The downtown Dubai skyline lit up at night, United Arab Emirates

Who needs a visa for United Arab Emirates?

Western Asia · Abu Dhabi

Photo: Like My Travel from Peru / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0

Of 198 nationalities, 93 enter United Arab Emirates with no paperwork at all. The rest: 105 must be approved before they travel.

Government fee
200 AED
Stay permitted
30 or 60 days, single entry
Apply on the official United Arab Emirates government site

This is the government's own portal. We are not paid to send you there.

Checked 18 October 2026 — read the fees and rules on gdrfad.gov.ae

What United Arab Emirates asks for

  • Passport valid for at least six months from the date of entry
  • Return or onward ticket
  • Medical insurance valid in the UAE

Worth knowing

  • A visit or tourist visa does not give you the right to work in the UAE. A job offered on a tourist visa is illegal.
  • Airlines, agents and hotels add their own charges on top of the government fee. A visa issued in Dubai can be verified on the GDRFA website.

Photo requirements

We have not yet read the photo rules for United Arab Emirates on an official page, so we print no sizes. Photo rules we have checked, and official links for the rest

Resize a photo in your browser. It is never uploaded.

How long your passport must be valid for United Arab Emirates: see passport validity by country.

What do you need?

Who needs what

Visa free 93

Nothing to apply for and nothing to pay before you travel.

eVisa (electronic visa) 105

A real visa application, made online instead of at an embassy. It is assessed, it takes days rather than minutes, and it can be refused.

Guides for United Arab Emirates

About United Arab Emirates

Region
Western Asia
Capital
Abu Dhabi
Population
11,513,149 2025 · 85th of 197
Size
83,600 km² 114th largest of 199
Density
138 per km²
Language
Arabic
Currency
United Arab Emirates dirham AED
Borders
Oman Saudi Arabia

Capital, area, languages and currency from the open country dataset, pulled 21 September 2026. Population from the World Bank, series updated 13 July 2026. Density is calculated from the two figures above.