05 November 2024, Updated
Dubai Immigration, offers Dubai visa on-arrival only to citizens whose origin or passports are from some selected countries. UAE offers several types of on arrival visas, including on arrival visas that are valid for 180, 90, 30, and 14 days. Also the on-arrival visa holders have the ability to request for extensions, as well as change their on arrival visas to residence visas.
Dubai Visa on-arrival, offered by UAE immigration, is a facility that allows tourists to enter Dubai, or any other Emirate in UAE. Dubai on-arrival visa, consists of the following features:
Can be obtained, after landing at the Dubai airport. It does not have to be pre-arranged
before entering Dubai.
When you arrive at the airport, the authorities in charge at the immigration counter,
stamp the on-arrival visa onto your passport.
Once your visa proceeds with the required biometric procedures, the visa gets updated into
the Amer system and ICA system.
On-arrival visas can be obtained by individuals who are citizens or holding passports of
some selected countries.
Three of the four visa types are provided free while one is issued after paying a
fee.
Dubai immigration issues four types of Dubai on-arrival visas Out of those four on-arrival visa types, three types are offered free of charge. The other visa type is offered after paying a fee.
The 4 types of on-arrival visas are;
1On-arrival visa valid for 30 days
2On-arrival visa valid for 90 days
3On-arrival visa valid for 180 days
4On-arrival visa valid for 14 days
Free
Free
on arrival
on arrival
Features available, for the 30-day on arrival visa are as follows;
Cost: Free
Entry Type: Single Entry Visa
Validity Period: 40 days from the date of
issuance
Permitted Stay Duration:
- 40 days from the date of issue (30 days + 10 days grace period)
- Failing to exit the county, or failing to extend the visa, will result in fines
Extension Options:
Can request visa extension
- if you request an extension via the immigration authority, you can get an extension for 70 days
- if you wish to stay longer, request an extension by contacting Arabiers
Important:
- A new 30-day on arrival visa is issued to an individual, each time he/she leaves and re-enters the country
- There is no limit to the number of 30-day on arrival visas issued per person, annually. Rejecting or issuing a visa is the sole discretion of the immigration authorities.
Citizens or travelers holding passports from the following countries, are eligible to get a 30-day on arrival visa to Dubai:
| Andorra | Brunei | Hong Kong, China |
| Kazakhstan | Macau, China | Malaysia |
| Mauritius | Monaco | Mongolia |
| Republic of Ireland | Ukraine | Uzbekistan |
| Vatican City |
The features, of the 90-day on-arrival Dubai visa are as follows:
Cost: Free
Entry type: Multi Entry
Validity period: 6 months from the date of
issuance (180 days)
Permitted Stay Duration
90 days must be completed within the validity period of 6 months. No grace period
Extension Options
This visa is non-extendable.
Citizens or travelers holding passports from the following countries, are eligible to get a 90-day on arrival visa to Dubai:
| Argentina | Austria | Bahamas Islands |
| Barbados | Belgium | Brazil |
| Bulgaria | Chile | Colombia |
| Costa Rica | Croatia | Cyprus |
| Czech Republic | Denmark | El Salvador |
| Estonia | Finland | France |
| Germany | Greece | Honduras |
| Hungary | Iceland | Italy |
| Kiribati | Latvia | Liechtenstein |
| Lithuania | Luxembourg | Maldives |
| Malta | Montenegro | Nauru |
| Netherlands | Norway | Paraguay |
| Peru | Poland | Portugal |
| Romania | Russian Federation | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| San Marino | Serbia | Seychelles |
| Slovakia | Slovenia | Solomon Islands |
| South Korea | Spain | Sweden |
| Switzerland | Uruguay |
Below, are the features and the visa requirements of the 180-day on-arrival visa:
Cost: Free
Entry type: Multiple Entry
Validity period: 6 months from the date of issuance
(180 days)
Permitted stay duration:
180 days must be completed within the validity period of 6 months.
Eligibility:
Citizens or travelers holding passports from Mexico
Features of the 14-day on-arrival visa, and the eligible countries, to get this on-arrival visa, are as follows;
Cost: AED 120 (may subject to change)
Entry type: Single Entry Visa
Validity Period: 14 days from the date of issuance
- 14 days from the date of issuance
- Failing to exit Dubai, or failing to request an extension, may result in fines
- If an extension is requested, permitted stay duration will be 28 days
Extension Options:
Can request for extensions
- An extension for another 14 days, can be requested.
- It will cost approximately AED 250 (may subject to change)
- Extension can be requested only once
Eligibility:
Indian passport holders, who hold a valid residence visa, issued by UK or EU countries.
(Minimum validity period of the residence visa must be 6 months)
Or
Indian passport holders, having a green card or visitor visa issued by the USA.
(Minimum validity period of the green card or visitor visa must be 6 months)
Important:
- Although this is an on arrival visa, UAE government strongly advises the eligible nationalities to apply for this on-arrival visa, before entering to Dubai.
- They can apply through GDRFA.
- They can apply through GDRFA.
Travelers, who obtain a 30-day on arrival visa, can extend their visa for another 20 days. They also get a grace period of 10 days. Altogether, 30-day on arrival visa holders can get another 30 days, as an extension.
Available extension procedures for 30-day on-arrival visa holders are:
Option 01Airport to Airport Visa Exchange
Option 02Oman Border Run
Option 0390-days In Country Visa Extension
In case you already know that you will have to stay in Dubai for more than 30 days, then, in such situations, you can directly buy a 60-day prepaid visa, before visiting Dubai. Getting a prepaid visa will allow you to stay for 60 days in Dubai.
Accordingly, you have two ways to stay 60 days in Dubai:
Travelers with this on-arrival visa type, have a validity period of 180 days from the date of visa issuance. Meaning, they have to spend those 90 days, within 180 days.
If a traveler with this visa type stays in Dubai for 90 days straight, then he/she cannot get a new 90-day on-arrival visa, until the validity period of the previous visa ends.
In such situations, they have to request for an extension. Available extension procedures for 90-day on-arrival visa holders, are-
Option 01Airport to Airport Visa Exchange
Option 02Oman Border Run
Option 0390-days In Country Visa Extension
Travelers with a 14-day on-arrival visa, can extend their visa using the following procedures:
Option 01Airport to Airport Visa Exchange
Option 02Oman Border Run
Option 0390-days In Country Visa Extension
Travelers, eligible for a 14-day on-arrival visa, also can request for an extension through GDRFA or directly via Dubai immigration. This way, they can get another 14-day extension for 250 AED.
Following is some important Dubai on-arrival visa related information, you need to know:
Grace period refers to a specific number of days given as a buffer,
within which the
visa holder has to leave the country or extend their stay by applying for a new visa or
extending their current visa.
You cannot get any type of on arrival visas online. As the name
suggests, an
on-arrival Dubai visa is issued at the immigration counter of the Dubai airport. The
issued visa gets updated into the AMER and ICA systems, after all the biometric
procedures are completed.
The process of getting an on arrival visa to Dubai is quite simple –
If you are a citizen from a country that is not on the list of selected countries,
then you have to apply for a prepaid visa, and wait for its approval. There are several
prepaid visa options, for you to choose from;
If you have a valid passport, you can apply for a Dubai prepaid visa. This does not include a specific eligibility criteria.
However, there are some documents for you to submit, in order to support your visa approval procedure. These documents, are as follows:
Coloured photograph of yourself, taken against a white background
Coloured copy of the bio page of your passport (passport must be
valid for at at least 3 months) Duly completed application form Copy of the return flight ticket Citizens from certain countries may have to submit additional
documents, along with the documents listed above. For instance:–
Need help with your visa process, including the documentation procedure? Please contact our Arabiers team, and get assistance for everything related to your Dubai stay.
Here are the Dubai prepaid visa types that any traveler can opt in to purchase, to visit Dubai.
30-day Tourist Visa:
- An extendable visa, that allows its holder to
stay in Dubai for 30 days.
60-day Tourist Visa:
- An extendable visa, that permits its holder to
stay in Dubai for 60 days.
30-day Tourist Visa:
- An extendable visa, that permits its holder to stay in Dubai for 30 days.
- Within this 30-day period, the holder can leave and re-enter Dubai multiple times.
60-day Tourist Visa:
- An extendable visa, that permits its holder to stay in Dubai for 60 days.
- Within this 60-day period, the holder can leave and re-enter Dubai multiple times.
- ideal for transit passengers with layovers at the Dubai airport
48-hour transit visa:
- A non-extendable visa, that permits the holder
to be in Dubai for approximately 2 days.
96-hour transit visa:
- A non-extendable visa, that permits the holder
to stay in Dubai for 4 days, from the date of entry.
Citizens from the following countries may face difficulties in securing visas, due to various reasons, such as – due to issues in the region. Therefore, the citizens are recommended to be updated accordingly.
Overstaying fine, is a fine charged by the immigration authorities, if a visa holder stays in Dubai, or in any other Emirate of UAE, exceeding the visa validity period.
If you are charged with a fine for overstaying, the particular fine needs to be settled at the time of exit, at the immigration counter of the airport.
Dubai immigration has implemented a new fine system for visitors, who overstay more than their visa validity period. According to the new fine system, there is a standard fine amount of 50 AED for each day the visitor stays in the country, from the date of visa expiry.
Also there will be an additional exit clearance charge of 350 AED, which needs to be paid in order to clear your fine/s.
Suppose Mary overstayed 5 days past her visa expiry date. At the time of her exit, she will have to pay a fine of 600 AED. Following is the breakdown of her fine;
| Day 1, past her date of visa expiry | 50 AED |
| Day 2 – Day 5 (4 days x 50 AED) | 4 x 50 AED |
| Exit Clearance Charge | 350 AED |
| Total | 600 AED |
Save yourself from unnecessary fines, by knowing your visa expiry date.
For easier calculation of your last date of stay, use the Arabiers visa calculator.If you have all the right documents with you, changing your on arrival visa to a residence visa is not at all complicated.
Procedure of changing your Dubai on-arrival visa to a residence visa is primarily done by your employer. However, here’s a rough outline of how it is done;
Search
for jobs, attend interviews and get selected. You are allowed to attend interviews, and
visit the prospective employers, while with an on arrival visa. Apply
for a quote. This process can roughly take 2 – 3 days. Get
the offer letter from the employer/company. This will take between 1 – 3 days, to be
completed.Labour
payment :- 1 dayEntry
permit inside :- 1 dayChange
status :- 1 dayMedical
:- 3 – 4 days
Emirates ID Biometrics :- 1 day
Stamping :- 4 – 5 daysThe duration to issue a residence visa is unpredictable. Some companies get the residence visa done within a matter of days. Whereas for some companies, it takes at least 2 – 3 months to get the residence visa process complete.
The duration of residence visa issuance, may depend on the reputation or recognition of the company you are getting employed in.
Below, are the documents required, if you wish to sponsor or get residence visa, for your spouse and your children;
UAE immigration has currently approved on arrival visa for Indian passport holders, who fulfill either one of the two visa requirements:
Indian nationals, who cannot fulfill any of those requirements, have to apply for a Dubai prepaid visa.
Yes – Indian nationals, who hold valid US B1 and B2 visas can get an on arrival visa at the Dubai airport for a fee of 120 AED. Any other nationalities holding these two types of US visa, are not eligible for this feature.
Yes, it is possible for Indians holding this type of US visa, to get an on arrival Dubai visa.
Denial or approval of an on arrival visa, is the sole discretion of the Dubai immigration. If there is something suspicious, your on arrival visa can be rejected.
Individuals eligible for an on arrival visa, do not require a transit visa, whereas all other nationals, need to apply for a transit visa.
No – Indians need to apply for a transit visa, prior to arriving in Dubai. This can be done via an airline, while booking the ticket.
Yes – as long as you hold a US passport, you are eligible to get an on arrival visa to enter Dubai. Otherwise, you will have to apply for a prepaid visa before coming to Dubai.
“ The Arabiers team helped me extend my 30-day on arrival visa because I wasn’t able to find a good employment opportunity. I did an inside country Dubai visa with them. They were very responsive and answered all my questions. After I found a prospective employer, they advised me to purchase a prepaid visa”
“ I was clueless about the extension procedures. My friend recommended Arabiers to me. They were very interactive and helped me to extend my stay by setting me up with an inside country visa. ”
“ The Arabiers team helped me extend my 30-day on arrival visa because I wasn’t able to find a good employment opportunity. I did an inside country Dubai visa with them. They were very responsive and answered all my questions. After I found a prospective employer, they advised me to purchase a prepaid visa”
“ I was clueless about the extension procedures. My friend recommended Arabiers to me. They were very interactive and helped me to extend my stay by setting me up with an inside country visa. ”