Do I Need a Dubai Tourist Visa? 2024 Update

What Are UAE Transit Visas?

• A 48-hour Transit Visa is applicable for a single entry into the country between 8 to 48 hours and costs AED 37
• A 96-hour Transit Visa is applicable for a single entry into the country between 8 to 96 hours and costs AED 206

If your flight layover is between 2 to 8 hours and you are not eligible for a visa on arrival, then you will not be able to leave the airport. See this guide to things to do in DXB during a layover.

Single and Double Entry UAE Tourist Visas

• A 30-day single-entry visa costs 510 AED for 30 days.
• A 30-day multiple-entry visa costs 610 AED for 30 days.

Both of these may be extended twice for 30 days (so a maximum of 90 days) at 960 AED per extension.

• A long-term single-entry visa costs 830 AED for 60 days.
• A long-term multiple-entry visa costs 1560 AED for 60 days

Visa-Free Entry to the UAE

Citizens from GCC Countries do not need to apply for a visa on arrival.

Countries eligible for 30-Day Visa on Arrival in Dubai

There are 20 countries that are currently eligible for a FREE 30-day visit visa on arrival to the UAE; these are:

A visit visa for these countries lasts for 30 days, multi-entry, and can be renewed twice, with a 10-day grace period (i.e. you won’t be fined for overstaying your visa until Day 40).  If you overstay a visit visa the fine is 200 AED the first day, plus 100 AED per additional day – see more below on overstays.

Countries Eligible for 90-day Visa on Arrival

There are 40+ countries that are currently eligible for a FREE 90-day visit visa on arrival to the UAE, these are:

Mexico citizens are eligible for 180 days.

India Citizens

There are specific rules applicable to Indian citizens which you can find here.

If you have any concerns, you should verify this information on the UAE Government website.

Dubai Tourist Visa Extension

If your 30-day Dubai tourist visa has expired, you have two options:

• Leave the country before your 10-day grace period expires (ie, by day 39)
• Apply to Immigration and pay a fee to have your visit Visa extended. You can only extend a 30-day Visa for a maximum of 60 days (ie two paid extensions).

What is a Visa Run?

A visa run is a common expression used when you leave the country in order to immediately re-enter and start a fresh visit visa.

Most commonly, this is done on the UAE’s border with Oman. We have a detailed guide here on how border runs from Dubai works.

Accidental overstays in the UAE

It’s important to note that if you leave the country during the first 30 days, your visa will not renew upon re-entry. It’s a 30-day multi-entry Visa.  If you are travelling through Dubai, let’s say onward to Europe then have a stopover in Dubai again, be very careful if that second stop sees you cross over from 30 days to 40 days.

E.g., You arrive in Dubai on 1 September, stay for a few days, then fly on to Europe. You return to the UAE on 28 September.  You then spend two weeks in Dubai and fly out again on 12 October.

Even though you only stayed in Dubai for just over two weeks, your original 30-day visa was still valid on re-entry. You are considered to have overstayed your visit visa by 12 days as you did not leave the country, and it was not renewed during the 10-day grace period.

Before leaving the UAE, you will need to pay the daily fine for your overstay at the airport.

Road trip to Oman?

A good way to avoid this can, of course, be to include a trip to Oman with your Dubai trip!  Musandam is our favourite location for an overnight trip – not only an amazing experience but also one where you can avoid any issues with overstaying your visa and receiving a fine by exiting the country between day 30 and day 39.

There are a few small costs involved. Other than transportation, you have to pay an exit fee to the UAE (35 AED), and a tourist Visa entry fee to Oman, currently 5OR for a 10-day visit visa.  Regarding re-entering the UAE, there are no charges on the Omani or UAE side; just stamping your passports.