UAE Visit Visa for Bangladeshis: Sponsors, Fees, Documents and the 2026 Position

The short answer: yes, a Bangladeshi passport holder needs a visit visa arranged before travelling to the UAE. Bangladesh is not on the UAE's visa-free or visa-on-arrival list, so the visa has to be sponsored by someone else first. There are two main routes. A UAE resident relative or friend can sponsor it through the ICP (smartservices.icp.gov.ae, if the sponsor lives in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or the northern emirates) or GDRFA Dubai (gdrfad.gov.ae, if the sponsor lives in Dubai). Or the visit can be booked through a licensed travel agency, airline or hotel, what GDRFA's own pages call an "accredited tourism establishment", which Holidayys arranges and which does not depend on anyone's residence visa or salary. Either way the visa runs 30, 60 or 90 days, single or multiple entry. Bangladeshi visit visas have been written about as paused, restricted or banned on and off since 2024; as of October 2026 we found no UAE government statement confirming a current, country-specific ban on new applications, and the clearest on-the-record position is that the UAE Embassy in Dhaka was issuing visit visas, at a capped daily rate, as of May 2025. Treat anything stronger than that as a report, not a fact, until you can point to an ICP, GDRFA or UAE Ministry of Interior statement.

The UAE is home to an estimated 1.2 million Bangladeshi expatriates, a figure Bangladesh's own foreign minister cited to the UAE ambassador in February 2026, so a huge number of UAE residents want to bring a parent, sibling, spouse or friend over, and a huge number of Bangladeshi households are weighing a first visit. Because the visa has been through genuine disruption since 2024, and because unofficial "ban" notices and screenshots circulate every few months, it is worth separating what an official source has actually said from what a forwarded message claims.

UAE visa for Bangladeshis at a glance

Question	Answer (October 2026)
Does a Bangladeshi passport need a visa before flying to the UAE?	Yes. Bangladesh is not on the UAE's visa-free or visa-on-arrival list, so a visit visa must be arranged in advance
Who can sponsor the visit	A UAE resident relative or friend (via ICP or GDRFA), or a licensed travel agency, airline or hotel, an "accredited tourism establishment" in GDRFA's own wording
Visa lengths	30, 60 or 90 days, single or multiple entry, depending on the route
GDRFA Dubai fee, relative or friend route	AED 200 (30 days), AED 300 (60 days) or AED 400 (90 days), plus 5% VAT, plus a refundable AED 1,000 security deposit
GDRFA Dubai fee, tourism-establishment route	AED 200 (30 days) or AED 300 (60 days), plus 5% VAT; GDRFA's page states no security deposit applies to this one
ICP fee, relative or friend route (outside Dubai)	AED 100 application fee, AED 100 a month single entry or AED 200 a month multiple entry, AED 100 Smart Service fee, plus a refundable AED 1,000 to 2,000 guarantee
Processing time	About 48 hours to 2 working days, per ICP's and GDRFA's own service pages
Is there an official, current ban on new Bangladeshi visit visas	No UAE government statement we found confirms one; a rumoured January 2026 ban was denied on the record by Bangladesh's own ambassador to the UAE
Overstay fine	AED 50 a day, ICP's service page states
Longest stay with an extension	Up to 120 days total via ICP (outside Dubai), or up to 180 days total via GDRFA Dubai

Two ways to get a Bangladeshi visitor into the UAE

A Bangladeshi national cannot simply book a flight and fly in. Someone has to sponsor the visa first, and which sponsor suits a family depends on who is available and how much paperwork they want to put forward.

• A UAE resident relative or friend sponsors it, through ICP or GDRFA depending on where the sponsor lives. This rests on the sponsor's own residence visa, Emirates ID and income.
• A licensed travel agency, airline or hotel sponsors it instead. Holidayys arranges this route; it does not depend on anyone's residence visa, Emirates ID or salary, which makes it the simpler option if the family in the UAE would rather not put a sponsor file forward, or does not clear the income threshold below.

Sponsored by a UAE resident relative or friend

This route puts the UAE-based sponsor's own residence visa, Emirates ID and income behind the application. Which authority handles it depends on where the sponsor, not the visitor, lives.

If the sponsor lives in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or the northern emirates: ICP

The sponsor applies to the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) through smartservices.icp.gov.ae or the UAEICP app, signing in with UAE Pass and setting the visitor category to "visiting relatives or friends". ICP's own service page sets a minimum sponsor income, read in October 2026, of AED 4,000 a month for a first-degree relative (a parent, spouse, son or daughter), AED 8,000 a month for a second or third-degree relative such as a sibling, and AED 15,000 a month for a friend who is not a relative at all. The sponsor also needs proof of the relationship, and the visitor's passport must be valid for at least six months. ICP's page lists a service completion time of about two working days, and says the visitor must enter the UAE within 60 days of the permit being issued.

ICP's fee list, as read on its own page: an AED 100 application fee, AED 100 a month for a single-entry permit or AED 200 a month for multiple entry, an AED 100 Smart Service fee, and a refundable financial guarantee of AED 1,000 for single entry or AED 2,000 for multiple entry, plus an AED 20 guarantee deposit fee. The guarantee is returned once the visitor cancels the visa or leaves the country, provided there is no residency violation. Check the current total on the service card before paying, since these figures move.

If the sponsor lives in Dubai: GDRFA

The sponsor applies to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) through gdrfad.gov.ae, the GDRFA smart app, Dubai Now, or an Amer centre. GDRFA's own service page for issuing a single-entry visit visa for a relative or friend lists, as read in October 2026:

• Visa fee: AED 200 for 30 days, AED 300 for 60 days, or AED 400 for 90 days, plus 5% VAT
• Financial security deposit: AED 1,000, plus a AED 20 deposit service fee and a AED 40 deposit collection and reimbursement fee (GDRFA's multi-entry page for a relative or friend lists AED 2,000 for that version)
• Medical insurance: AED 40 (30 days), AED 60 (60 days) or AED 90 (90 days)

If the visitor is already inside the UAE when the sponsor applies, GDRFA's page adds a further AED 500 in-country fee, plus two AED 10 Knowledge and Innovation Dirham charges. Required documents, per GDRFA's page: two photos, a passport copy valid at least six months, proof of the relationship (a marriage contract for a spouse, a birth certificate for a child or parent), and a salary certificate, employment contract or partnership contract from the sponsor. GDRFA's page also asks applicants from Iraq, Pakistan, Iran or Afghanistan for a national identity card from their home country; it does not list this for Bangladeshi applicants on the page we read. GDRFA's page states a processing time of 48 hours.

Booked through a licensed travel agency, airline or hotel

UAE immigration rules also let a licensed travel agency, airline or hotel sponsor a visit visa, separately from the relative-sponsored route above. GDRFA's own page for this service says the host must be "an establishment working in the tourism field", and that "only accredited tourism offices in the emirate can issue this kind of visa". This is the visa Holidayys sells: it does not rest on anyone's residence visa, Emirates ID or salary, so it suits a family whose UAE-based sponsor does not clear ICP's income threshold, or who would rather not put their own sponsor file forward at all.

GDRFA's fee page for the tourism-establishment route lists AED 200 for 30 days or AED 300 for 60 days, plus 5% VAT, and states that no security deposit applies to this category; a passport valid at least six months, a travel ticket to continue the journey or leave the UAE, and UAE-valid medical insurance are listed as conditions. The page we read shows 30 and 60-day single-entry options; Holidayys also arranges 90-day and 90-day multiple-entry visits through the same tourism-establishment route, so confirm the current fee for a 90-day stay directly with GDRFA or with us before booking. See UAE visa services for the visa lengths we arrange, or go straight to the family visit section to compare this route against sponsoring it yourself. We cannot speed up or guarantee the outcome of either route.

Documents a Bangladeshi visitor needs

• A passport valid for at least six months from the date of travel
• A recent passport photo
• A return or onward ticket, which GDRFA's pages list as a condition of the visa itself, not only an airline request
• Proof of where the visitor is staying: the UAE host's address, or a hotel booking
• UAE-valid medical insurance, built into the visa fee on the relative-sponsored route and listed as a condition on the tourism-establishment route
• For the relative-sponsored route: proof of the relationship (marriage contract, birth certificate) and the sponsor's proof of income

Some commercial visa guides tell Bangladeshi applicants to submit a national ID card as well as a passport. On the official GDRFA pages we read, that requirement is listed for applicants from Iraq, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, not for Bangladeshi nationals. Follow what your sponsor, agency or the official portal actually asks for rather than a generic checklist, and do not send a passport number through a web form.

The reported "visa ban": what has actually been said, 2024 to 2026

Reports that the UAE has slowed or halted visas for Bangladeshis go back to 2012, when a Ministry of Interior official told Gulf News there was "no Bangladeshi visa ban in place" while confirming restrictions on group work-visa quotas that applied to several nationalities, not Bangladesh alone. The Daily Star tracked a near-total halt on Bangladeshi entry permits from August 2012, attributed to Emirati concern over document fraud, which eased over the following years. The same pattern, restriction, denial, partial reopening, has repeated since 2024. Here is what was said on the record, with dates:

• 22 to 23 July 2024: A day after an Abu Dhabi court convicted 57 Bangladeshi workers over a protest, Dhaka Tribune and other outlets reported that the UAE had stopped issuing new work visas to Bangladeshi nationals. Bangladesh's State Minister for Expatriates' Welfare, Shofiqur Rahman Chowdhury, said his ministry had contacted the UAE ambassador in Dhaka and that "the United Arab Emirates has not officially announced anything about suspending visas for Bangladeshis." The UAE pardoned the 57 workers on 3 September 2024.
• December 2024: The UAE's ambassador to Bangladesh, Abdulla Ali Al Hmoudi, said on the record that UAE tourist visas for Bangladeshis would reopen in February 2025.
• 4 May 2025: Briefing the Bangladeshi chief adviser's special envoy in Dhaka, Ambassador Al Hmoudi said the UAE Embassy in Dhaka was then issuing 30 to 50 visit visas a day, and that the UAE Ministry of Human Resources had reactivated its online system for some categories of work visa.
• September to October 2025: A notice on the commercial site uaevisaonline.com, which is not a UAE government or ICP channel, claimed Bangladeshi tourist and work visas would be barred from January 2026. Bangladesh's ambassador to the UAE, Tareq Ahmed, called the claim "a malicious post" and denied it. By late October 2025, fact-checking by Wego found that no UAE government body, including ICP or the Ministry of Interior, had published anything confirming a Bangladesh-specific suspension.
• 24 February 2026: Bangladesh's Foreign Minister, Khalilur Rahman, asked UAE Ambassador Al Hmoudi, at a meeting in Dhaka, to reopen labour visas and ease business and transit visa procedures for Bangladeshi nationals. This was a request, not a confirmed change, and we found no report of the UAE's formal response.
• 27 July to September 2026: A separate issue surfaced: Bangladeshis who were outside the UAE found visas they already held auto-cancelled. The Bangladesh Embassy in Abu Dhabi said on 27 July it was checking whether this had a technical cause or a specific one. On 30 July, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam put the confirmed figure at 626, not the roughly 5,000 some media had reported, and said nationals of Pakistan, Egypt, the Philippines and Nepal had reported similar cancellations, so the problem was not Bangladesh-specific. By mid-September, Bangladeshi media reported the figure had risen to around 4,000 to 4,800, which the government has not confirmed in the same terms. This reporting does not say whether visit visas, work visas or both are affected, and it concerns visas already issued, not new applications.

Put together: as of October 2026, we found no ICP, GDRFA or UAE Ministry of Interior statement confirming either a blanket ban on new Bangladeshi visit-visa applications or its lifting. The clearest on-the-record position remains the UAE ambassador's own May 2025 statement that the Dhaka embassy was issuing visit visas, at a capped daily rate. A rumoured January 2026 ban was denied by Bangladesh's own ambassador to the UAE, and the live issue in the second half of 2026 is the cancellation of visas already held by Bangladeshis who are travelling, which the Bangladeshi government says is not specific to Bangladesh. Treat any stronger claim, in either direction, as unconfirmed until you can point to an official UAE statement, and check directly with the UAE Embassy in Dhaka, the UAE visa status check, or ICP's and GDRFA's own portals before you book anything.

What airlines check before boarding

We could not find a current, UAE-specific document checklist published by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Emirates, flydubai, Air Arabia or US-Bangla Airlines. What holds generally is that check-in staff verify a passport valid for at least six months, an entry permit or visa number that matches the passenger's details, and a return or onward ticket, before issuing a boarding pass. During the 2024 restrictions, Biman Bangladesh Airlines said publicly that it could not issue boarding passes to passengers whose UAE entry had not been cleared in advance, and that some passengers who held a visa and other paperwork were still refused boarding while the restriction lasted; that was tied to a specific, temporary visa-category restriction, not a standing rule. Confirm your own booking's requirements with the airline directly before you travel, carry a printed copy of the entry permit alongside the passport, and build in time at check-in in case of extra verification.

Bangladesh's own exit checks

At Bangladesh's international airports, Hazrat Shahjalal in Dhaka, Shah Amanat in Chattogram and Osmani in Sylhet, departing passengers pass through the Immigration Police, part of the Special Branch of Bangladesh Police. Hazrat Shahjalal airport's own site describes this unit as responsible for "monitoring and regulating the entry and exit of individuals at airports, land borders, and seaports" and for "processing visa applications and ensuring compliance with immigration laws." In the past this has meant extra scrutiny for Bangladeshis travelling to the Gulf on a visit visa: a 2021 Daily Star report said immigration staff at Dhaka airport held back passengers suspected of travelling on a visit visa to work rather than to visit, while clearing genuine tourists, business travellers and civil servants. We could not confirm whether the same screening applies in the same way in October 2026, so a genuine visitor should be ready to show a return ticket, proof of where they are staying, enough funds for the trip, and a clear answer on the purpose of the visit if asked.

Extending the visit

A visit visa can be extended inside the UAE before it expires, and the cap on the total stay depends on which authority issued it. ICP's page for Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the northern emirates caps the total stay, extension included, at 120 days. GDRFA Dubai's own extension service allows a total of up to 180 days. GDRFA Dubai's extension costs AED 600 plus 5% VAT, and a further AED 500 plus two AED 10 Knowledge and Innovation Dirham charges if the visitor applies from inside the UAE, as read on GDRFA's service pages. See our full guide to extending a UAE visit visa for the step-by-step process, or ask Holidayys to arrange a visa change by bus or flight instead.

What goes wrong

• Overstaying. ICP's service page states a fine of AED 50 a day for an expired entry permit. Extend or exit before the permit runs out.
• Trusting an unofficial website. The January 2026 "ban" claim traced back to a commercial visa-processing site, not the UAE government, and Bangladesh's own ambassador to the UAE denied it. Rely on ICP (icp.gov.ae), GDRFA Dubai (gdrfad.gov.ae), the UAE Embassy in Dhaka, or the Bangladesh Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate in Dubai, not a forwarded message or an agent's circular.
• Assuming a Bangladeshi applicant needs the same documents as other nationalities. The national ID requirement on GDRFA's pages names Iraq, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, not Bangladesh.
• Applying for a visit visa when the real plan is to work. A visit visa does not permit employment. Entering on one and then working is a breach that can bring fines, a ban on future entry, or deportation.

Frequently asked questions

Do Bangladeshi passport holders need a visa to enter the UAE?

Yes. Bangladesh is not on the UAE's visa-free or visa-on-arrival list, so a visit visa must be arranged before departure, sponsored either by a UAE resident relative or friend, or by a licensed travel agency, airline or hotel.

Is there currently a ban on UAE visit visas for Bangladeshis?

We found no UAE government statement, from ICP, GDRFA or the Ministry of Interior, confirming a current, country-specific ban. A rumoured ban starting January 2026 was traced to an unofficial website and denied on the record by Bangladesh's ambassador to the UAE. Confirm the current position with the UAE Embassy in Dhaka or an official UAE portal before you plan around either claim.

Who can sponsor a Bangladeshi's UAE visit visa?

A UAE resident relative or friend can sponsor it through ICP (outside Dubai) or GDRFA (in Dubai), using their own residence visa, Emirates ID and income. A licensed travel agency, airline or hotel, an "accredited tourism establishment" in GDRFA's wording, can sponsor it instead, which does not depend on anyone's residence visa or salary.

How long can a Bangladeshi stay in the UAE on a visit visa?

The base visa runs 30, 60 or 90 days. With an extension, ICP's cap for the other emirates is 120 days in total, while GDRFA Dubai allows up to 180 days in total. Check the cap that applies to the authority that issued the visa.

What documents does a Bangladeshi need for a UAE visit visa?

A passport valid at least six months, a recent photo, a return or onward ticket, proof of accommodation, and UAE-valid medical insurance. For a relative-sponsored visa, add proof of the relationship and the sponsor's proof of income. GDRFA's pages do not list a national ID card as a requirement for Bangladeshi applicants.

What happens if a Bangladeshi visitor's UAE visa is cancelled while they are abroad?

Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs State Minister said in July 2026 that 626 Bangladeshis had experienced this kind of "auto-cancellation", with cases being sent to UAE authorities for renewal, and that nationals of several other countries had reported the same issue. If this happens, the Bangladesh Embassy in Abu Dhabi or Consulate in Dubai, and your sponsor or employer, are the people to contact, not an unverified forwarded message.

Planning a visit

If a relative, friend or employee is travelling from Bangladesh, Holidayys arranges the visit visa through a licensed tourism establishment, for 30, 60 or 90 days, single or multiple entry, without needing the UAE sponsor's own residence visa or salary behind it. See UAE visa services for the current visa types, or go straight to the family visit section to compare that route against sponsoring it yourself. Choose a length directly: 14 days, 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, or 90 days multiple entry. Already in the UAE and not sure what a visa status shows? Run a free check on UAE visa check, which also sets expiry reminders. For anything specific to your situation, talk to us; we cannot guarantee or speed up a government decision, but we can tell you what the current rules ask for.

Related guides

• UAE visa for parents: how to sponsor a visit, routes, fees and documents
• UAE visa guide: types, rules and status check
• UAE visit visa extension: how it works
• UAE visit visa for Pakistanis

Last checked 9 October 2026 against ICP's and GDRFA Dubai's own entry-permit and tourist-visa service pages, the Bangladesh Embassy in Abu Dhabi's public statements, and dated reporting from Bangladeshi and UAE news outlets named above. This guide is general information, not immigration advice. Confirm the current position with ICP, GDRFA, the UAE Embassy in Dhaka, the Bangladesh Embassy in Abu Dhabi, or our team before you travel.