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Latvians do not need a visa for Dubai. The UAE foreign ministry lists the Republic of Latvia as visa free, with a free multiple entry visit visa on arrival, valid 6 months, for up to 90 days in total. That covers a holiday, a family visit or a short business trip. It does not cover a job, and a longer stay needs an extension or a residence visa.
What happens at the border
The officer scans your passport, asks why you are here and records the entry at no charge. Emirates lists the same rule for Latvia: 90 days in total, not 90 per trip. The visa stays valid for 6 months, and every day you spend in the UAE counts against the 90.
A week away is simple. A winter in Dubai is not, so note your entry date when you land. Two things go wrong most often: a passport with too little validity left, and a second trip that nobody counted.
Cost and stay
| Step | Cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Entry on a Latvian passport, up to 90 days | Free | UAE MOFA, Emirates |
| Extension, application | AED 100 | ICP |
| Extension, fee | AED 500 | ICP |
| Overstay fine, per day | AED 50 | ICP |
Source: ICP service pages and the UAE MOFA exemptions list, checked . ICP caps a tourist visit at 120 days in total. After that you need a residence route.
Flights between Riga and Dubai
The UAE foreign ministry's page on relations with Latvia says direct flydubai flights between Dubai and Riga began in , in addition to the airBaltic flights that were already running. The same page says the two countries established diplomatic relations 30 years ago, and that Latvia's Prime Minister made official visits to the UAE in and . Timetables change, so check the airlines for the dates you want.
Work and long stays
If you are moving for a job, your employer files the work permit and residence visa. You then get an Emirates ID and can sponsor close family. Our UAE work permit guide lists who pays for what. Do not resign at home until the permit is approved.
If you want to stay as a visitor for more than 90 days, the options are an extension (up to the 120 day tourist cap) or a change of status. Our Dubai visa extension page lists both. Sort it before day 80, not on day 89.
Latvians who already live in the UAE and travel home should read the exit and re-entry rules: a residence visa lapses if you stay out of the country too long.
Family and friends
Your Latvian partner and children come in free on their own Latvian passports. A relative with another passport may need a visit visa sponsored by a UAE resident. For that, ICP sets a monthly income of AED 4,000 for a sponsor's first-degree relatives and AED 8,000 for second and third degree, and asks a refundable guarantee of AED 1,000 on a single entry visa. The steps are on the family visit visa page.
Latvian and UAE missions
The UAE opened its embassy in Riga on , with Latvia's Foreign Minister Baiba Braze and the Latvian Ambassador to the UAE, Dana Goldfinca, present. The UAE embassy in Riga offers UAE citizens emergency communication, attestation and travel requirement information. For Latvians in the UAE, search listings point to a Latvian embassy in Abu Dhabi, but the Latvian ministry site did not open for us. We do not list its services or hours. Check the ministry site before you travel.
On safety, the Latvian foreign ministry publishes a travel warning page for the UAE. A search result describes it as advising citizens to weigh the need to travel. We could not open the page, so read the current text yourself.
Documents to carry
- A passport with 6 months of validity left. Check-in staff at Riga look for this.
- A ticket out of the UAE.
- The name of your hotel or your host's address in Dubai.
- Health cover that works in the UAE.
- A letter from the company you will meet, if the trip is for business.
Not the same as a Latvia visa
Searches for "latvia schengen visa dubai" or "latvia work permit visa for dubai" mean a UAE resident applying for Latvia. That is a different job with a different file. See Latvia visa for UAE residents and the page covering all three Baltic states. If you also have a Lithuanian friend visiting, they have their own page: Dubai visa for Lithuanians.
How it works with us
Message us your passport page and dates, on WhatsApp or in the form on this page. A visa adviser reads them and replies with what applies to your case: free entry, a visa for a companion, an extension, or a work file. The reply includes one total price, and nothing starts until you accept it. Our team then fills in the forms, files them and chases the answer. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service and not a government body. GDRFA and ICP decide each file.
A refusal does not bring the authority's fee back. Before you pay, the adviser puts in writing which part of our total, if any, is returned in that case.
Official sources
- UAE MOFA visa exemptions: Latvia listed as visa free.
- Emirates, UAE visa information: 90 day visit entry.
- UAE MOFA, Riga embassy: services for UAE citizens.
- UAE MOFA, relations with Latvia: flights, official visits.
- ICP extension service: extension fees.
Other passports: Dubai visa by nationality.
