A Tourist Visa is a visa for temporary entry to the UAE. This visa can be issued multiple times, each time for up to 6 months at a time, for a total stay of up to 1 year from the date of first entry into the Dubai. The length of stay on this visa will be strict based on the duration specified on your Visa Application form and you should not exceed that duration. Apart from this visa, there are three other types of entry visas available: Trade Visa Business Visa Residence VisaWhether you’re a billionaire on holiday, or a backpacker traveling the world, as you get ready to explore the UAE, there are plenty of visa-related questions you’ll need to answer first. One of the most common is how many days can I stay in UAE on a tourist visa?
How Long Is A Tourist Visa In The Uae
A tourist visa is a single, entry visa that allows the visitor to enter into United Arab Emirates (UAE) for 90 days. A UAE Tourist Visa (Entry Visa) is generally provided for non-Emiratis.Citizens of the UK and other EU countries need a visa to travel to the UAE. The UAE Embassy recommends that you apply for your visa between 4-6 weeks before your trip. It can take 3 working days for the visa application to be processed, but also up to 24 working hours so it is better to apply as soon as possible. Processing times can be longer over weekends or holidays.
Who is a tourist visa for?
Tourist visa is for those who are not eligible for visa on arrival or a visa-free entry to the UAE. Tourist visa can be obtained for eligible individual tourists from around the world. Females below the age of 18 are not eligible to apply for this type of visa unless they are travelling with their parents.
According to a Cabinet resolution passed in July 2018, children under the age of 18 years who are accompanying adults, can get a free visa for their visit from 15 July to 15 September each year.
Multiple entry tourist visa for all nationalities
A new multiple entry tourist visa can now be issued for all nationalities, in a step that aims to facilitate the process for tourists and visitors. The five-year visa enables tourists to enter multiple times on self-sponsorship and remain in the country for 90 days on each visit, which can be extended for another 90 days.
For more information about the multiple entry tourist visa, please contact the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship.
Read related news coverage on WAM.
What is the validity of a tourist visa?
Depending on your plan, tourist visas to the UAE can be issued for 30 days or 90 days duration, single entry or multiple entry. Recently, the UAE facilitated a five-year visa which enables tourists to enter multiple times on self-sponsorship and remain in the country for 90 days on each visit, which can be extended for another 90 days.
Who can apply for your tourist visa?
Tourist visas through airlines
Each airline has some conditions, which must be met in order for your visa to be arranged by them. One of the conditions is flying with them. For more updated and specific information, check the following UAE-based airlines for visa types, facilities, terms and conditions:
- Visa services from Etihad Airways – Etihad Airways
- Visa Services offered by Emirates Airline – Emirates Airline
- Visa services from Fly Dubai – Fly Dubai
- Visa services from Air Arabia – Air Arabia
Tourist visas through agencies and hotels
Licensed travel agents and hotels in the UAE can arrange a tourist visa for you provided you purchase the ticket through them and maintain hotel reservation with the specific hotel.
You can also contact travel agencies in your country for any tourist packages available to the UAE in collaboration with a local tour operator.
It is important to check the authenticity of travel agents you are dealing with and refrain from paying or sending copies of your official documents until after you are 100 per cent sure the tour operator is genuine. You can seek the help of the UAE embassy in your country for verification.
Note: The UAE embassies do not issue tourist visas. In order to get a tourist visa to the UAE, you need to get in touch with one of the UAE-based airlines, a tour agency or a hotel (where you intend to stay) in the UAE who will apply for visa on your behalf to the official visa-issuing authorities in the UAE.
Also learn about the provisions of a transit visa to the UAE.
Renewing or extending tourist visa
All types of visit and tourist visas can be extended for 30 days twice, upon applying for it and after successful approval by the relevant authority. This can be done without the need to leave the country.
Visitors and tourists can apply for the second renewal before the expiry of the first one against AED 600 each time of renewal.
Visa overstayers who do not renew, as above, will have to pay AED 100 fine for each day of their overstay, to be calculated from 10 days after the visa expiry.
However, the new rule for extension does not apply on the following categories:
- visitors and tourists who are residents in GCC countries
- residents accompanying GCC nationals
- those on special entry permits
- those on 96-hour permit for special missions.