Transit visa for the UAE: who needs one and how to arrange it

How to arrange a transit visa

1. 1

   Check whether the visa actually applies to you

   A transit visa is for travellers who are not eligible for a visa on arrival or a visa-free entry to the UAE and who intend to step out of the airport. If you are staying airside for the whole connection, this is a different situation — the requirement is tied to leaving the airport.

   Documents:PassportOnward flight ticket
2. 2

   Apply through one of the permitted channels

   You do not file this one yourself at a government counter. You need to apply to: the UAE-based airlines you are travelling on, a travel agency, or an airport hotel. Whichever of the three you use becomes the party that handles the application on your behalf.

   Documents:PassportFlight booking
3. 3

   Confirm the duration you are being issued

   A transit visa is issued for either 48 or 96 hours. Ask your airline, agency or hotel which of the two applies to your booking, because it decides how much time you legally have outside the airport.

4. 4

   Plan around the single-entry rule

   It is a single-entry visa and cannot be extended. Once you use the entry, that is the entry — leaving and coming back on the same visa is not an option, and there is no extension to fall back on if your plans slip. Build the connection with that in mind.

5. 5

   Check current fees and processing times at the source

   The official material we work from does not state a fee amount or a processing time for this visa, so we will not quote one. The current amount has to be checked on the authority's website — ICP (icp.gov.ae) or GDRFA Dubai (gdrfad.gov.ae) — or confirmed by the airline, agency or hotel handling your application. Some UAE carriers run their own transit visa services, including Etihad Airways and Emirates Airline.

Fees and timelines may change — verify with the official source.

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