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A UAE visa on arrival is a free entry stamp you get at the airport, with nothing to apply for. Holders of 13 passports get 30 days. Holders of 74 passports get a multiple-entry visa with 90 days in 6 months. Mexicans get 180 days. GCC citizens need no visa at all. Every other passport, India included, needs a visa approved before the flight.
How to read the lists
The u.ae page "Check if you need a visa" no longer prints country names. It sends you to VisitDubai and to Abu Dhabi pages, and says the lists "may vary from time to time". VisitDubai blocked our checker. So the lists below come from the Emirates UAE visa page, which u.ae links to, and we cross-checked every country against the MOFA visa exemptions page.
MOFA shows one card per country, "Visa Free" or "Visa Required", with no day count. It shows 90 countries as visa free. That group is the Emirates lists plus the five other GCC states and Mexico, with three exceptions covered further down.
The 30, 90 and 180-day lists
| Stay | Rule | Passports |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days | Free, stamped at Dubai International | Andorra, Brunei, Hong Kong (China), Kazakhstan, Macau (China), Malaysia, Mauritius, Monaco, Mongolia, Republic of Ireland, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vatican City |
| 90 days | Multiple entry, valid 6 months from issue, 90 days in total | Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas Islands, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kiribati, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Maldives, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Republic Of Guyana, Romania, Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, United States of America, Uruguay |
| 180 days | Multiple entry, valid 6 months from issue, 180 days in total | Mexico |
Source: Emirates UAE visa information page (country names as published there), cross-checked with the MOFA visa exemptions page, .
Your passport needs at least 6 months of validity from the day you land. Emirates adds that it must be machine readable.
Where MOFA and Emirates disagree
Three entries do not match:
- Macao: on the Emirates 30-day list, "Visa Required" on MOFA.
- North Macedonia: on the Emirates 90-day list as "Macedonia", "Visa Required" on MOFA.
- Moldova: on the Emirates 90-day list, "Visa Required" on MOFA.
We cannot tell you which one immigration will follow on the day. If you hold one of these passports, ask ICP or the airline before you fly. A visa approved in advance takes the risk away.
Details that catch people out
- The 90 days are a total, not a per-visit count. Leaving and coming back does not reset them inside the 6-month window. Europeans who use up the 90 days can apply for a pre-arranged visit visa, per the Emirates page.
- Malaysia has its own cycle. The Malaysian consulate in Dubai says you must complete the 30 days before a new 30-day period starts, and that longer stays happen only in isolated cases such as hospitalisation.
- Eye screening. Dubai International runs random eye checks. If you are picked and have no printed visa copy, a copy costs AED 30.
- Overstay. Every day past your stamp costs AED 50, and the fine is settled before or when you leave.
Extending a visa on arrival
Official pages leave gaps here. GDRFA's online service "Extending a visitor visa (upon arrival)" extends for the same period at AED 600 plus 5% VAT, processed in 48 hours, but its written conditions describe only the 14-day visa for Indian nationals. The Abu Dhabi Residents Office says the 30-day visa on arrival is "valid for 30 days with a 10-day period for extension", which may mean a grace period rather than a paid extension. Our Dubai visa extension page sets out the routes that are clearly documented.
Who does not qualify
- Visa-required nationalities. MOFA lists, among others, India, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Egypt, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Viet Nam, Turkiye, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, Ethiopia, South Africa, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen. Our Dubai visa by nationality hub has a page for many of them.
- GCC residents who are not GCC citizens. You apply before travel for the UAE visa for GCC residents.
- Anyone already past their days. A used-up 90-day allowance means a visa in advance.
The Indian route through a US, UK or EU visa
An Indian passport alone does not get a stamp. GDRFA runs a visa on arrival for Indian citizens who hold a US visa or green card, or a UK or EU residence visa, valid for at least 6 more months. It gives 14 days, extendable once for the same period, and you can also request it online in 48 hours by email. ICP has a separate 60-day visa for Indians and six other nationalities who live abroad with a US, UK or EU visa or residence, or a residence permit from countries such as Canada, Australia or Japan. It costs AED 350 in all, is single entry and cannot be extended.
Full conditions are on our Dubai visa with a US, UK or EU visa page and the Dubai visa on arrival for Indians guide.
Steps on the day
- Check your passport has 6 months left from your arrival date.
- Find your country in the table above, and check MOFA if it is one of the three disputed ones.
- Keep your return or onward ticket and hotel details handy.
- Join the immigration queue at Dubai International and hand over your passport. No form, no fee.
- Note the date on your stamp and count your days from it.
Official sources
- u.ae: do you need a visa: GCC citizens, 6-month passport rule, lists that change.
- MOFA visa exemptions for non citizens: visa free or visa required per country.
- Emirates UAE visa information: 30, 90 and 180-day lists, eye screening copy fee.
- Abu Dhabi Residents Office visas: 30-day validity and the 10-day line.
- GDRFA visa on arrival for Indian citizens: 14-day visa conditions.
- GDRFA extending a visitor visa upon arrival: extension fee and conditions.
Checked . The lists change without notice, so confirm with the airline before you fly.
