The requirements of obtaining a tourism visa to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and its seven emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah) are that your passport is valid for at least 6 months before your arrival.
Below is a list of tourism visas that travellers can obtain in order to enter the UAE.
Tourist Visas
Tourist visas are the most common tourism visa issued to visitors to the United Arab Emirates.
The visa is a 30-day visa that is issued to individuals intending to spend less than 30 days in the UAE and who are unable to obtain a visit visa. A tourist visa can be issued by the hotel that you are staying in or through a local travel company. The visa normally takes a week to be issued, but it can also be issued urgently within 2 to 3 working days.
Visit Visas
Visit visas are issued to individuals intending to stay over 30 days in the United Arab Emirates. The list below contains countries that don't require a visit visa before entering the UAE, and can obtain visa on arrival at an airport, border, or entry point, which is valid for 60 days.
Countries in Europe
Andorra
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Great Britain
Greece
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg
Liechtenstein
Monaco
Netherlands
Norway
Portugal
San Marino
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Vatican City
Countries in Asia
Brunei
Hong Kong
Japan
Malaysia
Singapore
South Korea
Countries in America & Others
USA
Canada
Australia
New Zealand
Countries in the Middle East
Bahrain
Kuwait
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
GCC residents with high level professions (managers, doctors, engineers, etc) can also obtain a visit visa on arrival. Alternatively, a visit visa can be applied for through a tourist company.
Service Visas (Entry Service Permit)
A service visa is a 14-day visa that can be issued by a United Arab Emirates hotel or tourist company, intending for visitors who plan to spend less than 2 weeks in the UAE.
Other Tourism Visas
A transit visa is a 4-day (96 hour) visa that can be utilized by transit travellers who would like to spend their transit hours or days outside of a UAE aiport terminal. A transit visa can be issued to individuals who have a valid ticket for an onward flight by any airline that has an office within the the United Arab Emirates. The transit visa can be applied for at the transit airport or through the airlines at a cost of around Dhs. 250 (US$ 70).
