UAE Visit Visa for Indonesians: Routes, Fees and the New Entry Visa

The short answer: an Indonesian passport does not get a UAE visa on arrival. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' own checker and Visit Dubai's nationality checker both mark Indonesia "Visa Required", so most Indonesian travellers arrange a visit visa before they fly. You can get one three ways: a UAE resident relative can sponsor you through ICP (smartservices.icp.gov.ae) if they live outside Dubai, or GDRFA Dubai (gdrfad.gov.ae) if they live in Dubai; a licensed travel agency, airline or hotel can sponsor a visit visa for you with no local contact needed, which is the visa Holidayys arranges; or, since 25 June 2026, Indonesians who already hold a residence permit from a short list of other countries can apply for ICP's entry visa instead. A plain Indonesian passport, on its own, does not qualify for that entry visa.

Indonesians travel to the UAE for family visits, holidays, and stopovers on the way to umrah in Mecca and Medina. Getting the visa side right matters at both ends of the trip. In the UAE, overstaying or working on a visit visa carries fines and can end in deportation. In Indonesia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs its own travel advisory service for citizens going abroad, and it is clear that a visa must usually be arranged before departure, not assumed at the airport.

UAE visit visa for Indonesians at a glance

Question	Answer (October 2026)
Does an Indonesian passport get visa-free entry or a visa on arrival	No. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' checker and Visit Dubai's checker both mark Indonesia "Visa Required"
Who can sponsor a pre-arranged visit visa	A UAE resident relative (via ICP or GDRFA), or a licensed travel agency, airline or hotel
Visit visa lengths on offer	14, 30, 60 or 90 days, single or multiple entry
Agency/airline/hotel-sponsored visit visa fee (Dubai)	AED 200 for 30 days or AED 300 for 60 days, single entry, plus 5% VAT, per GDRFA Dubai's service pages
ICP's entry visa for Indonesians with a qualifying foreign residence permit (from 25 June 2026)	14 days for AED 100 or 60 days for AED 250, per ICP's notice
Overstay fine on the ICP entry visa	AED 50 a day, per ICP's notice
Can a visit visa be used to work	No. UAE law bars it
Passport validity needed	At least 6 months, on every route
What Indonesia's own government says	A regular passport needs a visa; an e-visa is noted for Emirates or Etihad passengers, per Safe Travel (Kemlu)

Does an Indonesian passport get a UAE visa on arrival?

No. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs a checker called "Visa information to enter the country" (mofa.gov.ae), which marks each nationality "Visa Free" or "Visa Required". On 9 October 2026 it marked Indonesia "Visa Required". Visit Dubai's own nationality checker, at visitdubai.com, gives the same answer: selecting Indonesia shows that a visa must be arranged before you travel, not issued at the border. The two official checkers agree, so treat any site claiming otherwise as wrong or out of date.

This is different from the entry visa ICP introduced on 25 June 2026, covered below, which some Indonesians can use because of a residence permit they hold in another country, not because of their Indonesian passport alone.

Three ways to get a UAE visa as an Indonesian traveller

• Have a relative in the UAE sponsor you. They apply through ICP, if they live in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or the northern emirates, or through GDRFA if they live in Dubai. This rests on their residence visa, Emirates ID and income.
• Book a visit visa through a licensed travel agency, airline or hotel. This is the visa Holidayys arranges. It needs no UAE-based sponsor at all, which makes it the simpler route if you have no relative there, or if their income does not clear the sponsor threshold.
• Check whether you qualify for ICP's entry visa. Since 25 June 2026 this route has been open to Indonesian passport holders who also hold a qualifying residence permit from certain other countries. See the dedicated section below before you rely on it.

Book a visit visa through a travel agency, airline or hotel

This is the most straightforward route for an Indonesian traveller with no UAE resident to sponsor them, since the visa does not depend on anyone's salary or residence status in the UAE. GDRFA Dubai calls its version a "tourist visa," the term people also use for a visit visa; it must be sponsored by "one of the establishments working in the field of tourism," as its own service pages put it, and only accredited tourism offices in the emirate can issue it. Read on GDRFA's own pages in October 2026:

• Single entry: AED 200 for 30 days, or AED 300 for 60 days, plus 5% VAT
• Multiple entry: AED 300 for 30 days, or AED 500 for 60 days, plus 5% VAT
• Security deposit: none, on this type of visa
• Processing time: about 48 hours

If you are already inside the UAE when the visa is applied for, GDRFA's pages add a Knowledge Dirham and an Innovation Dirham of AED 10 each, plus an AED 500 in-country fee. Outside Dubai, ICP runs the same kind of service through travel agencies, airlines and hotels, with its own fee schedule.

Either way, you will need a passport valid at least six months, a ticket to continue your journey or return home, and health insurance valid in the UAE. See UAE visa services for the 14, 30, 60 and 90-day options we arrange, including 14 days, 30 days, 60 days and 90 days. We cannot guarantee or speed up a government decision on any visa.

Sponsored by a relative who lives in the UAE

If you have a parent, spouse, sibling or child already living in the UAE, they can sponsor your visit directly, through ICP if they live outside Dubai or through GDRFA if they live in Dubai. This route rests on their own residence visa, Emirates ID and income, not yours, and it runs alongside the agency-sponsored route above rather than replacing it. ICP's own service page sets a minimum sponsor income for a first-degree relative, and lists the application, issuance, Smart Service and refundable guarantee fees separately. We cover this in detail, including the exact figures, in our UAE visa for parents guide and in the family visit section of our visa services, since the process is the same regardless of which relative is travelling.

ICP's entry visa for Indonesians with a foreign residence permit

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.

• Who: applicants and their accompanying family members must hold an Indonesian passport and a valid residence permit from the United States, an EU member state, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand or Canada.
• 14-day entry visa: AED 100, extendable once during the stay.
• 60-day entry 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. A plain Indonesian passport, with no US, EU, UK, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australian, New Zealand or Canadian residence permit behind it, still needs one of the pre-arranged visas above.

What Indonesia's own government tells its citizens

Indonesia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs runs Safe Travel (safetravel.kemlu.go.id), a travel-advisory service for citizens going abroad, with its own page for the UAE. As of our check on 9 October 2026, it told Indonesian citizens the following, which we translate here:

• Visa status: a regular Indonesian passport is "Wajib Visa" (visa required) for the UAE; only diplomatic and service passports are visa-free, for 60 days.
• Applying for a visa: Safe Travel says Indonesian citizens must apply for a visa "according to the purpose of the visit", and notes that an "e-visa applies to passengers of Emirates or Etihad airlines". It advises holding a passport valid for at least six months before the return date, and says travellers can also arrange their visa through a travel agent before leaving Indonesia. Confirm the e-visa route directly with Emirates or Etihad, since Safe Travel does not set out the mechanics.
• Refusal: Safe Travel reminds applicants that UAE authorities "reserve the right to refuse your visa application".
• Overstay: it tells citizens that overstaying a visa or residence permit means clearing it with UAE Immigration and paying the overstay fine, and that not paying can lead to a UAE entry ban. Our UAE overstay fines guide covers the fine itself.
• Unresolved matters: it also warns that Indonesians with outstanding criminal charges or unpaid debts in the UAE can be detained on arrival, including in transit, and advises resolving these before travelling.

For visa queries, Safe Travel points applicants to the UAE's own embassy in Jakarta. Indonesia's own missions in the UAE, the Indonesian Embassy in Abu Dhabi (KBRI Abu Dhabi) and the Indonesian Consulate General in Dubai (KJRI Dubai), are both listed on Safe Travel's UAE page.

A visit visa is for visiting, not working

Under UAE law, a visit visa does not permit any kind of work, paid or unpaid, for yourself or anyone else. The UAE's Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation treats working on a visit visa as a serious offence that can bring fines and legal action for both the worker and the employer, and lawful employment instead starts with a proper work permit arranged before the job begins. If you are weighing a job offer that depends on travelling as a visitor first, verify it through Indonesia's own labour-placement channels, or through KBRI Abu Dhabi or KJRI Dubai, before you book anything. Our UAE job seeker visa guide covers the proper route for looking for work in the UAE in person.

Extending, changing or ending the visit

A pre-arranged visit visa, however it was sponsored, generally runs for its original 14, 30, 60 or 90 days before it needs extending or ending. Our UAE visit visa extension guide covers how extensions work and their fees in detail. If an extension inside the UAE is not possible, or suits you less than leaving and coming back in, Holidayys also arranges a visa change by bus or by flight, in 30 or 60-day lengths. Whichever visa you hold, you can check its status and get an expiry reminder free on our UAE visa check tool, which is worth using well before any visa, agency-sponsored or ICP entry visa, is due to run out.

What airlines check at boarding

Airlines flying into the UAE check your documents before they let you board, not just at the border. flydubai's own check-in page lists a valid passport and "a valid visa (if you need one for the country you're travelling to)" among the documents required, and says plainly: "Make sure you have the correct documents ready to be checked, we will check your boarding pass, passport or ID and visa at the boarding gate." It adds that the responsibility sits with the passenger: "It's your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct documentation for your acceptance in the country of your final destination... If you're not holding the correct documents, flydubai will not permit you to travel and no refund or alternative travel will be offered."

Emirates' own visa page tells passengers to check visa requirements and "make sure you have a valid visa if needed" before they fly, and notes that entry rules "may change at short notice". Etihad's travel requirements page gives similar advice: "Check that your passport is valid for at least six months and arrange your visa and other required travel documents well in advance," and points travellers to a chat tool, reached from its Help page, that lists the documents a specific trip needs.

Build in time for this. Whichever airline you fly with between Indonesia and the UAE, have your passport, your visa or entry permit, and your onward or return ticket ready at check-in, printed or on your phone, and again before you reach the gate.

Frequently asked questions

Do Indonesians need a visa for Dubai?

Yes. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs' checker and Visit Dubai's nationality checker both mark Indonesia "Visa Required", so a visit visa must be arranged before you fly to Dubai or any other emirate, unless you qualify for ICP's entry visa through a foreign residence permit.

Can Indonesians get a UAE visa on arrival?

Not on an Indonesian passport alone. Since 25 June 2026, Indonesians who also hold a valid residence permit from the US, an EU country, the UK, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada or New Zealand can apply for ICP's entry visa instead, for a 14 or 60-day stay.

How much does a UAE visit visa cost for an Indonesian passport holder?

For an agency, airline or hotel-sponsored visit visa in Dubai, GDRFA's own fee pages list AED 200 for 30 days or AED 300 for 60 days, single entry, plus 5% VAT. ICP's entry visa, where eligible, costs AED 100 for 14 days or AED 250 for 60 days.

What is ICP's new entry visa for Indonesians?

It is a route ICP opened on 25 June 2026 for nationals of Indonesia and six other countries who hold a qualifying residence permit abroad. It gives a 14-day stay for AED 100, extendable once, or a single-entry 60-day stay for AED 250, and ICP's notice does not say whether it is issued on arrival or applied for in advance.

Can I enter the UAE on a visit visa to look for work?

No. UAE law does not allow working on any kind of visit visa, agency-sponsored, relative-sponsored or ICP's entry visa. Arrange a proper work visa through an employer before you travel for employment.

Do airlines check my UAE visa before I board in Indonesia?

Yes. Airlines flying to the UAE, flydubai among them, check your passport and your visa or entry permit at check-in and again at the boarding gate, and can refuse to let you travel if either is missing or invalid.

Planning your visit

Settle the visa side first, since it decides how soon you can book flights and accommodation with confidence. See UAE visa services for the visa lengths we arrange, the family visit section if a UAE resident is involved, or talk to us about which route fits your dates and your relative's situation. Already holding a visa? Our free UAE visa check confirms its status and sends reminders before it runs out.

Related guides

• UAE visa on arrival countries: the full list
• UAE visa for parents: routes, fees and documents
• UAE visit visa extension: who can extend, fees and rules
• UAE visa guide: types, rules and status check

Last checked 9 October 2026 against the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs' visa checker, Visit Dubai's nationality checker, ICP's notice of 25 June 2026 on the UAE Entry Visa for Nationals of Certain Countries, GDRFA Dubai's single and multiple-entry visit visa service pages, Indonesia's Safe Travel portal, and flydubai's, Emirates' and Etihad's own travel-document pages. This guide is general information, not immigration advice. Confirm the current requirements with ICP, GDRFA, Indonesia's KBRI Abu Dhabi or KJRI Dubai, or our team before you apply or travel.