UAE Tourist Visa & Visit Permit Guide
A practical 2026 guide to visa-free and visa-on-arrival entry, the special 14-day entry regime, pre-arranged tourist visas, the 5-year multiple-entry tourist visa, extensions, fees and overstay rules.
Rules can differ by nationality, emirate, visa category and issuing authority. Confirm the live service before travelling or paying a fee.
How UAE tourist entry works
The UAE uses several entry pathways. Travelers who are not eligible for visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry may need a pre-arranged tourist visa through an authorized channel. The federal ICP system and Dubai's GDRFA handle different immigration services, so a rule or fee shown for one authority should not automatically be treated as a universal UAE rule.
Select a category below to see the most relevant 2026 rules and the distinctions that matter before travel.
Visa-Free / Visa-on-Arrival Entry
Passport-dependent entry| Visa parameter | Current rule / explanation |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | Eligibility depends on the nationality and passport type. Many nationalities receive visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry, while others must obtain an entry permit before travel. |
| Stay / validity | The permitted stay varies by nationality and the applicable UAE entry regime. Common visa-on-arrival categories include 30-day or 90-day stays, but the exact period must be checked for the traveler’s passport. |
| Fees / financial requirement | Usually no pre-travel visa fee for qualifying visa-free / visa-on-arrival categories, but nationality-specific conditions and any extension charges can apply. |
Key points
- Do not rely on a generic country count such as “70+ countries”; check the current official UAE nationality list for the passport being used.
- Passport validity and other border-entry conditions can apply even when no advance tourist visa is required.
- GCC nationals have separate entry arrangements and should not be treated as an ordinary tourist-visa category.
2026 rules worth checking before departure
- Ensure the passport is valid for at least six months where the selected service requires it.
- Carry the supporting documents required for the exact category, such as a return ticket, accommodation proof, insurance or qualifying foreign visa/residence permit.
- Check whether the application is being processed by ICP, GDRFA Dubai or another approved channel before comparing fees or extension rules.
- Keep the actual entry record and permitted-stay date, not just the visa issuance date, when calculating the latest lawful departure date.
Overstay & extension: avoid one-size-fits-all advice
Overstay treatment is linked to the applicable permit and authority. ICP service cards currently state an AED 50-per-day fine for specified entry permits after the applicable grace period, while extension eligibility is category-specific.
For Dubai, GDRFA currently publishes a tourist-visa extension service with a base extension fee of AED 600 plus 5% VAT. Additional inside-country charges can apply. This does not mean every tourist visa in every emirate has the same extension pathway or cost.
Best practice: check the live status of the actual entry permit and use the relevant official immigration portal before the permitted stay ends.
Current Dubai tourist-visa fee examples
The following are Dubai-specific published examplesfrom current GDRFA service pages. They are not universal UAE prices and can change with applicant circumstances or additional charges.
| Dubai tourist service | Published base fee | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| 30-day single entry | AED 252 + 5% VAT | Current GDRFA Dubai service page; other applicable charges may affect the final amount. |
| 60-day single entry | AED 352 + 5% VAT | Current GDRFA Dubai service page; other applicable charges may affect the final amount. |
| 30-day multiple entry | AED 300 + 5% VAT | Current GDRFA Dubai service page. |
| 60-day multiple entry | AED 500 + 5% VAT | Current GDRFA Dubai service page. |
| 90-day products | Varies by current service/channel | Do not substitute a historic Dubai price for the live product being offered by the authorized channel. |
5-Year Tourist Visa: published federal fee components
| ICP fee component | Published amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee | AED 100 |
| 5-year visa issuance | AED 500 |
| Smart-services fee | AED 100 |
| Financial guarantee | AED 3,000 refundable, subject to refund conditions |
| Financial guarantee deposit fee | AED 20 |
| Published ICP component total | AED 3,720 |
Calculation: AED 100 + AED 500 + AED 100 + AED 3,000 + AED 20 = AED 3,720.
GDRFA Dubai currently displays an authority-specific total of AED 3,713.50 for its five-year service and separately lists its own fee components. This illustrates why a single “UAE-wide total” should not be hard-coded across all immigration channels.
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Official UAE immigration sources
Editorial note: This page is informational and is based on current official UAE guidance. It is not an immigration decision, legal opinion or guarantee of entry.
Immigration officers and issuing authorities can apply nationality-specific, document-specific or service-specific requirements. Before departure, confirm the traveler’s actual passport, visa/entry-permit status, permitted stay and payable amount in the live official system.