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If you live in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait or Bahrain but are not a GCC citizen, you need a UAE entry visa before you travel. It gives 30 days, extendable once for another 30. Your GCC residence must be valid a year from arrival and your profession on the approved list. GDRFA charges AED 52.5, AED 100 and AED 100, and sends the e-visa by email in 48 hours.
GCC citizen or GCC resident
These are two different people at the border. A Saudi, Omani, Qatari, Kuwaiti or Bahraini citizen needs no visa for the UAE. An Indian engineer in Riyadh, a Filipino nurse in Muscat or a British teacher in Doha is a GCC resident. Emirates states that residence permit holders in GCC states must apply for a UAE visa before arriving, a rule in place since .
If your own passport is on the UAE visa on arrival list, you can use that instead. A British teacher in Doha, for example, gets the 90-day visa on arrival on a UK passport and does not need this visa.
Conditions to qualify
- A valid residence permit from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait or Bahrain, valid at least one year from your arrival in the UAE.
- A profession on the approved list. GDRFA assesses this case by case and the page does not print the list.
- A passport valid at least 6 months.
- No restriction on you that prevents entry into the UAE.
The job title matters most. GDRFA reads it from the copy of the residence card you upload, so the card must show it clearly.
Fees for the GCC resident entry visa
| Authority | Item | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| GDRFA Dubai | Service fee | AED 52.5 |
| GDRFA Dubai | Application | AED 100 |
| GDRFA Dubai | Issuance | AED 100 |
| ICP | Application | AED 100 |
| ICP | Issuance | AED 100 |
| ICP | Smart services | AED 100 |
Source: GDRFA "Entry visa for GCC residents and their accompanying persons" and ICP port visas service pages, checked .
Use GDRFA if you land in Dubai and ICP for the other emirates. The visa is single entry on the ICP page.
What Dubai agencies charge
We did not find enough published agency prices for the GCC resident visa to give a fair range.
Stay, entry window and the one extension
The stay is 30 days from entry. GDRFA allows one extension for an equal period, for AED 600 plus 5% VAT, with AED 500, AED 10 and AED 10 added if you apply from inside the country. That gives you 60 days at most.
The entry window is less clear. u.ae says the permit is valid for 30 days from issue. ICP says 60 days from issue, extendable for an equal period. Fly within 30 days of issue and you are safe on both readings.
Companions
GDRFA's service covers the resident's accompanying persons. Family members and accompanying domestic workers may qualify, each with their own passport, photo and application.
ICP runs a separate visa for companions of GCC citizens, such as a wife, children or domestic workers travelling with a Saudi or Kuwaiti national. It is AED 50 application, AED 100 issuance and AED 100 smart services, with 60 days of stay and extensions up to 120 days in total. That is a different visa from the one for GCC residents.
Documents checklist
- Passport scan, valid at least 6 months
- Photo on a white background
- Copy of your GCC residence permit showing your profession
- For each companion: passport, photo and proof of the relationship
- Hotel booking or address in the UAE, for your own records
Steps
- Check that your GCC residence has at least a year left from your travel date.
- Make sure your residence card copy shows your job title.
- Apply on GDRFA smart services or ICP smart services, one applicant at a time.
- Pay the fees online.
- Get the e-visa by email, then travel within the entry window.
Processing time
GDRFA states 48 hours. ICP states 2 days. If you drive in from Oman or Saudi Arabia for a weekend, apply a week ahead so a document request does not cost you the trip.
Common refusal reasons
- The profession on the residence card is not on the approved list.
- The GCC residence expires within a year of arrival.
- The residence card copy is cropped and the job title cannot be read.
- A previous UAE overstay or a travel restriction.
- Companions filed on the main applicant's form instead of their own.
How it works with us
Send us your passport, your GCC residence card and your travel dates on WhatsApp or with the form on this page. A visa adviser looks at the profession on your card first, because the case turns on it, and tells you straight if it is unlikely to pass. You get one total price before paying, for you and anyone travelling with you. The team files each application, answers any request from GDRFA or ICP and sends you the e-visas by message. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service. GDRFA or ICP decides every GCC resident visa.
The government fees are not refunded after a refusal. Before you pay, your adviser confirms in writing what part of our total, if any, you get back if the visa is refused.
Related
Staying longer than 30 days? Read the Dubai visa extension guide. To file yourself, see apply for a Dubai visa online. UAE residents going the other way can read the Oman visa for UAE residents.
Official sources
- GDRFA entry visa for GCC residents: fees, profession list, documents, 48 hours.
- ICP port visas: ICP fees, entry window, companions of GCC citizens.
- u.ae tourist visa page: 30 days, one extension, one-year residence rule.
- GDRFA GCC resident visa extension: extension fee.
- Emirates UAE visa information: apply before arriving.
Checked . Check the GDRFA or ICP page before you pay.
