Most Western passport holders get a free visa on arrival in Dubai, but the 30-day versus 90-day split trips people up. Here are the 2026 rules by passport group, verified against official sources.
Cover image: Aerial view of the Dubai skyline with the Burj Khalifa rising above the city at dusk — photo by Tim Reckmann from Hamm, Deutschland, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Do you need a visa for Dubai? For most Western travellers, no — not in advance. Citizens of the five other Gulf Cooperation Council states (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar) enter freely without any visa, and roughly 80 nationalities — including the UK, US, EU/EEA states, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore and South Korea — receive a free visa on arrival stamped at Dubai's airports in minutes. The wrinkle is duration: EU/EEA nationals (plus a handful of others) receive a 90-day multi-entry visa valid within a 180-day period, while the UAE's official portal has long placed the UK, US, Canada and Australia group on a 30-day arrival visa, extendable in-country — though GOV.UK's advice, as of August 2026, tells British travellers they can get up to 90 days in any 180 on arrival. Indian passport holders need a visa in advance unless they hold qualifying US or UK/EU residence documents; everyone else applies before flying via an airline, hotel or licensed agency.
Who gets a free visa on arrival in Dubai?
The UAE splits visa-on-arrival nationalities into two bands. The 90-day multi-entry band covers EU and EEA nationals, plus countries including Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, Montenegro, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, the Maldives and Seychelles — capped at 90 days within any 180-day period from first entry.
The 30-day band has traditionally covered the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, China, Malaysia, Brunei, Ireland, Hong Kong and several others, with an in-country extension available for a fee. Here the sources diverge: several 2026 guides — and, notably, GOV.UK's official travel advice — now describe a free arrival visa of up to 90 days over a 180-day period for British passport holders, in line with the EU group. Because the official pages are not fully aligned, treat 30 days as the guaranteed baseline and confirm your specific passport with your airline or the GDRFA/ICP checker before booking a stay longer than a month. The visa itself is free either way.
| Passport group | What you get on arrival | Maximum stay | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| GCC citizens (Saudi, Kuwaiti, Bahraini, Omani, Qatari) | Entry with passport or national ID — no visa | No tourist-visa limit | Free |
| EU/EEA nationals + c.15 others (Russia, Serbia, Georgia…) | 90-day multi-entry visa on arrival | 90 days per 180-day period | Free |
| UK, US, Canada, Australia, NZ, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, China + others | Free visa on arrival — 30 days extendable, or 90/180 per some official sources (verify) | 30–90 days depending on ruling | Free (extension paid) |
| Indian citizens with US green card or UK/EU residence visa | 14-day visa on arrival, extendable once by 14 days | 28 days | Fee applies (c. AED 100–253 by channel) |
| All other nationalities | Nothing — pre-arranged 30- or 60-day visa required | Per visa issued | Varies by airline/hotel/agency |
What if you hold an Indian passport?
Indian citizens normally need a visa arranged before travel. The exception: GDRFA Dubai grants a 14-day visa on arrival, extendable once for a similar period, to Indian passport holders carrying a US permanent residence card (green card) or a residence visa issued by the UK or an EU country, each valid for at least six months. The UAE Embassy in Washington also lists holders of valid US visas as eligible, but Dubai's own service page currently specifies residence documents — carry the strongest document you have and confirm with your airline, which will refuse boarding if it judges you ineligible. Fees quoted range from AED 100 (embassy guidance) to AED 253 on GDRFA's listing, and fines accrue daily after 14 days unless the one permitted extension is filed.
What if your country isn't on the visa-on-arrival list?
Everyone else applies in advance. The official routes, per the UAE government portal, are the federal ICP or GDRFA Dubai online channels, airlines, licensed travel agents, or hotels — Emirates, Etihad and flydubai all process visas for ticketed passengers. A quirk worth knowing: Dubai visas are processed by GDRFA Dubai, while the other six emirates run through the federal ICP — extensions and status queries go to whichever authority issued the visa. Crucially, there is no single government "Dubai tourist e-visa" website, and search results are crowded with lookalike visa-mill sites charging several times the official fee. The same advance-application logic applies to systems like the US ESTA visa waiver or a Schengen visa — official channels are always cheaper than intermediaries.
Transit visas, passport validity and overstay fines
Staying airside between flights requires no visa at all — just a passport valid for three months. To leave the airport, UAE-based airlines can sponsor a 48-hour transit visa free of charge or a 96-hour version for AED 50, both single-entry and arranged before travel. For normal visits your passport needs six months' validity on arrival.
Overstaying got more expensive in 2026: the ICP unified the overstay fine at AED 50 (about US$13.60) per day across all visa types from 11 February 2026, and tourist visas carry no grace period — fines run from the first day after expiry. A temporary amnesty tied to spring's airspace disruption closed on 21 April 2026. Extensions are filed through GDRFA (Dubai) or ICP (other emirates) before expiry. If Dubai is one stop on a longer trip, compare the paperwork with our guides to whether you need a visa for Turkey or the long-stay digital nomad visa options if you're eyeing more than 90 days in the Gulf.
Frequently asked questions
Do UK and US passport holders need a visa for Dubai?
No advance visa is needed. Both receive a free visa on arrival at Dubai's airports. The UAE portal has historically issued this group 30 days (extendable), but GOV.UK's current advice states British visitors can get up to 90 days in any 180-day period — confirm your allowance with your airline before planning a stay beyond 30 days.
How much is the UAE overstay fine in 2026?
AED 50 per day (roughly US$13.60), unified across all visa categories from 11 February 2026. Tourist and visit visas have no grace period, so fines accrue from the first day after expiry. Extend before your visa lapses via GDRFA Dubai or the federal ICP.
Can Indian citizens get a visa on arrival in Dubai?
Only with qualifying documents. GDRFA Dubai grants a 14-day arrival visa, extendable once by 14 days, to Indian passport holders with a US green card or a UK/EU residence visa valid for six months or more. The UAE Embassy in Washington also lists valid US visa holders. All other Indian travellers must arrange a visa in advance.
Do I need a visa for a layover in Dubai?
Not if you stay airside — no visa is required and your passport needs three months' validity. To leave the airport, your airline can arrange a 48-hour transit visa free of charge or a 96-hour one for AED 50 before you travel.
Is there an official Dubai tourist e-visa website?
No single one. Official channels are the GDRFA Dubai and federal ICP portals, plus airlines, licensed travel agents and hotels. Third-party sites ranking in search results often charge heavy mark-ups on the same visa — book through your carrier or hotel instead.
Sources
- GOV.UK — United Arab Emirates entry requirements
- u.ae — Tourist visa (Official UAE Government portal)
- GDRFA Dubai — Visa on arrival for citizens of the Republic of India
- GDRFA Dubai — Issuance of a 48/96-hour transit visa
- UAE Embassy Washington — Visas for non-US citizens
- EGSH — UAE visa overstay fines: daily penalties and grace period rules 2026
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