United Arab Emirates Visa Requirements
Frequently asked questions
Can I extend my stay in United Arab Emirates once I'm there?
Yes. You can apply from inside United Arab Emirates to stay longer, and you must do it before your current permission runs out. The official fee is AED 630. Extensions are granted in 30-day blocks. A 30-day visit visa can normally be extended twice, a 60-day visa once. All visit-visa holders are subject to a 180-day cap within any 12-month period. The total depends on which authority issued the visa. ICP (federal) publishes AED 100 application plus AED 500 extension. GDRFA Dubai publishes AED 600 plus 5% VAT, and a Dubai in-country extension commonly totals AED 1,100–1,200 once the inside-country fee and dirham charges are added. Apply online through the ICP portal or GDRFA before your current visa expires. Since December 2025 this can be done entirely from inside the UAE, which ended the old practice of exiting and re-entering to reset a stay. Transit visas and certain mission-specific permits cannot be extended in-country at all. Because there is no grace period, an extension filed late is worth nothing — fines start immediately.
Is the information on this page guaranteed to be accurate?
We check what we publish against official sources where we can, and clearly flag anything still pending verification. Even so, visa rules change — sometimes with very little notice — so please treat this page as a strong starting point, not a final word, and confirm directly with the official source linked above before you book or fly.
Before you travel — checklist
- Check your passport has enough remaining validity for your trip to United Arab Emirates — many countries require at least 6 months beyond your travel dates, even for visa-free entry.
- Start your visa application process well before your travel date — don't leave this until the last few days.
- Note this specific requirement for United Arab Emirates: Following Iranian strikes on the UAE, Iranian passport holders are no longer allowed to enter or transit through the country..
- Check whether United Arab Emirates requires proof of onward or return travel — some border officers ask for this even when it isn't formally listed as a requirement.
- Consider travel insurance that covers your trip to United Arab Emirates, particularly if any medical or emergency evacuation coverage is required or advisable for the region.
- This page's details for United Arab Emirates are still pending full verification — confirm everything directly with an official government source before finalising your plans.
Visa rules change — sometimes with very little notice. This page reflects our best information as of 2026, but if you're reading this later than that, treat it as a starting point rather than the final word, and always confirm with the official source above before you travel.