If your flight has a long stop in Dubai or Abu Dhabi and you want to leave the airport, and your nationality has no visa-free entry or airport visa, you need a transit visa. The information in this article comes from the official UAE government portal (u.ae, updated on 28 July 2026) and the service page of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA), checked on 24 October 2026.
Two kinds
- The 48-hour transit visa;
- the 96-hour transit visa.
The official rules
- Sponsor: airlines based in the UAE. u.ae names Emirates and Etihad.
- Timing: it must be applied for and approved before entering the UAE.
- Entry: single.
- Extension: not possible.
- Who needs it: someone without visa-free entry or an airport visa who wants to leave the airport during the stop.
Ways to apply
According to u.ae:
- through the UAE airline you fly with;
- through a travel agency;
- through an airport hotel.
Documents
According to GDRFA Dubai:
- a personal photo;
- a copy of a passport valid for at least six months;
- a confirmed onward ticket.
GDRFA gives the expected processing time as 48 hours. So apply a few days before travelling.
Cost
The official fee is on the GDRFA page, and the airline or intermediary may also charge its own service fee. Ask that company for the current amount.
Tips
- The transit visa is not for touring for several days or for a long visit. If you are staying more than 96 hours, get a tourist visa.
- If your stop is short and you do not leave the airport, you usually do not need a visa; but ask about your airport's and airline's rules.
- A ticket for both flights with one UAE airline makes the application simpler; that airline is the visa's sponsor.
This article is general information and is not legal advice. Decisions on issuing visas and on entry rest with the UAE authorities.
Sources
- Official UAE government portal, transit visa (updated on 28 July 2026) — https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/visa-and-emirates-id/Types-of-visas/transit-visa (checked on 24 October 2026)
- GDRFA Dubai, issuance of a 48 or 96-hour transit visa — https://gdrfad.gov.ae/en/services/ee043e3c-5c61-11ea-0320-0050569629e8 (checked on 24 October 2026)