UAE Visa Policy Guidelines for all Foreigners

IMMIGRATION AND VISAS

Passport Requirements according to UAE visa policy

All passengers require a passport, except the following based on UAE visa policy: 

1. Travelers with a German identity document “Kinderausweis” issued to children less than 16 years old. There is no requirement for the document to include a picture of the infant for children younger than ten years.
2. People from countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council with a national identification card.
3. Travelers released by the United Nations with a Laissez-Passer.
4. Travelers with a Seaman Book are traveling on duty if they are citizens of the issuing country.
5. Travelers with a provisional German passport.
6. People from Australia with an emergency passport. 

The Validity of Document based on UAE visa policy

As per UAE visa policy, passports and alternative documents, or all of them, have to be valid for: 

• at least three months from the date of entry, for visits of up to three months; or visits of up to three months; or
• For visits longer than three months, at least three months from the date of entry.

a. Citizens of the United Arab Emirates can enter with or with passports and alternative documents that must be valid at the time of arrival. 

b. United Arab Emirates residents can enter with travel documents that have to be valid upon arrival. 

Additional Details for UAE visa policy

1. A clearance provided by the Crime Investigation Department before arrival is required for travelers with passports containing an Israeli visa or stamps.

2. Unless they are wives of the United Arab Emirates residents and hold a visa, travelers with Kuwaiti passports stamped ‘Article 17, paragraph 2’ are refused entry. 

The Minors

According to UAE visa policy, if the child is registered with a parent’s passport, a passport is not required. 

Issuance of Visa according to UAE visa policy

1. Until arrival: Visitors are kindly requested to contact the nearest United Arab Emirates representative office.

2. On arrival: Egyptian and Turkish citizens with diplomatic, service, or special passports will be given a visa-free of charge for a stay of no more than 90 days. Extending the validity of the visa is not possible.

3. Upon arrival: A visa issued to travelers arriving on duty if the visa has been arranged in advance by the Department of Protocol to: 

• Consular, service, and special passports for Jordanian residents.
• Service passengers, diplomatic, consular passports, and special passports. 

4. Upon arrival: A visa may be given free of charge to Algerian people holding diplomatic passports for a period not exceeding 90 days.

5. On arrival: A visa can be issued for free upon arrival to travelers stay for no more than 30 days; it is possible to extend the validity for another 30 days against a fee of AED 620 to citizens of:

Australia, Austria, Andorra, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Brunei, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, and Holy See.

6. On arrival: a visa may be given if required for a stay of no more than 30 days for travelers with British passports endorsed by ‘British Citizen’; extension is possible for a fee of AED 620.

7. On arrival: a visa may be issued if required for a stay of no more than 30 days for passengers with passports issued by Hong Kong (Special Administrative Area of China); extension is possible for a fee of AED 620 according to UAE visa policy.

8. Upon arrival: A visa may be given to travelers with a ‘Laissez-Passer’ given by the United Nations if applicable.

9. On arrival: a visa may be issued if necessary for a fee of AED 170 to be charged to the Gulf Cooperation Council residents. They are provided that the fee is AED 170, have been resident for at least one year in one of the countries mentioned above, have confirmed return tickets, and are citizens of the following countries:

• Australia, Austria, Andorra, Belgium, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Canada, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the USA, or Holy See.
• In their passports, any country that has given one of the following professions is specified: business person, director, doctor, engineer, or accountant.

10. On arrival: A pre-arranged 30-day visit visa (fee varies) may be issued and can be extended for an equivalent duration of 30 days, or a pre-arranged 30-day visitor visa (fee varies) may be issued but can’t be extended. After obtaining the application, it takes no less than seven days to process the visa to pre-arrange all visa forms.

The traveler must have an ‘OK-to-Board’ message from the carrier in both cases. Travelers can contact their sponsor in advance and provide him with all the passport information to get this letter. In turn, the sponsor (company, hotel, or individual) will apply to the immigration authorities for a visa that can use within 60 days of the issuance date.

A fine of AED 100 per day will be levied upon departure if the traveler does not leave within the visa’s validity span. You may use a visa to enter and exit the United Arab Emirates from any airport

11. On arrival: a 14-day transit visa may be given to travelers with an ‘OK-to-Board’ message from the carrier if necessary for a fee of AED 220 per passenger. Travelers can contact their sponsor in advance and provide him with all the passport information to get this letter.

In turn, the sponsor (a business, hotel, or person) may apply for a visa from the immigration authorities. It takes at least three days to process the visa after obtaining the application.

You may use the visa for 30 days following the date of issue. If the traveler stays longer than 14 days, they will pay a fine of AED 200. You can use this visa from any airport to enter and exit the United Arab Emirates.

12. On arrival: If required, a 96-hour transit visa may be given to travelers with a passport according to UAE visa policy. However, this facility does not extend to travelers arriving on SQ flights or residents of Niger or Somalia.

Notes

• On arrival, no visa will be given to female travelers below 30, provided they are citizens of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
• This facility does not extend to travelers with British endorsed ‘British Resident’ passports, who will still obtain a 60-day visa from the immigration authorities upon arrival.
• This facility does not apply to citizens of the following nations, who will always give a 60-day visa on arrival by the immigration authorities:
• Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States of America and Vatican City.
• This facility extends to travelers with passports provided by Hong Kong (China’s Special Administrative Region) who, upon arrival by the immigration authorities, will always obtain a 60-day visa.
• Even if the traveler has evidence that they will meet the sponsor at the airport, deportation on the same flight will occur if the sponsor or either of their members is not present at the time of entry at the airport.

The immigration officer on duty may abandon this rule, and the traveler may depart later or wait for a visa to be issued.

• For Palestinians with documentation released by Iraq or Egypt, this facility does not apply.
• For travelers with Palestinian documents, this facility may not apply.

Visa Exemptions according to UAE visa policy

All travelers must hold a visa except for the following based on UAE visa policy: 

1. United Arab Emirates Citizens.
2. The people of Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
3. Except for those carrying Kuwaiti passports, residents of Kuwait are stamped with ‘Article 17, paragraph 2.’
4. Citizens of Jordan with diplomatic passports.
5. Travelers in possession of a residency permit issued by the United Arab Emirates.

TWOV (Transit without Visa) according to UAE visa policy

For transit passengers continuing their journey to a third country by the same or the first connecting aircraft within 24 hours, TWOV is permissible and holds based on UAE visa policy: 

• all the documentation required for their next trip; and 
• Tickets with confirmed bookings. 
• Still, it is not permitted to exit the airport transit field.

Additional Information based on UAE visa policy

1. A visa:

• An expired passport, combined with a valid passport, may be accepted for travel.
• Issued in respect of the United Arab Emirates shall extend to all seven Sheikdoms.
• It can be applied for and provided via the internet if Dubai airport is the airport of arrival. If travelers

2. Travelers entering the United Arab Emirates will have to fill in a health declaration form due to a swine flu outbreak (H1N1). 

3. All travelers are expected to: 

• To have a sponsor in the United Arab Emirates to cover their visiting expenses.
• Have papers and approved tickets appropriate for the next ride.
• Exemptions: Citizens of Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Andorra, Brunei, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Canada, Ireland, Italy, Republic of Korea, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Monaco, Netherlands, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Portugal, Qatar, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, the UAE, the UK, and Holy See.

4. Travelers must report first to the city immigration office if they want to leave the country more than 21 days after their visa has been revoked, whether or not they intend to apply for a new visa abroad.

Information to know according to UAE visa policy

Where travelers do not comply with the rules of entry or transit, the carrier shall be subject to payment at Dubai International Airport of a fine of AED 5,000 for each unauthorized traveler as per UAE visa policy.

In addition to an additional fine of AED 1,000 per day for each traveler until the traveler leaves Dubai International Airport.

CUSTOMS AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE

Import Regulations based on UAE visa policy

There are no limits to the import of the following as per UAE visa policy: 

1. If you are 18 years of age or older: 400 cigarettes up to AED 2,000 and cigars up to AED 3,000.-and 2 kilograms of tobacco (except for tobacco snuffing or chewing).
2. Perfumes or other gift products up to a total of AED 3,000 for personal use.
3. If you are 18 or older: alcoholic drinks for non-Muslim passengers only, in:

• Dubai: 24 cans of beer or 4 liters of alcohol of some other kind.
• Sharjah: a beer of 48 cans or 4 liters of spirits or wine.
• Fujairah: 4 liters of alcohol of some sort.
• Abu Dhabi: 4 liters of alcohol of some type or two cartons of beer (each of which consists of 24 cans and does not exceed 355 ml for each can or its equivalent).

4. Medicines recommended by a doctor for personal use, with a maximum of three months’ intake. A pre-approval from the Ministry of Health (MOH) must be received before arrival while traveling with drugs, regulated, and semi-controlled medicine.

Refer to www.mohap.gov.ae/en/services/Pages/361.aspx for more information.

Prohibited Goods based on UAE visa policy

1. E-cigarettes in checked baggage.

2. Fresh foods (such as vegetables, fruits, fish, dairy products, meat, food products, and shrimp) from Japan with a validity of fewer than two weeks. Other than fresh foodstuffs valid for longer than two weeks are allowed when accompanied by a radiation clearance certificate provided by the Japanese Health Authority.

3. Abu Dhabi and Fujairah: Vegetables and fruits from areas afflicted with cholera, pearls are grown.

4. Sharjah and Dubai: Fruits and vegetables, uncooked edible seafood of cholera-infected areas.

N.B.

Imports of live and dead birds (and derived products) from Bulgaria, all Asian countries, Germany, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Netherlands, Lebanon, Russia (Karachayevo-Cherkesskaya Resp. Tyumenskaya Oblast, Omskaya Oblast, Saratovskaya Oblast), Tunisia, the UK, Syria, and all other countries affected by Avian Influenza are prohibited to prevent the risk of Avian Influenza entering the country.

Contact the UAE Ministry of Climate Change & Environment at http:/www.moccae.gov.ae/ for further measures regarding the admission or import prohibitions of live birds and poultry products.

Regulations on Exports based on UAE visa policy

There are no export restrictions, but for large quantities of jewelry, cash, and gold, proof of purchase/origin is required.

Pets

As per UAE visa policy, birds (including falcons), dogs, and cats can only be imported through approved ports as manifested cargo and must be accompanied by: 

1. An import permit granted by the Ministry of Climate Change and the Environment of the United Arab Emirates (UAE MOCCAE, see link below); and

2. Veterinary good health certificate provided by the appropriate authorities of the exporting country; and

3. Original vaccination card or pet passport, including pet details, the microchip ID number, and vaccinations required.

Notes

Exports of live and dead birds (and derived products) from Bulgaria, all Asian countries, Germany, Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Netherlands, Lebanon, Russia (Karachayevo-Cherkesskaya Resp. Tyumenskaya Oblast, Omskaya Oblast, Saratovskaya Oblast), Tunisia, the UK, Syria, and all other countries affected by Avian Influenza are prohibited to prevent the risk of Avian Influenza entering the country.

Contact the UAE Ministry of Climate Change & Environment at http:/www.moccae.gov.ae/ for further measures regarding the admission or export prohibitions of live birds and poultry products.

Baggage Clearance Regulations

At the first entry point, airport authorities should clear the traveler’s luggage according to UAE visa policy.

The Exception

• Travelers who transit within 24 hours and do not pass through customs. If the traveler wishes to leave the transit area, the luggage may be kept for no longer than 24 hours before customs clearance, as long as the luggage is linked to the final destination. The handling agent (DNATA) may also store luggage at Dubai airport for more than 24 hours for AED 10 per piece of baggage fee.
• Travelers transiting via Dubai (DXB) with separate luggage passes and checked-in luggage are not expected to clear immigration and customs when using the airport’s baggage transfer facility. The fee is applicable.

Charge on Airports

According to UAE visa policy, no airport tax is imposed on travelers at the airport upon leaving port. 

Regulations on Currency Imports as per UAE visa policy

Local currency imports (AED-United Arab Emirates Dirham) and foreign currencies are not restricted. Sums greater than AED 100,000 or its equivalent, however, must be reported upon arrival.

Regulations on Currency Exports as per UAE visa policy

Local currency exports (AED-United Arab Emirates Dirham) and foreign currencies are not restricted. Sums greater than AED 100,000 or its equivalent, however, must be reported upon departure.

Regulations on Arms and Ammunition as per UAE visa policy

For weapons and ammunition, a permit from the Ministry of Interior is necessary.