Visa Agency in Dubai: How to Check One Is Licensed Before You Pay

A licensed Dubai visa agency will give you four things without being asked: a trade licence number, a website on a .ae domain, a payment page that belongs to a named payment processor, and the price and visa type in writing before you pay. If any one of the four is missing, stop and ask for it. This page explains each check, so you can run it on us or on anyone else.

For the record, edubaivisa.ae is operated by ONLY TOURISM L.L.C, registered in Dubai under trade licence number 690148.

The four checks, in order

Run these before any money moves. Together they take about two minutes.

• Ask for the trade licence number. A licensed UAE company will quote it immediately and put it in writing. Ours is 690148, held by ONLY TOURISM L.L.C. An agency that will not give you a number, or gives one that does not match the company name on the invoice, has failed the first check.
• Check the domain ends in .ae. A .ae domain is issued inside the UAE and is tied to a registered UAE business. Our only website is edubaivisa.ae. If you have reached us through any other address, including one that looks similar with a different ending, you are not on our site.
• Look at who takes the payment. The payment page should belong to a named processor and the address bar should show https. We use Stripe, and we never see or store your card number. An agency asking you to send money to a personal bank account or by cash transfer is not running a licensed payment flow.
• Get the visa type and the full price in writing. Before you pay, you should have the exact visa, the exact total, and what happens if the application is refused. If the price changes after you have paid, you had no agreement to begin with.

What a visit visa agency can and cannot do

This is where most disappointment starts, so it is worth being plain about it.

An agency can prepare your application, check the documents before they go in, submit it, track it, and fix and resubmit it if something is wrong. That is genuine work and it is what you are paying for.

An agency cannot approve your visa. UAE immigration makes that decision, and nobody can guarantee the outcome or make it arrive faster. Any agency promising guaranteed approval is either misunderstanding its own role or misleading you.

It is also worth checking that the agency does the kind of visa you actually need. We handle visit, tourist and transit visas, including 14 day, 30 day and 60 day visas. Employment visas, residency and family sponsorship sit under a different licence category and a different process, so an agency that offers everything to everyone is worth a second look.

When paying an agency is worth it

Plenty of people do not need one. These are the cases where the fee usually earns itself back:

• You are travelling soon. Fewer than four working days before the flight leaves little room to correct a mistake. Our processing time guide explains how working days are counted.
• You have been refused before, or you have overstayed. A second application after a refusal needs to be right first time, and the reason for the first refusal changes how you approach it.
• Your documents need explaining. Documents in another language, a name spelled differently across your passport and your bank statements, or an unusual travel history.
• You are applying for several people. A family or a group multiplies both the paperwork and the chance of one small error holding everyone up.

When you do not need one

If this is a straightforward first application, your flight is more than a week away, and your documents are clean and in English, you can reasonably apply yourself. Our guide to the requirements and the process walks through it, and it starts with whether you need a visa at all, because some passports get a visa on arrival.

We would rather tell you that than take a fee for work you did not need.

Warning signs worth walking away from

• No trade licence number, or one that does not match the name on the invoice.
• Payment by personal bank transfer, cash, or a messaging app.
• A guarantee of approval, or a promise to get a refused application approved.
• A lookalike web address. Check the ending carefully, not just the brand name.
• A price that moves after you have paid, or fees that appear one at a time.
• No written confirmation of the visa type before payment.

If you think you have already paid someone who fits this description, our guide to avoiding Dubai visa scams covers what to do next.

How to run these checks on us

• Licence: ONLY TOURISM L.L.C, trade licence number 690148, registered in Dubai.
• Website: edubaivisa.ae, and no other address.
• Payments: handled by Stripe over https. We do not store card details.
• What other travellers say: our reviews page collects feedback from people who applied and travelled, currently averaging 4.9.
• Talk to a person: contact us Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 7 PM GST. If you have already applied, you can track your application at any time.

When you are ready, compare every option and price on our Dubai visa page, or start a Dubai e-visa application directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if a Dubai visa agency is licensed?

Ask for its trade licence number and check that it matches the company name on the invoice. A licensed UAE company will give you the number straight away. Also check that the website ends in .ae, which is issued inside the UAE to registered businesses.

Is edubaivisa.ae legitimate?

Yes. edubaivisa.ae is operated by ONLY TOURISM L.L.C, registered in Dubai under trade licence number 690148. Payments are processed by Stripe and we do not store card details. edubaivisa.ae is our only website.

Can a visa agency guarantee my visa will be approved?

No. UAE immigration decides every application, and no agency can guarantee approval or overturn a refusal. An agency that promises guaranteed approval is not being straight with you.

Do I need an agency to apply for a Dubai visit visa?

Not always. If it is a straightforward first application, your travel is more than a week away and your documents are clear, you can apply yourself. An agency is most useful for urgent travel, a previous refusal, unusual documents, or group applications.

How should a visa agency take payment?

Through a named payment processor on a secure page, with the full price agreed in writing beforehand. Requests to pay into a personal bank account, in cash, or through a messaging app are a reason to stop.

What should I get in writing before I pay?

The exact visa type, the full total including every fee, the expected processing time, and what happens if the application is refused.

Does eDubai Visa handle employment or residency visas?

No. We handle visit, tourist and transit visas, including visas for GCC residents. Employment, residency and family sponsorship fall under a different licence category and a different process.

What do I do if I have paid a fake visa agency?

Stop sending money and documents, keep every receipt and message, and contact your bank or card provider about a chargeback. Our guide to avoiding Dubai visa scams explains the steps in more detail.