UAE Visa on Arrival Countries: The Full List for 2026

The short answer: citizens of the five other GCC states need no UAE visa at all. Citizens of about 85 more countries, most of Europe, the Americas and East Asia among them, get a visa on arrival at the border, with no application before travel: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' checker marks these nationalities "Visa Free". The government portal says a visa on arrival lasts either 30 days, with a 10-day grace period for extension, or 90 days, depending on the passport. A third group can get an entry visa because of a residence permit they hold elsewhere: since 25 June 2026, ICP gives nationals of India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Kenya and South Africa who hold a residence permit from the US, an EU state, the UK, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand or Canada a 14-day visa for AED 100 or a 60-day visa for AED 250. Everyone else needs a visit visa arranged before they fly.

Getting this wrong costs money either way. Assume a visa on arrival you do not have, and the airline can refuse to board you. Assume you need a visa when your passport does not, and you pay for nothing. The lists also change: the June 2026 widening added six nationalities in one notice. This guide gives what each official source says and where to check your own passport.

UAE visa on arrival countries at a glance

Question	Answer (October 2026)
GCC citizens	No visa: a GCC passport or national ID at the border (government portal)
Visa on arrival	About 85 more nationalities, marked "Visa Free" on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' checker (90 including the GCC)
How long	30 days with a 10-day grace period for extension, or 90 days, depending on nationality
Passport validity	At least six months from the date of entry
ICP entry visa for seven nationalities	India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Kenya, South Africa, with a residence permit from one of eight countries or the EU
Its stay and fee (ICP)	14 days, extendable once, AED 100; or 60 days, single entry, not extendable, AED 250
GDRFA Dubai route for Indians	AED 253, 14 days, extendable once by 14 days
Everyone else	A visit visa arranged before travel, sponsored by a relative, agency, airline or hotel
Overstay fine	AED 50 a day

GCC citizens: no visa at all

The government portal is plain about this: "Citizens of GCC countries do not require a visa or permit or to be sponsored by a national or resident in the UAE." Citizens of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman show their passport or national ID card at the border. Expats who live in those countries are a different case: they apply for the UAE's entry visa for GCC residents before they travel, unless their own passport gets a visa on arrival. Our UAE visa for GCC residents guide covers it.

Visa on arrival: 30 days or 90 days

The government portal describes two kinds of visa on arrival. Citizens of one group "do not require advance visa arrangements to enter the UAE and can obtain a visa upon arrival for 30 days with a 10-day grace period for extension". Citizens of a second group get the same for 90 days. The portal sends readers to Visit Dubai's nationality checker for which passport sits in which group, and that checker answers one nationality at a time rather than publishing a list.

There is nothing to apply for in advance. Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date you arrive, the portal adds, and it warns that "lists of countries eligible for visa on arrival may vary from time to time".

The visa-free list

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs its own checker, "Visa information to enter the country", with a card for each nationality marked either "Visa Free" or "Visa Required". When we read it on 9 October 2026, 90 nationalities were marked "Visa Free", the five GCC states among them. The checker does not say which get 30 days and which 90. Here are the other 85, grouped by region:

• Europe (44): Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Vatican City.
• Caucasus and Central Asia (5): Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
• Asia and the Pacific (15): Australia, Brunei, China, Fiji, Hong Kong, Japan, Kiribati, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mongolia, Nauru, New Zealand, Singapore, the Solomon Islands and South Korea.
• The Americas (18): Argentina, the Bahamas, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the United States and Uruguay.
• Africa (2): Mauritius and Seychelles.
• Middle East (1): Israel.

If your passport is not on this list, it was marked "Visa Required" on the day we read it: that includes India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Philippines, Indonesia, Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya and Türkiye. Check your own nationality on the ministry's checker close to your travel date, since a list like this can change with a single notice.

We keep nationality guides for the largest groups who need a visa arranged: Indians, Pakistanis, Filipinos, Indonesians, Thais, Egyptians and South Africans. Malaysians, who are on the list, have their own guide to visa-free entry.

Entry visa by residence permit: seven nationalities

On 25 June 2026, ICP widened what it calls the "UAE Entry Visa for Nationals of Certain Countries". Until then, Indian nationals were the only ones eligible. ICP's notice added nationals of Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Kenya and South Africa, and widened the qualifying residence permits from the US, the EU and the UK to Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Canada too.

• Who: applicants and their accompanying family members must be nationals of the seven countries and hold a valid residence permit from the US, an EU member state, the UK, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand or Canada.
• 14-day visa: AED 100, extendable once during the stay.
• 60-day visa: AED 250, single entry, not extendable.
• Overstay: holders must leave before the stay ends; ICP's notice sets a fine of AED 50 a day after it.

ICP's notice calls this an entry visa and does not say whether it is issued on arrival or applied for in advance. Carry the residence permit itself, since that is what makes you eligible, and confirm the channel with your airline or ICP before you fly.

GDRFA Dubai's route for Indian nationals

GDRFA Dubai keeps its own service for Indian citizens with an ordinary passport and a US visa or green card, or a UK or EU residence visa. It grants a 14-day visa, which "can be extended for a similar period for one time only", for a fee of AED 253, with 48 hours to process through GDRFA Dubai's smart services. The passport and the US, UK or EU document must each be valid for at least six months. Our UAE visa on arrival for Indians guide covers this route in detail. ICP's newer scheme costs less and accepts more countries of residence, so compare the two before you apply.

Everyone else: a visit visa before you fly

The government portal says that anyone without visa-free entry or a visa on arrival "will require an entry permit prior to arrival into the UAE and someone to sponsor it". The sponsor can be a UAE resident relative or friend, or a licensed travel agency, airline or hotel. Our UAE visa guide compares the types, and our UAE visit visa for parents guide covers sponsoring family.

Our visa desk arranges 14-day, 30-day, 60-day and 90-day visit visas, which people also call tourist visas, and a 90-day multiple-entry visa. You will need a passport copy and a photo: see our UAE visa photo guide.

Before you board

• Passport validity: at least six months from the date of entry, for every route above.
• Airline checks: the airline checks your documents at check-in. The government portal links to the visa pages of Etihad, Emirates and flydubai, which list the rules for their passengers.
• The right document: if you rely on a residence permit from another country, carry the permit with you.
• Your stay: a visa on arrival lasts 30 or 90 days. Past the last day, the overstay fine is AED 50 a day: see our UAE overstay fines guide. To stay longer, our UAE visit visa extension guide covers the options.

Frequently asked questions

Which countries get a UAE visa on arrival?

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' checker marked 90 nationalities "Visa Free" in October 2026: the five GCC states, which need no visa at all, and 85 more, including the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, China, Russia, most of Europe and much of Latin America. The full list is above.

Is the UAE visa on arrival 30 days or 90 days?

It depends on your passport. The government portal describes a 30-day visa on arrival with a 10-day grace period for extension, and a 90-day visa on arrival for a second group. Visit Dubai's nationality checker shows which applies to yours.

Can Indians get a UAE visa on arrival?

Not on an Indian passport alone. Indian nationals with a residence permit from the US, an EU state, the UK, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand or Canada qualify for ICP's 14-day (AED 100) or 60-day (AED 250) entry visa. GDRFA Dubai also runs a 14-day visa for Indians with a US visa or green card, or a UK or EU residence visa, at AED 253.

Do Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Filipino citizens get a UAE visa on arrival?

Pakistani and Bangladeshi passports were marked "Visa Required" on the ministry's checker in October 2026, so a visit visa must be arranged before travel. Filipino citizens need one too, unless they hold a residence permit from one of ICP's eight qualifying countries or the EU.

Do I need to apply in advance for a UAE visa on arrival?

Not if your nationality is marked "Visa Free": the visa is issued when you arrive. GDRFA Dubai's route for Indians is applied for online before travel, at AED 253. ICP's entry visa for the seven nationalities costs AED 100 for 14 days or AED 250 for 60 days; its notice does not say whether it is issued on arrival.

What if my country is not on the list?

You need a visit visa arranged before you fly, sponsored by a UAE resident relative or friend, or by a licensed travel agency, airline or hotel. They come in 14, 30, 60 and 90-day lengths, single or multiple entry.

Plan your visit

Check your passport on the official checker before you book. If you need a visa, browse our UAE visa services, or visiting family if a resident relative is sponsoring. Already holding one? Our free UAE visa check confirms its status and sends reminders before it runs out. Or talk to us about your dates.

Related guides

• UAE visit visa for Indians: routes, fees and documents
• UAE visa for GCC residents: rules, fee and how to apply
• UAE visa on arrival for Indians
• UAE visit visa validity: time to enter, time to stay
• UAE multiple entry visa: the 5-year visa and shorter options

Last checked 9 October 2026 against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' "Visa information to enter the country" checker, the government portal's page on whether you need a visa to enter the UAE, ICP's notice of 25 June 2026 on the UAE Entry Visa for Nationals of Certain Countries, and GDRFA Dubai's service page for Indian nationals resident in the US, UK or EU. This guide is general information, not immigration advice. Lists change: confirm your nationality with the ministry's checker, your airline or the UAE embassy before you travel.