Dubai Tourist Visa 2023 – A Complete Guide | How To Apply And More

The spectacular city of Dubai welcomes more than 12 million visitors every Year. Be it for tourism or work, the city hosts a massive population for its wonders. From a sparkling skyline to glittering golden beaches, Dubai has something for every kind of tourist. And if you are looking forward to visiting Dubai for a shorter duration, you will need to obtain a Dubai tourist visa- an Electronic Travel Authorization or ETA.

Visas from Dubai are provided only if your passport is valid for a minimum of 6 months. Additionally, the authorities will check on your purpose for a visit to the city before deciding on the visa. 

A tourist permit or a tourist visa is issued to those people who are travelling for tourism purposes and activities. For people belonging to the GCC countries and visa-exempt countries, the passengers can avail visa on arrival.

If you are travelling from countries like India, you will need to apply for a visa to visit Dubai. This permit is issued for 30 days with single or multiple entries. You also get long-term visas for up to 90 days, if required. The Dubai Tourist permit is actually the UAE tourist visa and allows the applicant to travel anywhere in the UAE with the permit. 

How to Apply for the Tourist Visa

The UAE embassy doesn’t allow ordinary passport holders a visa- in fact, you need to have a sponsor to get a visa to visit Dubai. It can be the Dubai-based airlines, your travel agency, the hotel, or any family member who is a resident and is living there. They apply for the visa on your behalf after which you can avail of the permit services. The procedure is as follows-

• Choose your preferred application method and if you are looking for a travel agency to sponsor your visa, then do make sure they are genuine.
• Ensure and check the type of visa as per your requirements 
• Check for the documents required for the procedure
• You will need to fill out the application form at the airline’s website or at the travel agencies.
• Upload your necessary documents 
• Pay the fees online and submit your application form. 

Please note that in case of wrong application information, the visa is denied and in some cases, the person may not be able to apply for the visa in the future. Dubai’s home-based airlines like Emirates or Fly Dubai and Dubai Visa Service Centers are some of the genuine places to get your visa from. 

Eligibility Criteria To Apply For Visa

A systematic application procedure is followed to avail of a UAE visa. The visitor needs to check for the eligibility criteria to get into Dubai with the authorities.

Like every other country, UAE has specific eligibility criteria that must be checked before the visa procedure. These criteria include the following-

Travel Records

This applies to applicants that have travelled a minimum of once in the last five years. Applicants with valid visas for countries like the UK, USA, Russia, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, European Union, Japan and Schengen countries or have evidence that they have travelled to the UAE in the last five years pass this criterion. 

Documents required for this are-

• Coloured photographs of the applicant on the visa form filled and signed
• An original passport is required for verification and should be valid for 6 months from the date of the travel
• Both way tickets confirmed from Emirates or Fly Dubai, and their original copies
• If any hosting company has invited you, then an original copy of the invitation
• Female applicants and 18+ students travelling alone will need a NOC signed by their husbands or parents. Along with this photo ID of the guardian is required, along with a copy of the residence visa or host passport. 
• The applicable visa fees are paid in cash, credit card or DD.

Financial Records

All applicants who do not qualify for the first criteria- their travel records need to be submitted. Either the previous two years of Form 16 or an Income Tax return with a gross income from the place of work.

This sum should be above 2 lakhs per year for the applicant to be eligible for the visa process.

Either this or the applicant must have more than 5 lakhs deposited as an FD or any other form in the bank or post office. 

Documents required for this are-

• Income Tax Return documents, salary slip of last 6 months, PAN card or an FD receipt. 
• A coloured photograph of the applicant on a filled and signed visa application form
• Original passport of the applicant for a verification process that needs to be valid 6 months from the time of travel
• Both way journey confirmed tickets from Emirates or Fly Dubai and their original copies.
• Host company’s invitation letter, if any.
• A NOC from husband or parents for female travellers and students above 18 years of age. Along with this, a copy of the host’s passport and Photo ID proof.
• Acceptable payment methods include DD, cash or credit card.

Invitation from UAE residents on family status

Spouses, children below 21 years of age and parents above 60 can be invited to Dubai by their immediate family members. Documents required for this are-

• Invitation letter and copies of passport and residence visa of the family acting as host in UAE
• Visa application form with a coloured photograph of the applicant attached
• Original passport for verification that needs to be valid for 6 months from the date of travel
• Both ways confirmed tickets and their copies from Emirates or Fly Dubai
• A NOC from husband or parents for female travellers and students above 18 years of age. Along with this, a copy of the host’s passport and Photo ID proof.
• Acceptable payment methods include DD, cash or credit card.

Newly Married Couple

The spouse’s name needs to be endorsed on the passport. Failure of which will need the following documents-

• Marriage certificate or a notarised affidavit on Rs. 100 stamp paper
• If the spouse travels immediately after marriage, they must submit a No Objection Certificate from the parents. This will additionally require a Photo ID proof, wedding card, and wedding photograph of the couple.

Types of Visa

To visit Dubai, there are multiple visa types that are available based on the purpose of your travel. You can apply for these for a comfortable stay in Dubai. The most basic types of UAE Visas include-

Tourist Visa

As the visa name suggests, a tourist visa is given to visitors looking forward to staying in any country in the United Arab Emirates as a tourist.

Mostly given to people who are travelling primarily for vacation, a tourist visa is given for 30 days, and the tourist or the applicant needs to leave the country within that stipulated timeline. Failure of this results in penalties, as per the Dubai government. 

Visit Visa

Applicants travelling to the UAE to visit their family, relatives or friends can go for this kind of visa. The GDRFA office usually provides this visa, and a copy of the permit is sent to the applicant once the authorities approve the visa application.

After this procedure, the applicant is allowed to leave the country for their visit. 

Transit Visa

Many travellers or visitors fly over Dubai and have a layover extending 8 hours. In this scenario, they need a transit visa.

Applicants with connecting flights with a layover of over 8 hours need a transit visa to leave the county.

With the visa, they can extend their stay for at most 96 hours, post which they need to leave the country. 

Employment Visa

An employment visa is essentially a work permit. This is provided by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization. The allotted timeline for an employment visa is about 2 months post the date of insurance.

For foreign workers and other people who are working in the UAE, this visa is very important. 

Residence Visa

If you have an employment visa for the UAE, the next step is to get a residence visa since you will need to stay there to complete your working contract.

This visa allows you access to Emirates ID proof and makes you a legal and valid resident of UAE until the visa is valid. The residence visa also allows the applicants to bring their families to the country. 

Visa Document Requirements

For the UAE visa, the documentation depends on the country you are applying for the visa from, as different countries have different criteria.

US citizens have a separate criterion from the citizens of other countries. Documentation for US citizens is comparatively lenient compared to other countries’ visa requirements. 

US Citizen Visa Requirement to be allowed in Dubai

A US citizen who has a valid passport doesn’t need a Dubai tourist visa in UAE. The specific requirements include the following-

• The passport of the traveller must be signed and should be valid for 6 months from the date of travel
• A confirm round trip tickets and their original copies
• US citizens can avail of the facility of the visa on arrival in the UAE and all airports of the country
• The above points are applicable if the visitor is staying for less than 30 days in UAE
• If the stay extends to 30 days, they need to apply to the immigration officer at the airport for the permit

Non-US Citizen Visa Requirement to be allowed in Dubai

The following countries’ citizens are eligible for this Dubai tourist visa is-

• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Northern Ireland
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Brunei
• Vatican
• Netherlands
• United Kingdom
• Austria
• Bahrain
• Andorra
• Australia
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Greece
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Canada
• China
• Poland
• Portugal
• Qatar
• Romania
• Oman
• San Marino
• Saudi Arabia
• New Zealand
• Norway
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• Hungary
• Kuwait
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Hong Kong
• Italy
• Japan
• Latvia
• Luxembourg
• Malaysia
• Malta
• Seychelles
• Singapore
• South Korea
• Monaco

These countries can get a visa on arrival at all airports in the UAE, provided their stay is for 30 days. An extension for the same needs a permit from the immigration officer at the airport.

Apart from this, the applicant needs to show a confirmed round-way ticket or a confirmed ticket to any other country. Additionally, the passport should be valid for 6  more months from the travel date. The last requirement is mandatory to be allowed in Dubai or any other UAE country. 

GCC Nationals Visa Requirement

Residents of these countries from the Gulf Cooperation Council are GCC Nationals-

• Saudi Arabia
• Qatar
• Kuwait
• Oman
• Bahrain

They do not need a visa to come to visit Dubai. These residents who work in higher positions can visit Dubai for 30 days and can get visas at the airport on arrival. However, these visas are not renewable and are mainly provided to people who work as Doctors, Engineers, Public Sector Employees and/or Managers. 

Other Nationalities

For citizens from other countries, a visa is important to come to Dubai. These applicants can apply for their visa via their local embassies, UAE sponsors or hotels in UAE. 

Sponsors

Sponsors make the visa application much easier; however, not everyone can be a sponsor. These parties can be sponsors-

• Airlines and airline handlers can sponsor the visa for their staff as transit visas in case the layover extends 8 hours. This makes their connecting flights convenient, and they can easily function between their work shifts. Flights like Air Arabia, Fly Dubai, Emirates Airlines and Etihad Airways can apply for this visa.
• UAE employers can apply on behalf of their employees for a work visa or visit visa
• Friends and families can apply for visas for the applicant
• Travel companies and hotels can apply for a travel visa

In addition to getting a Dubai tourist visa, check for the medical facilities provided in cases of unforeseen medical emergencies.

Travel insurance covers the medical cost and baggage or passport loss charges that can cause a dip in your international travel.

To avoid such events and to have a safe and eventful journey to Dubai, make sure you properly consult with the immigration authorities and submit all documents required for your international trip to Dubai. 

Frequently Asked Questions