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Somali passport holders need a Dubai visa before they travel. The UAE foreign ministry lists Somalia as visa required. We prepare the file, check the passport and papers, and file through a licensed Dubai company. GDRFA charges AED 210 for a 30-day single entry tourist visa and lists 48 hours for a complete file.
Pick the route first
- Nobody in the UAE to host you. An accredited Dubai tourism company, hotel or airline files a tourist visa.
- A resident relative. They sponsor a visit through ICP. The income tests are AED 4,000 a month for a parent, spouse or child, AED 8,000 for a sibling and AED 15,000 for a friend.
- A job offer. The employer files a work permit. A visit visa never replaces one.
What the government charges
| Visa | GDRFA fee, VAT included |
|---|---|
| Single entry, 30 days | AED 210 |
| Single entry, 60 days | AED 315 |
| Multiple entry, 30 days | AED 315 |
| Multiple entry, 60 days | AED 525 |
Fees come from the GDRFA tourist visa pages, read . A relative's sponsorship runs on ICP fees instead: AED 100 to apply, AED 100 a month for a single entry visa, and a guarantee of AED 1,000 that is refunded.
Where a Somali can file
The UAE Embassy in Mogadishu lists visa applications and document attestation as services for individuals, according to the UAE foreign ministry's mission page. Ask the embassy which visa types it takes before you send anything. Most visit visas are filed online by a Dubai company and arrive by e-mail, so you do not always need to attend an office.
Somalia also has an embassy in Abu Dhabi. The UAE foreign ministry reported the foundation stone of its new building on . We have not checked its current hours or services.
Your Somali passport
Somali passports are issued by the Immigration and Citizenship Agency. Its site lists a national ID, a non-criminal record certificate, photos and an application form, submitted at headquarters in Mogadishu or a regional office, then biometrics and in-person collection. It does not say how a citizen abroad applies. Renew early: the UAE asks for a passport with at least 6 months of validity.
Common reasons for refusal
- A passport with under 6 months left
- A blurred scan or a missing page
- Sponsor salary below the ICP tier
- No return ticket
- An earlier overstay, fined at AED 50 per day
How it works with us
Send us a clear photo of your Somali passport and the dates you have in mind. One of our advisers reads the file, tells you if a tourist visa or a family sponsorship fits, and gives you a single total. Only after you accept do we start. Our team builds the request, files it with GDRFA or ICP and answers any query from them. The e-visa then reaches you by e-mail. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service, so the UAE authorities decide each case.
A rejected file means the government keeps its fee. Before you pay, the adviser spells out in writing whether any of our own charge is repaid.
Official sources
- UAE MOFA visa exemptions: Somalia listed as visa required
- GDRFA single entry tourist visa: fees, documents, 48 hours
- ICP visit visa: sponsor salary and guarantee
- UAE Embassy in Mogadishu: services for individuals
- Somalia Immigration and Citizenship Agency: passport steps
Nearby: Ethiopia and Eritrea. Full list: Dubai visa by nationality.
