US Visa Appointment in Dubai: How to Book, Fees, Wait Times and Interview Waivers

The short answer: You book a US visa interview online at ustraveldocs.com/ae, the US Mission UAE's official scheduling site, after you complete form DS-160 and pay the USD 185 MRV fee for most categories. Interviews happen at the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the US Consulate General in Dubai. Nonimmigrant visa applicants are expected to interview in their country of nationality or residence, so UAE residents of any passport, Emiratis included, normally apply here rather than at home. As of 9 October 2026, the Embassy's own site says routine visa processing is still not available in the UAE; only limited nonimmigrant interviews have resumed since 8 August 2026, and new appointment slots are usually released on Friday mornings. Check ae.usembassy.gov before you plan a trip around a date.

Booking the appointment, not filling in the form, is what trips people up: which post to choose, how long the real wait is, whether you can skip the interview, and what to do if your documents or plans change after you pay. Emiratis need this process too, because the UAE is not in the US Visa Waiver Program. This guide covers booking, fees, waivers and the day itself. For the visa categories, the DS-160 walkthrough, the full document checklist and interview preparation, see our US visa from Dubai guide.

US visa appointment in Dubai and Abu Dhabi at a glance

Question	Answer (October 2026)
Where interviews happen	US Embassy, Abu Dhabi, or US Consulate General, Dubai (8 Al Seef Street, Umm Hurair 1)
Who applies here	Anyone whose country of residence or nationality is the UAE, including Emiratis
Official booking site	ustraveldocs.com/ae, in English, Arabic and Farsi
Visa application (MRV) fee	USD 185 for most visitor, student, exchange and transit visas; USD 205 to 315 for work, treaty and fiancé(e) categories
Visa processing in the UAE	Limited since 8 August 2026; the Embassy says routine processing is still not available (checked 9 October 2026)
New appointment slots	Usually released Friday mornings, 7:30 to 11:30am UAE time, except holidays
Rescheduling	Allowed a limited number of times; the site does not publish the exact limit
Interview waiver	Only some B-1/B-2 renewals and diplomatic categories; never for children, or for nationals of the countries on the suspension list

Where you apply, and who has to apply here

The US Mission to the UAE runs two visa units: the Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai. Both take nonimmigrant visa interviews, and when you schedule online you choose which post you want; the official site does not publish a rule tying your emirate of residence to one post over the other.

The Embassy's own site states plainly: "Applicants for U.S. nonimmigrant visas should schedule their visa interview appointments at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate in their country of residence or nationality. Visa application fees are non-refundable and non-transferable." The scheduling site repeats the rule and points to the State Department's page on adjudicating applicants in their country of residence. The embassy's site does not spell out what counts as "residence" for a UAE expat; in practice this means your valid UAE residence visa, and you should be ready to show it if asked. If you apply somewhere other than your country of nationality or residence, expect a longer wait and no refund if you are turned away.

This matters for Emiratis too. The UAE is not a Visa Waiver Program country, so a US citizen does not need a visa to visit, but a UAE citizen does, and ustraveldocs.com's own visa-type page says so directly: "UAE nationals are not eligible for the Visa Waiver Program."

How to book, step by step

1. Know your visa type. Most UAE residents travelling for tourism or business need a B-1/B-2 visitor visa; students, exchange visitors and workers need a different category. See our US visa from Dubai guide if you are not sure which one applies.
2. Complete form DS-160 at ceac.state.gov/genniv and print the confirmation page. Its barcode, which starts with "AA", has to match the one you use to book your appointment.
3. Create a profile at ustraveldocs.com/ae and pay the visa application fee. You can pay in cash, by card in UAE dirhams, or by card in US dollars; the fee is non-refundable whether or not you are issued a visa.
4. Schedule your appointment. Choose Abu Dhabi or Dubai and pick an available date. You need your passport (valid at least six months beyond your stay), your fee receipt, your DS-160 confirmation page and an email address to complete this step.
5. Submit your DS-160 at least two business days before your interview if you have not already. The site warns that if the barcode on your printed DS-160 does not match the one in your appointment profile, you will not be able to attend.
6. Attend your interview at the post you chose.
7. Track your passport. If your visa is approved, a courier returns your passport to the pickup point you chose when you booked.

Rescheduling and cancelling

You can log into your profile at any time to move to an earlier slot if one opens up. The official site says applicants are "limited to the number of times they can reschedule their appointments" so that you are not forced to pay another application fee, but it does not publish the exact number. If you need to change where your passport is delivered after booking, you can do that online up to 11:59pm on the day of your interview; after that, you cannot.

Emergency and expedited appointments

If you have an unforeseen, provable travel need, you can ask for an earlier date once you already hold a regular appointment. You must first complete the DS-160, pay the fee and book the first available slot; only then can you submit an "Emergency Request" from your ustraveldocs.com dashboard, with documents proving the urgency. You are allowed to make one expedited request per case.

• Usually qualifies: a medical emergency, a funeral or death in the family, urgent business travel, a student or exchange visitor's programme start date, an ESTA application that was denied, or another critical, provable visit
• Does not qualify: weddings, graduation ceremonies, assisting a pregnant relative, or last-minute tourism, by the site's own example list

A decision arrives by email from do-not-reply@usvisascheduling.com, so check your spam folder. If approved, you get a limited window to confirm the emergency date; miss it and you cannot submit another request for that case. If refused, you keep your existing appointment.

Wait times: read the official tool yourself

The State Department's Global Visa Wait Times tool, linked from ustraveldocs.com's scheduling page, shows current interview wait times by post. Figures move week to week and depend on how many slots the post has released, so read it live rather than trusting a number in any guide, including this one.

Two things shape the wait right now. First, new nonimmigrant interview appointments are usually released on Friday mornings, 7:30 to 11:30am UAE time, outside UAE and US holidays, with occasional extra releases; if you cannot find a slot, check back on a Friday. Second, the Embassy's own notice, last updated 7 October 2026, says that while limited visa processing resumed from 8 August 2026, routine processing is still not available in the UAE, which points to continued pressure on slots. This is a live, changing situation: confirm it on ae.usembassy.gov before you commit to flights.

Interview waivers: who can skip the interview

The State Department has narrowed who can apply without appearing in person. On the UAE's own scheduling site, you may qualify for an interview waiver if you meet all of the following:

• You are renewing a fully valid B-1, B-2 or B-1/B-2 visa that is current or expired within the past 12 months, and you were at least 18 when it was issued, or you are applying for an A-1, A-2, C-3 (other than domestic staff), G-1 to G-4, NATO-1 to NATO-6, TECRO E-1, or a diplomatic or official-type visa
• You are applying in your country of residence, or your country of nationality if that is required
• All ten of your fingerprints were taken when your last visa was issued, and that visa was not lost, stolen or revoked
• You have never been refused a US visa, unless a consular officer later overcame or waived that refusal

Two further rules narrow this in the UAE. First, nationals and citizens of a long list of countries, Egypt among them, currently have interview waivers suspended outright: if you hold one of these nationalities you must attend an in-person interview even if you would otherwise qualify. Second, since 1 September 2025, children of every age must appear for their own interview in any visa category, including renewals; they can no longer use the waiver.

Separately, presidential proclamations restrict or pause visa issuance for nationals of some countries. The scheduling site lists them under its nonimmigrant visa notices: if your nationality is named there, read that notice before you pay the fee, since fees are not refunded.

If you do qualify, you complete the DS-160 and pay online as usual, answer the waiver questions to reach an Interview Waiver Confirmation letter, then drop your documents, passport, DS-160 confirmation, your previous passport with its US visa (the original pages, not a photocopy) and a recent photo, at one of the site's partner courier offices. A consular officer decides from your paperwork whether you still need to come in; if so, you get an interview appointment by email instead.

On the day of your interview

Arrive no more than 15 minutes before your scheduled time: you are let in only at that time, not earlier. Bring a photo ID, your appointment confirmation letter, your DS-160 confirmation page, your current and any old passports, one recent photo, and your other documents in a folder or envelope.

Security is strict at both posts. You may bring an empty water bottle (fillable inside) and supplies for a baby or for pumping breast milk. You may not bring bags of any size, including purses, or electronics: laptops, mobile phones, smart watches and tablets. There is storage at the checkpoint for small items like phones, but none for bags or laptops, so leave them at home or in your car; there is no facility to hold them for you. Weapons and dangerous items are obviously barred too.

Only the applicant is normally allowed in. Exceptions are a parent or guardian of an applicant under 18, someone assisting an elderly or disabled applicant, a professional interpreter if the applicant does not speak English, Arabic, Hindi, Urdu or (at the Consulate) Farsi, or anyone the consular section specifically asks to attend. Your visit can run up to three hours, so if you are bringing a child, pack books or simple toys rather than electronics. Neither post has its own parking: in Abu Dhabi there is paid public parking nearby; in Dubai, the nearest metro stop is Burjuman and you can be dropped off by taxi on Al Seef Road.

If your case needs more checking, a refusal under section 221(g), the officer tells you at the end of your interview and asks for further documents, or starts administrative processing. You submit any extra paperwork through the site's courier drop-off points, not by returning to the embassy in person.

Getting your passport back

Once a visa is approved, a courier returns your passport to the pickup point you chose when you booked, and you get an email or text when it is ready. You can check your DS-160 and case status online with your interview location and DS-160 barcode, or call the contact centre on +971 4 205 5981 (English, Arabic and Farsi).

Frequently asked questions

Where do I book a US visa appointment in Dubai?

At ustraveldocs.com/ae, the US Mission UAE's official scheduling site. Interviews themselves happen at the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi or the US Consulate General in Dubai, whichever post you choose when you book.

How long is the current US visa appointment wait time in Dubai or Abu Dhabi?

It changes week to week, so read the State Department's Global Visa Wait Times tool live rather than relying on a figure here. New slots are usually released on Friday mornings, and the Embassy says routine processing has not fully resumed as of October 2026, so apply as early as you can.

How do I book a US visa appointment in Dubai step by step?

Complete form DS-160, create a profile at ustraveldocs.com/ae, pay the application fee, then schedule your interview at Abu Dhabi or Dubai using your DS-160 barcode, fee receipt and passport details.

Can I get a US visa interview waiver in the UAE?

Only in limited cases: mainly B-1/B-2 renewals within the last 12 months for applicants who were 18 or older at issuance, plus some diplomatic categories. Nationals of a number of countries, including Egypt, currently cannot use the waiver at all, and children of every age now have to attend in person.

How much does a US visa application cost from the UAE?

USD 185 for most visitor, student, exchange and transit visas, and USD 205 to 315 for work, treaty and fiancé(e) categories, paid when you schedule. The UAE fee page listed no other charge when we checked, but US law has added a separate visa integrity fee, so check the fee page on the day you pay.

Can I get an emergency US visa appointment in Dubai?

Yes, for a genuine, provable need such as a medical emergency, a death in the family, urgent business travel or a programme start date, but not for weddings, graduations or ordinary tourism. You must already hold a regular appointment before you can request an emergency one, and you get only one request per case.

Preparing for your trip

Once your appointment is booked, or your visa is in hand, the practical work starts: a clean set of supporting documents, flights that match your DS-160 itinerary, and somewhere to stay. Holidayys cannot get you an appointment or speed one up, that sits entirely with the US Embassy and Consulate, but we can help you prepare your documents and book your flights and hotel once you are ready to travel. See our United States visa services, browse holiday packages, or talk to us about flights and hotels.

Related guides

• US visa from Dubai
• UK visa from Dubai
• Canada visa from Dubai
• Schengen visa for UAE residents

Last checked 9 October 2026 against the US Embassy & Consulate in the United Arab Emirates' visa pages, its resumption notice and its appointment-attendance pages for Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and the US Mission UAE's official scheduling site at ustraveldocs.com/ae. This guide is general information, not immigration advice. Confirm your appointment status and the current requirements at ustraveldocs.com/ae or ae.usembassy.gov before you apply or travel.