Last updated
If you live in Saudi Arabia on an iqama and hold a non-GCC passport, you need a UAE entry visa before you go. Saudi citizens need none. GDRFA Dubai charges AED 52.5, AED 100 and AED 100 and finishes in 48 hours. We check the profession on your iqama first, because the visa turns on it, then file your visa and your family's.
Saudi citizen or iqama holder
At the border these are two different people. A Saudi citizen is a GCC citizen, and u.ae says GCC citizens do not need a visa. An iqama holder is a foreigner living in Saudi Arabia: an Egyptian accountant in Jeddah, an Indian engineer in Riyadh or a Filipino nurse in Dammam.
If your own passport gets a UAE visa on arrival, for example a British or American passport, use that route. See UAE visa on arrival for the list. A Saudi iqama itself does not give you one.
What GDRFA asks
GDRFA describes this visa as granted to foreign nationals residing in a GCC state, their family members and accompanying domestic workers residing with them. The conditions and papers are:
- A valid residence permit issued by a GCC state.
- A profession on the approved list. The page does not print the list.
- No entry restriction into the UAE.
- A passport copy with its outer cover, valid at least 6 months.
- A recent colour photo on a white background.
- A copy or electronic extract of the iqama that shows the profession and the permit validity.
The application is online all day at smart.gdrfad.gov.ae. Source: GDRFA service page, checked .
Fees
| Authority | Item | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| GDRFA Dubai | Service | AED 52.5 |
| GDRFA Dubai | Application | AED 100 |
| GDRFA Dubai | Issuance | AED 100 |
| ICP | Application | AED 100 |
| ICP | Issuance | AED 100 |
| ICP | Smart services | AED 100 |
Sources: GDRFA entry visa for GCC residents and ICP port permits service page, checked . ICP lists GCC residents and their companions among eligible applicants, with a visa validity of 60 days from issue. It also states a fine of AED 50 for each day you stay after the visa expires.
What Dubai agencies charge
We found only one agency page that publishes a price for this visa, so we show no range.
Getting out and back
Saudi Arabia adds a step the UAE does not control. Expats need an exit re-entry visa to leave and return on their iqama. It is applied for on Absher. Gulf News reports it is valid for three months and can be extended, and that you cannot re-enter once it has expired or after your iqama has expired. That report is from , so check Absher for current fees and conditions. Fix the exit re-entry visa before you pay for a UAE ticket.
Driving: Al Batha to Al Ghuwaifat
The usual road route is Al Batha on the Saudi side to Al Ghuwaifat on the UAE side. Expat guides say iqama holders carry the passport, the printed UAE visa, the iqama, the exit re-entry visa, a driving licence, the vehicle registration and car insurance that covers the UAE. We could not confirm that list on an official border page.
Saudi ZATCA is reported to require valid car papers and, if you are not the owner, written authorisation from the owner (reported ). If the car is leased or company-owned, ask the owner for a letter before you go.
The Ghuwaifat smart lane is built for vehicles registered to UAE residents with Emirates ID records. It does not apply to you.
Saudi searches that mean something else
Many people type "Saudi visa from Dubai". That is the other direction, from the UAE into Saudi. Read Saudi visa for UAE residents for it. The GCC overview is in UAE visa for GCC residents.
Steps
- Read the job title and expiry date on your iqama.
- Apply on GDRFA smart services or ICP smart services, one person at a time.
- Pay online and wait for the e-visa by email.
- Apply for the Saudi exit re-entry visa on Absher.
- Print the visa and travel.
Processing time
GDRFA states 48 hours. ICP states 2 days. Send documents a week before a trip so a request for a better copy of the iqama does not cost you the weekend.
Common refusal reasons
- A job title on the iqama that is not on the approved list, for example a general labourer title.
- An iqama copy where the profession is cut off.
- A passport with less than 6 months left.
- Family members filed on the sponsor's form instead of their own.
- A restriction on entering the UAE.
How it works with us
Send the iqama, your passport and your travel dates on WhatsApp or through the form. An adviser reads the job title first and tells you straight if it looks likely to pass. You get one total price for everyone travelling, before you pay. The team files each application, answers any request from the authority and sends you the e-visas. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service. GDRFA or ICP decides every application.
If an application is refused, the government fees are not returned. Before you pay, your adviser confirms in writing what part of our total, if any, comes back.
Official sources
- GDRFA, entry visa for GCC residents: conditions, documents, fees, 48 hours.
- ICP, port permits: ICP fees, 60 days validity, daily fine.
- u.ae, do you need an entry permit: GCC citizens need no visa.
Staying longer than the visa? See the Dubai visa extension guide, the 30-day Dubai visa or apply for a Dubai visa online.
