UAE Dubai free visit visa countries  

UAE and Dubai visit visas free on arrival for some nationalities

Important

Visit visas as of early 2009 appear to be valid for 30 days (not 1 month, 60 days, or 2 months), irrespective of what the passport stamp or immigration officials tell you. Confusion with visa rules in the UAE is common. Mind the gap.

Free Visit Visa on arrival nationalities (valid for 30 days)

Visit visas can be obtained on arrival in Dubai and UAE if you are a national of one of the 33 (or 34) countries in the following table. No prior arrangements need to be made and the visa stamp is free when arriving at Dubai International Airport, Abu Dhabi Airport, or other airports. You might have to pay 20 or 30 dhs at UAE land borders. Nationals of these countries can also get their UAE visas renewed more easily, for example by driving to Oman and back (but confirm you can get an Omani visa at the border first).

Update after new visa rules from 29 July 2008: It appears that the free visit visa on arrival nationalities can still do visa runs as before but mixed information about visa duration - it was 30 days from start of new visa rules, then changed to 60 days sometime during August 2008 for the free visit visa on arrival nationalities, but back to 30 days in January 2009 (with visitors being given conflicting information from various authorities).

1. Malta unconfirmed if included or not, is not on 33 country list on DNRD website (last checked 12 February 2009).
2. Paraguay was not in the original list of countries but was seen in a list published by the Gulf News (a UAE newspaper) on 25 December 2006. Is not on DNRD website 33 country list (last checked 12 February 2009).

25 December 2006 - Gulf News (a UAE newspaper) reported that 'visas on arrival' were under review by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, especially for European countries that have more restrictive entry procedures for UAE nationals. So far nothing seems to have changed i.e. Western Europeans can still get a free UAE visit visa on arrival.

Indian citizens visa on arrival

A 01 October 2009 report in the Khaleej Times said that Rajinder Rai, the President of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), had proposed to the Dubai Department of Tourism and Marketing (DTCM) that a visa-on-arrival facility for Indian nationals visiting the UAE would be a good idea, and result in at least a 20% increase in the number of Indian tourists to the UAE.

Visit Visa renewal / extension

Nationalities of countries that obtain a free visit visa on arrival in Dubai have two options for visa renewals and extensions.

• Visa extension - can be done once for 30 days at the DNRD or other UAE immigration department if you arrived in a different emirate. Cost is about 500 dhs and procedure is relatively quick and painless - bring passport of course.
• Visa renewal - cross a border and come back into the UAE with a new 30 day visit visa. This takes longer depending on how far away from a border you live, but you don't have to pay 500 dhs. Can be repeated multiple times (unknown how many - there are some residents who have been doing this for years, literally, but you never know when that might change).

Last update Thursday 01-Oct-2009

Related pages

• Immigration department Dubai (same as the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department)
• Immigration departments UAE - list of other NRD offices in the UAE
• New UAE visa rules - new rules apply from 29 July 2008 / 01 August 2008 (forum topic)
• UAE renew visit visa - options and visa run details

Related websites (open in new window)

• Dubai directory - add your link free

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