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You need an Abu Dhabi transit visa only if you want to leave the airport on a layover and your passport has no visa-free or arrival entry. ICP lists the 96-hour visa at AED 50 plus AED 100 smart services. It is single entry, cannot be extended, and a UAE-based airline sponsors it before you land.
Do you need one at all
Stay airside and you need nothing. The visa matters only if you pass immigration.
The u.ae page, updated on , says it plainly: if you are not eligible for a visa on arrival or visa-free entry and want to step out of the airport, you need a pre-arranged transit visa. It is issued for 48 or 96 hours, single entry, and cannot be extended.
So check your passport first:
- British or American passport. The UAE foreign ministry lists both as visa free, with a free multiple entry visit visa on arrival. Walk out and get stamped. Nothing to buy.
- Indian passport. Shown as visa required. A transit visa is one of the routes. Dubai transit visa for Indians goes through the Indian case.
- Other passports. Check the UAE visa on arrival lists.
What ICP lists for transit
| Item | ICP service page |
|---|---|
| 96-hour visa (air or sea) | AED 50 |
| 48-hour visa | Listed for sea ports |
| Smart services | AED 100 |
| Processing | 2 days |
| Stay past expiry | AED 50 each day |
| Emergency visa for cancelled flights | Free of charge |
Source: ICP port entry permits service, read on . The airline can add its own fee, which ICP does not set.
What Dubai agencies charge
Dubai agencies publish about AED 227 to AED 349 for a 96-hour transit visa, and about AED 132 to AED 275 for 48 hours (published prices of 4 and 3 Dubai agencies, checked ). They are other firms' prices, not a quote from us.
The airline sits in the middle
The route to an Abu Dhabi transit visa runs through an airline, a travel agency or an airport hotel. u.ae says the airline must be UAE-based and names Etihad Airways and Emirates. A foreign carrier on both legs closes this route. In that case a visit visa is the fix, such as the 30-day Dubai visa, which also works for Abu Dhabi.
Etihad appears to run its own transit visa page, but it would not open for us, so we quote nothing from it. Ask the airline for the total before you buy.
What you need for the 96-hour visa
- Passport valid for entry to the UAE and for the next country
- A confirmed ticket for the onward flight to a third country
- A passport copy and a recent photo
- A visa for the next country, if your passport needs one there
When your connection fails
ICP lists a free emergency visa for people stuck by a medical emergency, a weather cancellation or an aircraft malfunction. The airline arranges it. Do not leave the terminal before the airline confirms the permit.
Counting the hours
The 96 hours start at entry. A late-night landing on day one and an early flight on day five can break the limit. After expiry ICP charges AED 50 a day. A stop longer than four days needs a visit visa, with more on Abu Dhabi visa.
Why transit visas get stuck
- Foreign airline on both legs
- No ticket to a third country
- Passport that expires before the next country allows entry
- Requesting a 48-hour visa for an air layover
- Applying after landing, which the u.ae page rules out
How it works with us
Send your ticket and passport copy on WhatsApp, or use the form here. A visa adviser checks your passport, the airline and the hours between flights, then tells you if a transit visa, a visit visa or nothing at all fits. You get one total price before you pay. The team arranges the permit through the airline route and sends it to you. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service. ICP and the airline decide the visa.
If it is refused, the authorities keep their fees. Before you pay, your adviser tells you in writing what part of our total, if any, comes back.
Official sources
- u.ae transit visa: who needs it, 48 or 96 hours, airline route.
- ICP port entry permits: fees, conditions, emergency visa.
- UAE foreign ministry visa exemptions: visa-free passports.
Checked .
