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Dubai visa requirements depend on the route, but four items are on almost every list: a passport valid at least 6 months from the date you enter, a recent photo on a white background, health insurance valid in the UAE, and a return or onward ticket. Your sponsor adds the rest: a tourism company files a tourist visa, a resident relative needs salary and relationship papers, and the 5-year visa asks for a bank balance.
First check if you need a visa at all
GCC citizens need no visa for the UAE. Many other passports get a visa stamped on arrival, either for 30 days or a 90-day stay within 6 months. Our UAE visa on arrival page has both lists and the countries where the airline and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs disagree. Everyone else applies before travel. The MOFA "Visa Exemptions For Non Citizen" page shows "Visa Free" or "Visa Required" for each country.
If your nationality has its own rules, the Dubai visa by nationality hub is the faster place to start.
The documents every route shares
- Passport. Valid at least 6 months from the date of entry. Emirates also asks for a machine readable passport.
- Photo. ICAO standard, recent, white background, no hats or sunglasses. See the Dubai visa photo requirements before you take one.
- Health insurance. ICP and GDRFA both ask for a policy valid in the UAE on tourist and visit visas. Details on our Dubai visa health insurance page.
- Onward or return ticket. Listed on the GDRFA tourist visa page and on the transit visa pages.
- National ID copy, for some passports. GDRFA and ICP ask certain nationalities for a copy of the national ID card. The pages name Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan among them.
What changes by visa route
| Route | Extra requirements | Official fee |
|---|---|---|
| GDRFA tourist visa, single entry | Sponsor is a licensed Dubai tourism company; no deposit | AED 200 (30 days), AED 300 (60 days), plus 5% VAT |
| Relative or friend visit visa (ICP) | Resident sponsor with an active file, salary tier, proof of relationship, guarantee | AED 100 application, AED 100 a month issuance (single), AED 100 smart services, AED 1,000 guarantee |
| 5-year multiple entry tourist visa (ICP) | Bank balance of USD 4,000 for 6 months, UAE health insurance | AED 3,720 in total, including the AED 3,000 guarantee |
| GCC resident entry visa (GDRFA) | Valid GCC residence permit, profession on the approved list, residence copy showing the profession | AED 52.5 service, AED 100 application, AED 100 issuance |
| Transit visa (through the airline) | Onward ticket, passport valid for the next country | AED 50 plus the airline fee (GDRFA) |
Source: GDRFA and ICP service pages, checked .
Sponsor papers for a relative or friend
ICP sets a minimum monthly salary for the resident who sponsors you: AED 4,000 for first-degree relatives (parents, spouse, children), AED 8,000 for second and third degree (siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins), and AED 15,000 for friends. GDRFA in Dubai asks for proof of the relationship and the reason for the visit. Plan on:
- the sponsor's passport copy and UAE residence details;
- a salary certificate or contract that shows the monthly salary;
- proof of the relationship, such as a marriage or birth certificate;
- the visitor's passport copy and photo.
Airlines have their own sponsor table. Emirates asks AED 4,000 for spouse, children and parents but AED 10,000 for friends and other relatives, and wants a birth certificate copy for minors. Read the full family route on the Dubai family visit visa page.
Bank statement for the 5-year visa
The 5-year Dubai visa is the only visit route where the official page asks for money in the bank: a balance of USD 4,000, or the same in another currency, over the last 6 months. Bring a statement that shows the whole period, not a single day's balance.
How to put your file together
- Check your passport expiry date against your arrival date. Renew if it falls short of 6 months.
- Take a new photo to the ICAO rule.
- Buy health insurance that states it is valid in the UAE.
- Book or hold your return or onward flight.
- Collect the sponsor papers for your route.
- Scan everything clearly in colour and send it to whoever files the visa.
Processing time
GDRFA lists 48 hours for its tourist and visit visas. ICP lists 2 days. Both clocks start once the file is complete. If anything is missing, GDRFA gives 30 days to add it before the request is cancelled. More on timing in Dubai visa processing time.
Where files fall short
- Passport expiring too soon. The 6-month rule counts from entry, not from the application date.
- Salary below the tier. A sibling sponsored on a AED 4,000 salary falls short of the AED 8,000 tier.
- Missing national ID copy for passports on the GDRFA and ICP list.
- No insurance or no onward ticket. Both are conditions, not extras.
- A restriction on the traveller. GDRFA states the traveller must not be under any restriction that stops entry to the UAE.
The Dubai visa rejection reasons guide covers each one and what to do after a refusal.
Tips that save a second round
- Use the same spelling of your name everywhere: passport, ticket, insurance.
- Keep the insurance dates covering the whole stay, plus a margin if the trip may run longer.
- Sponsor papers should be recent. An old salary certificate invites questions.
- If you hold a new passport, apply with the new number, not the old one.
Official sources
- u.ae: do you need an entry permit or a visa: passport validity and the GCC rule.
- GDRFA tourist visa, single entry: fees, insurance, ticket and the national ID rule.
- ICP visa issuance: sponsor salary tiers, relationship degrees and the guarantee.
- ICP 5-year tourist visa: bank balance and total fee.
- GDRFA GCC resident entry visa: residence permit, profession and fees.
- MOFA visa exemptions: visa free or visa required by country.
- Emirates UAE visa information: airline sponsor table and passport rule.
