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Swiss citizens do not need a Dubai visa. The UAE foreign ministry lists Switzerland as visa free: you get a free multiple entry visit visa on arrival, valid for 6 months, for up to 90 days in total. A visa becomes a question only for a relative on another passport, a stay past 90 days, or a move to work or live in the UAE.
What happens at the airport
Nothing is filed in advance. Your passport is checked at immigration and the visit visa is issued on arrival. The UAE government page on entry rules asks for a passport valid at least 6 months from the day you enter.
One warning from Bern is specific to Swiss travellers. The Swiss foreign department says some Swiss citizens were refused entry because they held a provisional passport. If your ordinary passport has expired and you hold only the temporary one, get the full passport first.
The same travel advice, valid on , says the situation in the region remains tense and short airspace closures and flight cancellations should be expected. Keep your booking flexible and watch the airline's notices.
Which Swiss office does what in the UAE
The Swiss embassy in Abu Dhabi gives consular services and visa support for people living in all seven emirates and Bahrain. Switzerland also runs a consulate general in Dubai, but the Swiss foreign department says it has exclusive responsibility for trade relations. So a lost passport or a legal problem goes to the embassy and the helpline, not to the Dubai office.
At the end of , 4,279 Swiss nationals lived in the UAE, according to the same department.
Rules Bern tells Swiss travellers to know
The Swiss travel advice for the UAE lists things that are punishable and that visitors from Switzerland often do not expect:
- Zero alcohol when driving, and no drunkenness in public. Alcohol is banned at all times in Sharjah.
- Public affection between adults, insulting the ruling family, the state or Islam, including on social media.
- Photographing government and military sites, industrial plants and airports.
- Any drug, in the smallest amount. People can be convicted if a test on arrival shows drug use.
It adds a financial warning. Unpaid bills, bounced cheques and money disputes can bring arrest or a ban on leaving the country. If you leave with open matters, expect the ban to show at your next entry. This also applies to people only in air transit.
Family members on other passports
Your Swiss passport covers you only. A spouse, parent or friend on a passport that needs a visa has to get one in advance. The GDRFA tourist visa fees are AED 210 for 30 days and AED 315 for 60 days, single entry, and AED 315 or AED 525 for multiple entry. If you live in the UAE, you can sponsor a visit through ICP, where the application fee is AED 100 and a visit visa for a relative needs a sponsor salary tier that depends on the relationship.
Source: GDRFA tourist visa service pages and ICP visit visa pages, checked .
What Dubai agencies charge
Dubai visa agencies publish about AED 340 to AED 800 for a 30-day single entry visa (published prices of 8 Dubai agencies, checked ). That is the market range, not our price.
Staying past 90 days
The free entry stops at 90 days. An extension through ICP costs an application fee of AED 100 plus AED 500 for the extension, and total visit stays are capped. Overstaying costs AED 50 a day. Our Dubai visa extension guide and the overstay fine page cover the details.
Living in Dubai and needing a visa for Switzerland
If you searched for a Swiss visa from Dubai, that is the other direction. UAE residents on a passport that needs a Schengen visa apply through VFS Global in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, and the Swiss embassy in Abu Dhabi decides. It asks for a UAE residence visa and Emirates ID valid one month past your return. Read our Switzerland visa from Dubai page.
How it works with us
Send us the passport copies of everyone travelling and your dates, on WhatsApp or through the form. An adviser tells you who needs nothing and who needs a visa, and gives you one total price before you pay anything. Once you agree, the team files the visit visas for your relatives and follows each file until the e-visa arrives. We are a private visa service. GDRFA or ICP makes every decision.
If a visa is refused, the authorities keep their fees. Your adviser tells you in writing, before payment, what part of our total comes back, if any.
Official sources
- UAE foreign ministry visa exemptions: Switzerland listed as visa free.
- u.ae entry rules: passport validity of 6 months.
- Swiss travel advice for the UAE: provisional passport, exit ban, local laws (German text).
- Swiss embassy in the UAE: responsibilities.
- FDFA on Swiss-UAE relations: Dubai consulate general, number of Swiss residents.
- GDRFA tourist visa: fees for relatives.
Related: Dubai visa for EU citizens, Dubai family visit visa, 30-day Dubai visa, and the full list of nationalities.
