UAE Visa for Indians 2026: Requirements, Fees and How to Apply

If you are an Indian passport holder planning a trip to the UAE, whether it is your first time walking through Dubai Mall or your tenth business trip to Abu Dhabi, one question always comes up first: do I need a visa, and how do I get one? We have answered this for thousands of travellers through govr.ae, and the same confusion keeps coming up. So we wrote it down clearly, in one place.

Do Indians Need a UAE Visa?

Yes. Indian passport holders need a visa to enter the UAE. India is not on the UAE visa-free list, so booking a flight and arriving at Dubai International without a visa will not work.

There is one exception. If you hold a qualifying visa or residence permit from certain countries, you can get a visa on arrival instead. That is covered in the next section. For everyone else, the visa is arranged before you travel, and it is approved in 1 to 3 working days.

Can Indians Get a UAE Visa on Arrival?

Only if you hold a qualifying document from one of nine countries. If you are flying from India on an Indian passport with nothing else, you need a visa approved before departure.

The qualifying list was expanded on 13 February 2025, and the rule is not the same for every country on it:

The distinction matters. For the United States, United Kingdom and European Union, a valid visa is enough. For the other six, you need an actual residence permit. A tourist visa for Japan or Singapore does not qualify you.

Visa on arrival gives a 14-day stay, extendable once for a further 14 days. An OCI card on its own does not qualify. Your passport must be valid for at least six months, and any qualifying document must be unexpired on the day you travel. An expired document will not be accepted at the counter.

Full eligibility detail, including what happens at the border, is in our UAE visa on arrival guide.

If you do not hold one of these documents, or you want to stay longer than 14 days, the rest of this page covers the visa you need.

UAE Visa Types and Fees for Indians

Every visa below is a UAE federal visa and is valid across all seven emirates. Prices are the same whichever country you apply from, and are confirmed before payment.

Urgent processing adds $50 to any visa type and is explained on the urgent UAE visa processing page. Multiple entry visas carry a 60-day validity window from the date of issue, within which you can enter and leave as often as you need.

Compare every option on the UAE visa types and prices page.

Which UAE Visa Should You Choose?

The choice comes down to how long you are staying and whether you need to re-enter.

• Long layover in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. The 96-hour transit visa at $150 lets you leave the airport for up to four days. If you are staying airside between connecting flights, you do not need it.
• A week or a short holiday. The 14-day visit visa at $185 is the most economical option.
• A standard holiday or family visit. The 30-day visit visa at $205 is the most common choice for Indian travellers.
• A longer stay, a wedding season, or visiting family for an extended period. The 60-day visit visa at $325 removes the pressure of a tight return date, and works out cheaper than extending a 30-day visa later.
• Travelling to the UAE more than once in two months. A multiple entry visa costs less than two separate applications.

A note on the 60-day option, because it is the one most often chosen wrongly. If your trip is 35 or 40 days, the 60-day single entry visa is the correct choice. A 30-day visa plus an extension usually costs more and carries the risk of the extension being refused while you are already in the country.

Does the Visa Cover Abu Dhabi and the Other Emirates?

Yes. One UAE visa covers all seven emirates. There is no separate Abu Dhabi visa and no separate Dubai visa.

The visa is issued federally, so the same approval lets you land in one emirate and travel freely through the others. A typical Indian itinerary lands in Dubai, spends a few days in Abu Dhabi, and flies home from either. That is one visa, not two.

The seven emirates are Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. There are no internal border checks between them.

The application asks for your emirate of arrival. That is simply where your flight lands. It does not limit where you can travel once you are in the country.

UAE Visa Rules for Indian Expats and Residents

If you already live in the UAE on an Indian passport, the rules that apply to you are different from those for a visitor arriving from India.

Bringing family to visit you. As a UAE resident you can sponsor a visit visa for relatives travelling from India. This is the visit visa route rather than the tourist visa route, and it needs proof of your own residence status plus proof of the relationship. The options are set out on our UAE family visit visa page.

Your own residence visa is separate. A residence visa tied to employment or property is issued through your employer or through the relevant authority, not through a visit visa application. govr.ae handles tourist and visit visas only.

Returning to India and coming back. A valid UAE residence visa lets you re-enter without a visit visa. If your residence visa has expired while you were outside the UAE, you cannot re-enter on it, and you would need a fresh visit visa or a new residence visa.

Overstay affects future applications. Unpaid overstay fines from a previous stay will affect a new application for you or for a relative you sponsor. The rules are explained in our guide to UAE visa overstay fines.

Documents You Need

Getting documents right the first time avoids delays. For most tourist and visit visa applications:

For all applicants:

• Passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of travel
• Recent colour photograph with a plain white background, taken within the last 3 months
• Confirmed return flight tickets
• Hotel booking or confirmed accommodation details in the UAE
• Bank statements from the last 3 months, to demonstrate sufficient funds
• Completed visa application form

Additionally, for a visit visa:

• Copy of your UAE-based sponsor’s residence visa and Emirates ID
• Proof of relationship, such as a marriage certificate or birth certificate

The single most common cause of delay is scan quality. A blurry photo, a cropped passport page or a dark scan will hold up your application. Our team reviews every document before submission and flags anything that could cause a problem. The requirements that apply to every nationality are on our UAE visa document checklist.

How to Apply Through govr.ae

The process is online and takes a few minutes. There is no embassy visit and no couriering your passport.

1. Open the visa application section and select the visa type that matches your trip.
2. Fill in your personal, passport and travel details exactly as they appear on your passport.
3. Upload scanned copies of your documents.
4. Choose regular or urgent processing.
5. Pay online by debit or credit card. The total is shown before you confirm.
6. You receive an application reference number by email.
7. Once approved, download and print your e-visa. That is what you present at immigration.

You can follow progress at any point using our application tracking guide. Applying directly through official channels is always an option, and we compare both routes in applying yourself or through a service.

Processing Time

Regular processing takes 1 to 3 working days once documents are submitted and payment is confirmed. Urgent processing completes within 36 hours on working days, for an additional $50.

Working days exclude Fridays, Saturdays and UAE public holidays, so an application submitted on a Thursday evening is unlikely to move before the following Monday.

Our recommendation is to apply at least two weeks before departure. That leaves room to correct a document problem without the pressure of an approaching flight. Do not book a non-refundable ticket before your visa is approved.

govr.ae is operated by GOVR L.L.C F.Z, licensed in Meydan Free Zone, Dubai, under licence number 2528000.01. We are a private visa facilitation platform and are not a government department. If you want to verify who we are before applying, that is set out on is govr.ae legit.