How to Apply for a Dubai Visit Visa: Step by Step for 2026

To get a Dubai visit visa, choose a visa for the length of your trip (14, 30 or 60 days, single or multiple entry), upload a passport scan and a photo, and pay online. The visa arrives as a PDF by email, usually in 3 to 4 working days, or 24 to 36 hours on express. Some passports do not need to apply at all, because they get a visa on arrival. You must enter within 60 days of the visa being issued, and your stay counts from the day you land.

This guide follows the whole journey in order: whether you need a visa, which one to pick, how to apply, what to check on the visa, what happens at the airport and the rules once you are in.

Do you need a visa for Dubai?

It depends on the passport you travel on, and sometimes on what else is in it:

• Citizens of GCC countries (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman) do not need a visa.
• Some nationalities get a visa on arrival, free or for a fee. The list changes, so check your passport against the current list from the ICP before you fly.
• Some travellers qualify through another country's visa. Indian citizens who already hold an American, British or European visa or residence card, for example, can get their visa at the airport on arrival. Our guide for Indian travellers has the details.
• Residents of a GCC country who are not GCC citizens can use the GCC resident visa.
• Everyone else applies before travelling. That is what the rest of this guide covers.

If you are only changing planes and stay inside the airport, you do not need a visa at all. Our transit visa guide explains when a layover does need one.

Choose your visa

Prices are per traveller, children included. One exit ends a single entry visa, so if your trip includes a hop to Oman or anywhere else, choose multiple entry. Our guides to choosing 14, 30 or 60 days and 30 or 60 day multiple entry help with the choice.

How to apply in five steps

1. Pick your visa and enter your travel dates.
2. Type your details exactly as printed in your passport: full name in the same order, date of birth, passport number and nationality.
3. Upload four documents, listed just below.
4. Choose the speed and pay online by card. Regular processing: 3 to 4 working days. Express: 24 to 36 hours, $50 extra.
5. Get the approved visa by email, as a PDF. Until then, the tracking page shows where your application stands.

The four documents:

• Passport: the photo page, scanned in colour, valid for six more months or longer
• Photo: taken recently, plain white background, face fully visible
• Ticket: a return or onward flight that leaves within your stay
• Where you will stay: a hotel booking, or the address and phone number of the person hosting you

There is no embassy appointment and nothing to post. Aim to apply 7 to 14 days before departure; applying more than 60 days early wastes the entry window. For a group, see what each visa costs before you start.

After approval: check five things on your visa

Open the PDF as soon as it arrives and check, before you book anything that cannot be changed:

• Your name, spelled and ordered exactly as in your passport
• Your passport number
• Your nationality
• The visa type and length of stay you paid for
• The date by which you must enter the UAE

If anything is wrong, contact us straight away. A mismatch is far easier to fix before you travel than at the airport. Then save the PDF on your phone and print a copy; airlines can ask to see it at check in.

What happens when you land at Dubai airport

1. Follow the signs for Arrivals and Passport Control.
2. Join the queue for visitors, not the one for UAE citizens and residents.
3. Hand over your passport. Your visa is linked to it electronically, but keep the PDF ready in case the officer asks.
4. Your photo is taken at the desk, and some visitors are also asked for fingerprints or an eye scan.
5. Once you are cleared, collect your bags and head for the exit.

Your stay starts from this moment, so make a note of the date.

Rules for your stay

• Your stay counts from the day you enter, not the day the visa was issued. Our guide on how the days are counted shows real dates.
• One visa covers all seven emirates: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
• Working in the UAE is not allowed on a visit visa.
• Overstaying costs AED 50 a day, and you should not count on any grace period. See what to do if you overstay.
• You can usually extend once by 30 days without leaving, as long as you apply before the visa expires. See how to extend a visit visa.

Mistakes first time visitors make

• A name that does not match the passport. Missing a middle name or swapping the order is enough to hold up an application.
• A blurred or angled passport scan. Our team sees this more than any other cause of refusal.
• A passport with less than six months left. Renew it first.
• Counting the stay from the visa date. Book the return flight from the day you will land.
• Single entry with a side trip. Leaving the UAE ends a single entry visa.
• Leaving it late in busy seasons. See how long a Dubai visa takes.

Refused anyway? Our rejection guide explains why immigration never gives a reason, and what to change before you try again.

About this guide

UAE immigration sets the entry rules and the visa on arrival lists, and can update them with little notice. The prices and timings in this guide were checked against our own visa pages on 21 October 2026. Whether a visa is approved is always immigration's decision.

eDubai Visa is a trading name of Only Tourism L.L.C., licensed by Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (licence 690148). Ready to apply? Compare all Dubai visas side by side.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for a Dubai visit visa?

Choose your visa, enter your details exactly as in your passport, upload a passport scan and a photo, and pay online. The visa arrives as a PDF by email, usually in 3 to 4 working days.

Do I need a visa to visit Dubai?

It depends on your passport. GCC citizens do not, some nationalities get a visa on arrival, and most others apply before travelling. Check the current ICP list for your passport.

How long does a Dubai visit visa take?

Regular processing takes 3 to 4 working days; express takes 24 to 36 hours and costs $50 more. Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays do not count.

How much is a Dubai visit visa?

A single entry visa costs $185 (14 days), $205 (30 days) or $325 (60 days). Multiple entry is $320 for 30 days or $390 for 60. Prices are per traveller.

Is a Dubai visit visa valid in Abu Dhabi?

Yes. It covers all seven emirates, so you can travel freely between Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the others.

When does my stay start?

On the day you enter the UAE, not the day the visa was issued. You must use the visa to enter within 60 days of issue.

Can I work on a Dubai visit visa?

No. Working in the UAE is not allowed on a visit visa, and breaking that rule risks a fine, removal from the country and an entry ban.

Do I need to print my Dubai visa?

Carry a printed copy and a copy on your phone. The visa is linked to your passport, but airlines can ask to see it at check in.