Dubai (UAE) Visa & Entry Requirements (2026)
There's no single answer — it depends on your passport. As of 2026, most Western nationalities (US, UK, EU/Schengen, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) get a free 90-day visa on arrival, multiple entry, no advance application. This is a relatively recent change — before September 2024, many of these same nationalities were capped at 30 days — so verify the current rule for your passport before booking, since visa policy has shifted more than once in the last two years.
Visa questions are the one place a generic travel-blog answer can genuinely cost you money or get you turned away at check-in. Dubai's rules have moved around more than most destinations' in the last couple of years, so here's the real, current breakdown by nationality — not a recycled list from 2022.
Last checked 15 July 2026 directly against the UAE's own official sources — the Official UAE Government Portal's visa-on-arrival page (eligibility and stay length by nationality), the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) (entry permits, extensions and amendments once you're in the country), and Dubai's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA-Dubai) (the airport-level list of exactly which passports get stamped in on arrival) — not just this page's own history. UAE visa rules have shifted more than once in the last two years (the September 2024 jump from 30 to 90 days, then further on-arrival expansions rolling through 2026), so we re-verify against those three sources every few weeks rather than trusting our own last edit. Spotted something that's changed since? Tell us and we'll fix it fast.
Visa-free / visa-on-arrival entry by nationality (as of 2026)
| Passport | Current entry | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Free visa on arrival, up to 90 days | Multiple entry; no advance application or fee. Extended from 30 to 90 days in September 2024. |
| United Kingdom | Free visa on arrival, up to 90 days | Same terms as the US — no advance application, no fee. |
| EU / Schengen countries | Free entry, up to 90 days within any 180-day period | Covered under the UAE's broader visa-exemption scheme for the EU/Schengen area. |
| Canada | Free visa on arrival, up to 90 days | Same terms as the US and UK. |
| Australia, New Zealand | Free visa on arrival, up to 90 days | Same terms as above; older sources quoting 30 days are out of date. |
| India | Visa on arrival only with qualifying credentials; otherwise apply in advance | Gets a visa on arrival only if holding a valid US, EU, Canada, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore or South Korea visa, residence permit or Green Card (a UK visa no longer qualifies as of 2026). Without one of those, an Indian passport holder must arrange a UAE e-visa in advance through an airline, hotel or travel agent. |
| China | Visa-free, up to 90 days per 180-day period | No application needed at all — extended from 30 to 90 days in April 2025, a more generous rule than most nationalities on this list get. |
| Gulf states (Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries) | No visa needed at all | GCC nationals (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar) enter with just a passport or national ID card, no formal stay-length paperwork. |
| South Africa | Visa on arrival only with qualifying credentials; otherwise apply in advance | Since 25 June 2026, gets a 14- or 60-day visa on arrival if holding a valid US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore or South Korea visa or residence permit; without one, a UAE e-visa must be arranged in advance. |
| Brazil and most of Latin America | Mostly visa-free, up to 90 days per 12 months | Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Colombia get straightforward visa-free entry. Mexican passport holders instead get an easy visa-on-arrival (a 180-day multiple-entry visit visa) rather than full visa exemption — check your specific country before booking. |
| Malaysia | Fully visa-free, no paperwork on arrival | Malaysia (along with Singapore) gets unrestricted visa-free access under a longstanding ASEAN-UAE arrangement — unlike its neighbors below. |
| Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam | Visa on arrival only with qualifying credentials; otherwise apply in advance | Since 25 June 2026, gets a 14- or 60-day visa on arrival if holding a valid US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore or South Korea visa or residence permit; without one, a UAE e-visa must be arranged in advance. |
| Other nationalities | Varies — 30, 60, or 90 days depending on passport | Check the UAE's current visa-on-arrival list for your specific passport; some nationalities need a visa arranged in advance. |
UAE visa policy for Western nationalities changed materially in September 2024 (30 days became 90 days) and the on-arrival program has continued expanding to more nationalities since — most recently a June 2026 expansion covering several more countries under specific residence-permit conditions. Given how much this has shifted, check the current rule for your specific passport within a week or two of booking, not months in advance, and use an official source (your country's UAE embassy, or the UAE government portal) rather than an old blog post.
Passport and entry basics
- Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from your date of entry into the UAE.
- Airlines and immigration may ask for proof of onward or return travel — have a digital or printed copy of your return ticket ready.
- There is no online arrival form required for most nationalities (unlike some destinations' digital arrival cards) — just a valid passport and, where applicable, your visa-on-arrival stamp.
Extending your stay
As of early 2026, the grace period previously offered on overstays was removed — overstay fines now apply from day one at a flat daily rate, so don't plan on quietly running a few extra days past your visa's expiry. Shorter visa-on-arrival stays (30 or 60 days for eligible nationalities) can often be extended for a fee through the UAE's ICP portal, sometimes without needing to leave the country; 90-day visa-on-arrival stays for US/UK/EU/Canada/Australia nationalities are generally not extendable beyond the 90-day, 180-day-window cap without a different visa category.
If your nationality isn't in the main list
The UAE's visa-on-arrival program has expanded several times in the past two years to cover more nationalities, often tied to holding a valid visa or residence permit from a 'major economy' country (US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, Japan, and a few others). If your passport isn't on the standard list, check whether you qualify under one of these residence-permit routes before assuming you need a full visa application in advance.
Applying for a UAE e-visa in advance, if you need one
If your nationality doesn't qualify for visa-free entry or a visa on arrival, a UAE e-visa is typically arranged through an airline (Emirates, flydubai, Etihad), a hotel, or a licensed travel agent rather than a government portal directly — processing usually takes a few business days, so apply at least a week before you fly, longer during peak season (November-March).
Just transiting through Dubai on a layover?
If you're staying airside and continuing on a connecting flight without leaving the airport, most nationalities don't need any transit visa at all. If you do want to leave the airport during a longer layover, or your onward connection doesn't qualify for the airside allowance, a 96-hour transit visa is available — the official government fee is AED 50 (about $14), though total cost through an airline or visa-service provider (who typically handle the paperwork) usually runs closer to AED 230-380 (roughly $63-103) once processing fees are added. Check with your airline first, since many (particularly Emirates and flydubai) can arrange it directly as part of your booking.
Traveling with children
Kids need their own passport and are subject to the same visa-on-arrival or visa-exemption rules as an adult of the same nationality — there's no separate children's entry category. One thing worth planning ahead for: if a child is traveling with only one parent, or with a grandparent or other relative, some airlines and immigration checks ask for a consent letter from the non-traveling parent (or both parents, if neither is present) confirming the child has permission to travel. Requirements vary by airline and aren't always enforced, but carrying a simple signed letter (and a copy of the child's birth certificate) removes any risk of an awkward conversation at check-in or arrival.