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Indian citizens need a visa arranged before they fly to Dubai. A 30-day single entry tourist visa costs AED 210 in GDRFA fees and takes about 48 hours. If you also hold a valid US visa or green card, or a UK or EU visa or residence, you can use the cheaper 14-day visa on arrival or the 60-day ICP visa instead.
Five routes for an Indian passport
| What you have | Visa that fits | Who files it | Official fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Only an Indian passport | Tourist visa, 30 or 60 days | Licensed Dubai tourism company, hotel or airline | From AED 210 |
| US visa or green card, UK or EU visa or residence | 14-day visa on arrival, or 60-day visa | You at the airport, or online before travel | AED 100 or AED 350 |
| A parent, spouse, child or sibling living in the UAE | Visit visa for a relative | The resident in the UAE | From AED 100 application |
| Residence in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait or Bahrain | GCC resident entry visa | You, online before travel | AED 300 at ICP |
| A connecting flight through Dubai | 48 or 96-hour transit visa | The UAE airline you fly with | From AED 50 |
Source: GDRFA and ICP service pages, ICP news of , checked .
Most travellers from Mumbai, Delhi, Kochi or Hyderabad end up in the first row. The second row is for Indians who study or work abroad. The detail for each route sits on its own page: the Dubai visa on arrival for Indians, the documents by route and the full fee list.
The plain tourist visa
With nothing but an Indian passport, a licensed Dubai tourism establishment sponsors and files your tourist visa. GDRFA charges AED 210 for 30 days single entry and AED 315 for 60 days single entry, VAT included, with no deposit. Multiple entry versions exist for people who will fly out to Oman or back to India and return. Airlines such as Emirates sell the same kind of visa to their own passengers, tied to a return ticket on that airline.
The UAE government says plainly that its embassies do not issue tourist visas. So there is no UAE embassy queue in New Delhi or Mumbai for this. It is all online.
Relatives in the UAE
If your son, daughter, husband, wife or parent lives in the UAE, they can sponsor you through ICP or GDRFA. ICP asks first-degree sponsors for a monthly salary of at least AED 4,000 and takes a refundable guarantee of AED 1,000 for single entry. Brothers, sisters and grandparents count as second degree, at AED 8,000. Bringing children or parents has its own rules, set out on the page on Dubai visas for Indian families.
Indians living in a GCC country
Indian workers in Riyadh, Doha or Muscat often think their residence lets them drive or fly in freely. It does not. You still apply before you travel, your GCC residence permit must be valid, and your profession must be on the approved list. GDRFA judges that list case by case, so you send a residence copy that shows your profession. The visa gives 30 days, extendable once. The GCC residents visa page covers the details.
Transit through Dubai
A layover of a few hours inside the airport needs no visa. To leave the airport you need a 48-hour or 96-hour transit visa, issued through the UAE airline you fly with. You need an onward ticket, and neither visa can be extended. See Dubai transit visa.
Indian consulate in Dubai and UAE visas
Many people search for the Indian embassy in Dubai when they mean a UAE visa. The Consulate General of India in Dubai (cgidubai.gov.in) and the Embassy of India in Abu Dhabi serve Indian citizens. They do not issue UAE visas and cannot speed one up. A UAE visa is a GDRFA or ICP decision.
What Dubai agencies charge
Dubai visa agencies publish about AED 340 to AED 800 for a 30-day single entry tourist visa (published prices of 8 Dubai agencies, checked ). For 60 days single entry the range is AED 535 to AED 1,200 (8 agencies). The gap is the agency's own charge on top of the GDRFA fee and insurance.
Documents you will need
- Indian passport valid at least 6 months from the day you land
- Colour photo on a white background
- Return or onward ticket
- Health insurance valid in the UAE, for tourist visas
- A copy of your US, UK, EU or other qualifying visa or residence, if you use that route
- Sponsor's papers, if a relative in the UAE applies
The list by route, with what trips people up, is on the requirements page for Indian citizens.
Processing time
GDRFA states 48 hours for tourist and visit visas. ICP states 2 days for its 60-day visa. Emirates asks for about 2 to 4 working days and wants the request at least 4 working days before arrival. Apply a week before the flight and you have room for one correction.
Why Indian applications get refused or stuck
- Short passport. Under 6 months left on arrival day stops the visa. Renew in India before applying.
- Wrong route for your document. A Schengen visit visa that runs out in 2 months does not meet the 6-month rule for the 14-day route.
- Sponsor below the salary tier. A brother earning under AED 8,000 a month cannot sponsor you on the ICP rules.
- Spelling that differs from the passport. Your name on the application must match the passport letter for letter.
- Papers sent late. GDRFA cancels a request if missing documents do not arrive within 30 days.
How it works with us
Send us the Indian passport copy, a photo and your dates on WhatsApp, or use the form on this page. Mention any US, UK, EU or other visa or residence you hold, and whether a relative in the UAE is involved. A visa adviser checks which route suits you and gives you one total price before you pay. Our team files the application with the right authority and follows it up. You get the e-visa by email. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service, not GDRFA or ICP. The authorities alone approve or refuse a visa.
If your visa is refused, the government fees already paid are not returned by the authorities. Before you pay, your adviser tells you in writing which part of our total, if any, comes back after a refusal.
Official sources
- MOFA visa exemptions page: India shown as Visa Required.
- u.ae tourist visa page: who can apply, and that UAE embassies do not issue tourist visas.
- GDRFA single entry tourist visa: fees, documents, 48 hours.
- ICP 60-day visa for residents abroad: eligibility and fee.
- ICP visit visa for relatives: sponsor salary and guarantee.
- Consulate General of India, Dubai: mission name.
Other passports are on the Dubai visa by nationality board.
