With the onset of Dubai electronic visa, travellers and visitors find it very convenient to travel to this part of the world. Entry to the United Arab Emirates is facilitated at two major international airports - Dubai International Airport & Abu Dhabi International Airport.

Travellers need to apply for Dubai visa while making an entry to the land of The United Arab Emirates. UAE grants visa free-entry to GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) nationals. They are required to present their GCC country passport at the immigration desk or the point of entry into the United Arab Emirates. GCC nationals do not require any permit or visa from a local sponsor or citizen. GCC nationals are granted Dubai entry permit based on their passport. Their GCC country passport is the prime and only requirement for Dubai entry.

Travellers who belong to countries granted a visa on arrival status also need not apply for a Dubai visa. They can gain UAE entry permit by simply going in for Dubai visa on arrival. They just need to produce their country passport at the Immigration desk. The Dubai Entry Visa stamp will be granted to them. It depends on which visa do you opt for. Dubai visa on arrival can also be understood as an Entry visa or Dubai Entry visa.

Visa on arrival can be granted for 30 days and 90 days respectively. Dubai visa for 30 days has a 10 days grace period and valid stay is 30 days upon receiving the official stamp.

Indian nationals do enjoy a Dubai Entry visa for a valid stay period of 14 days if :

  • They hold a passport issued by the United States of America (USA)
  • They hold a passport and green card issued by the United States of America
  • They hold a passport with residence visa issued by the United Kingdom
  • They hold a passport and visa issued by EU

*Please note that green card or visa should stand valid for 6 months from the day of arrival in UAE.

Visa in Advance

Citizens who do not enjoy the privilege of visa on arrival or visa-free Dubai entry permit have to apply and gain a Dubai visa in advance and might also require a sponsor to support the same.

Categories of Entry Permit

The kind of entry permit solely depends on your purpose of travel to the United Arab Emirates.

  • Tourism
  • Work
  • Transit
  • Visit 

UAE Entry Requirements

The necessities required for UAE entry permit are as follows:

  1. You need a sponsor who can apply for a permit for the applicant. The sponsor could be:
    • Local citizen
    • Expat with valid residency
    • UAE based airline
    • UAE based hotel or tour operator
    • Government entity
    • Free zones or private sector entities
  2. Dubai entry permit seekers are required to carry a valid passport that bears a validity of 6 months.
  3. You should not carry a travel ban status if you are seeking UAE entry permit. In such cases, you require special approvals to re-enter the region.

Visa Policy and UAE Entry Permit

The local authorities who have been assigned the task of permits work closely under the procedures and regulation set by the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) and Directorates of Residency and Foreign Affairs in each emirate.

You should check your nationality before you apply for Dubai visa on arrival or you wish to seek Dubai Entry visa. 

Entry Permits Come With Validity

The valid period of stay in Dubai depends on the Dubai entry permit granted to you. The validity for GCC national is 30 days. Whereas the validity for UAE permit for tourism or visit will be of 30 or 60 days depending on the approved UAE permit. Validity also implies multiple entry and temporary work permits as well. 

To all - It is important to note that working on Dubai visitor visa or Dubai Tourism visa is illegal in the United Arab Emirates. According to the Labour Laws, a person is only permitted to work in the United Arab Emirates if an Employment visa or a work permit has been issued in his name. Any person violating the policies and regulations of the labour Laws are subject to serious fines and even deportation.