well as visitors from Thailand, South Africa and China. The tourist visa, which must be sponsored by hotels and tour operators, entitles its holder to a 30-day stay and is non-renewable. The fee is Dh100, with an additional Dh10 for delivery.

Entry Service Permit

An entry service permit (sometimes referred to as a 14-day stay) is available to businessmen and tourists. The permit must be sponsored by a company or commercial establishment or a hotel licensed to operate within the UAE. The visa, which is non-renewable, is valid for 14 days from the date of issue and the duration of stay is 14 days from date of entry, exclusive of arrival and departure days. There is a fee of Dh120 plus Dh10 delivery charge for obtaining an entry service permit. Allow at least two weeks for processing of the permit.

Transit Visa

If you are flying to or from Europe or the United States, to Asia or Africa and passing through UAE airports, you can obtain a special 96-hour transit visa. You must be sponsored by an airline operating in the UAE and you must have a valid ticket for your onward flight. Your travel documents will be stamped with an entry seal and there is no charge for this visa.

Multiple Entry Visa

This is an option for business visitors who are frequent visitors to the UAE and who have a relationship with a reputable company in the UAE. Valid for six months from date of issue, each visit must not exceed 30 days in total. This visa costs Dh1000. The visitor must enter the UAE on a visit visa and obtain the multiple entry visas while in the country.

German citizens (both tourists and business visitors) may apply to the UAE embassy in Germany for a one or two year multiple-entry visa. No sponsor is required. The maximum duration of stay should not exceed three months a year. The visa fee is Dh1500.

US citizens may apply to the UAE embassy in the US for one to ten year multiple-entry visas. A sponsor is required and the visa will be granted free of charge. The maximum duration of stay should not exceed six months per visit.

Documents

To obtain a visa from a UAE embassy, you will need the following:·

• Passport
• 2 Photographs
• Application form in duplicate
• Letter or fax from the sponsor in the UAE to the embassy concerned
• Letter from the applicant's company, plus photocopy

IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENTS

• Ras Al Khaimah
• Tel: +971 7 227 3333

• Abu Dhabi
• Saeed bin Tahnoon Street, Abu Dhabi
• Tel: +971 2 446 2244

• Al-Ain
• Aditaba Road, near Dubai Islamic Bank, opposite Carrefour supermarket
• Tel: +971 3 762 5555

• Dubai
• Department of Naturalization and Residency, Trade Centre Road, near Bur Dubai Police Station
• Tel: +971 4 398 0000

• Sharjah
• Department for Naturalization and Residence, near General Post Office
• Tel: +971 6 572 6777

• Umm Al Quwain
• Tel: +971 6 766 6419

• Ajman
• Tel: +971 6 742 2255