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If you live in Abu Dhabi you can interview for a US visitor visa at the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi, or at the US Consulate General in Dubai. You fill in the DS-160, pay the application fee and book through the appointment system. A valid UAE residence visa is what press reports say counts. Fee amounts sit on travel.state.gov, which blocked our checker.
What is different in Abu Dhabi
The US has two visa posts in the UAE: the Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai. Abu Dhabi residents have the embassy in their own city, so there is no need to drive to Dubai. The process (DS-160, fee, interview, passport return) is the same everywhere, and our US visa from Dubai page explains it step by step. This page covers what is specific to living in Abu Dhabi.
Press reports on the rules from say most applicants now attend an in-person interview, with a narrow waiver for some renewals. Gulf News states that with a valid UAE residence visa you can attend at the Abu Dhabi embassy or the Dubai consulate. We could not open ae.usembassy.gov or travel.state.gov, so confirm both points on the embassy's visa page.
Booking tips for Abu Dhabi
- You choose Abu Dhabi or Dubai when you book. Look at both calendars and take the sooner slot you can reach.
- Press reports say new appointments are released on Friday mornings. This is a tip, not an official statement.
- Our US visa appointment in Dubai guide covers the booking account and the interview day.
- Public holidays close both posts, so check the date against the embassy calendar.
Fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee (B1/B2) | Check travel.state.gov |
| Visa integrity fee | Check travel.state.gov |
We print no amount we could not read on an official page.
What Dubai agencies charge
Dubai visa agencies publish about AED 900 to AED 1,760 for B1/B2 visa help (published prices of 5 Dubai agencies, checked ). One says the US government fee is extra. It is not our price.
Papers to line up before you book
Start with the DS-160, because the appointment system asks for its confirmation number. Gather these while you fill it in:
- Your current passport and every older passport that holds a US visa.
- Your Abu Dhabi residence visa and Emirates ID, since they show where you live.
- A letter from your employer with your title, salary and approved leave dates.
- Recent bank statements. Business owners add the trade licence.
- For a family visit, the host's invitation and proof of their US status.
Applying as a family means one DS-160 per person, children included, and one booking per person. We group them so the slots sit together.
The refusal you are most likely to meet
Most refusals under Section 214(b) say the officer was not convinced you will go back. Answer it with facts about your life in the UAE: how long you have worked here, who depends on you, what you will return to. Vague answers about the trip itself hurt more than a thin bank balance. After a refusal you can apply again once something has changed, with a new fee.
How it works with us
Send your passport copy and residence visa on WhatsApp or through the form below. An adviser reads your history and tells you whether you need a B1/B2 or can travel on ESTA. You see one total price first. After you agree, we complete the DS-160 line by line with you, open the appointment account, watch both calendars for a slot and hold a short rehearsal call before the day. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service and has no link to the embassy. The consular officer alone decides.
The State Department application fee stays with the State Department if you are refused. Before you pay us, your adviser writes down what part of our total, if any, would come back.
Official sources
- US Embassy and Consulates in the UAE, visas: appointment system and posts. Our tool could not open it.
- US Embassy Abu Dhabi, visa supplement: post details. Blocked for our checker.
Checked . Confirm every fee and rule on those pages before you pay.
