Indian tourists can take a quick holiday in the UAE by using the visa-on-arrival option, which has now been expanded.
Those with valid tourist visas, residency permits or a green card from the US, UK and EU are eligible for a 14-day entry visa, which can be extended for a fee, according to guidelines from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP).
This has now been extended, from February 13, to those with 'a valid visa, residence permit or green card' from Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, state news agency Wam said.
Indian travellers hoping to use the facility must ensure that their applicable tourist or residency visas and passports are valid for at least six months when they enter the UAE. Eligible Indian tourists can apply for the pre-approved entry permit ahead of their trip.
How to apply for pre-approved visas
Indian passport holders eligible for the pre-approved visa on arrival can apply either through ICP or through the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA-D) website, by first creating an account.
On the GDRFA-D website, select “All Services” and then “Port Services”. Click on “Issuing visa via land, seaport or airport” and you will see the option “Visa on arrival for citizens of India residing in (America, Britain, European Union countries)”. Attach necessary documents including a copy of your passport and photo to pay and complete the application. The visa processing time is 48 hours and the fee is Dh253.
If applying through ICP, use their Smart Services channel online. Select “Public Visa Services” and click on “Visa – Holders of Special Visas – Citizens of the Republic of India residing in America, Britain, EU countries 14 Days – Issue New Visa”. You will be able to start the application immediately and pay the fee of Dh250 online to get the permit within 48 hours. The process can also be done through ICP’s mobile app – UAEICP.
Emirates passengers using the scheme can apply through the airline’s website using the booking reference in the “Manage Your Booking” section. The airline announced the facility serviced by the Dubai Visa Processing Centre (DVPC) in February, offered in collaboration with VFS Global. The fee is $63 (Dh232).
You can also apply for the permit through private travel agencies, but the costs may be higher, depending on their service charges. Indian nationals who do not fall in the mentioned categories must apply for a tourist visa to visit the UAE and have legitimate return flight tickets and hotel bookings.
UAE visas for tourists
The UAE has 30-day and 90-day visas available on arrival for more than 80 nationalities. Many of these visas do not need to be pre-arranged and are stamped on arrival by immigration officers.
GCC citizens have visa-free entry into the UAE and can present their passport or national ID to immigration authorities on arrival.
Citizens of Andorra, Brunei, Hong Kong, Macau, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Monaco, Mongolia, Ireland, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vatican City will get a free 30-day visa on arrival.
A multi-entry, 90-day visa is available for citizens of other nations and territories including the European Union, UK, US, South Korea, Singapore, Seychelles, China, Colombia, Argentina and Chile.
A quick way to check if a visa on arrival is available for your passport would be to use the Visit Dubai website. On the homepage, select “Plan Your Trip” from the navigation menu and click on “Visa Guide”. There you can select your nationality and the type of visa you need (tourism, transit or work) to get details of those available and the process to apply if necessary. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs website also has a checklist to find out whether you need a pre-approved visa to travel to the UAE.
CREW
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm
Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: CVT auto
Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km
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Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
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Price: from Dh850,000
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Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
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Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group H
Manchester United v Young Boys, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)
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Power: 611bhp
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Company: Justmop.com
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8.50pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Star Safari, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
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McLaren GT specs
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Citizenship-by-investment programmes
United Kingdom
The UK offers three programmes for residency. The UK Overseas Business Representative Visa lets you open an overseas branch office of your existing company in the country at no extra investment. For the UK Tier 1 Innovator Visa, you are required to invest £50,000 (Dh238,000) into a business. You can also get a UK Tier 1 Investor Visa if you invest £2 million, £5m or £10m (the higher the investment, the sooner you obtain your permanent residency).
All UK residency visas get approved in 90 to 120 days and are valid for 3 years. After 3 years, the applicant can apply for extension of another 2 years. Once they have lived in the UK for a minimum of 6 months every year, they are eligible to apply for permanent residency (called Indefinite Leave to Remain). After one year of ILR, the applicant can apply for UK passport.
The Caribbean
Depending on the country, the investment amount starts from $100,000 (Dh367,250) and can go up to $400,000 in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take between four to five months to receive a passport.
Portugal
The investment amount ranges from €350,000 to €500,000 (Dh1.5m to Dh2.16m) in real estate. From the date of purchase, it will take a maximum of six months to receive a Golden Visa. Applicants can apply for permanent residency after five years and Portuguese citizenship after six years.
“Among European countries with residency programmes, Portugal has been the most popular because it offers the most cost-effective programme to eventually acquire citizenship of the European Union without ever residing in Portugal,” states Veronica Cotdemiey of Citizenship Invest.
Greece
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Greece is €250,000, making it the cheapest real estate residency visa scheme in Europe. You can apply for residency in four months and citizenship after seven years.
Spain
The real estate investment threshold to acquire residency for Spain is €500,000. You can apply for permanent residency after five years and citizenship after 10 years. It is not necessary to live in Spain to retain and renew the residency visa permit.
Cyprus
Cyprus offers the quickest route to citizenship of a European country in only six months. An investment of €2m in real estate is required, making it the highest priced programme in Europe.
Malta
The Malta citizenship by investment programme is lengthy and investors are required to contribute sums as donations to the Maltese government. The applicant must either contribute at least €650,000 to the National Development & Social Fund. Spouses and children are required to contribute €25,000; unmarried children between 18 and 25 and dependent parents must contribute €50,000 each.
The second step is to make an investment in property of at least €350,000 or enter a property rental contract for at least €16,000 per annum for five years. The third step is to invest at least €150,000 in bonds or shares approved by the Maltese government to be kept for at least five years.
Candidates must commit to a minimum physical presence in Malta before citizenship is granted. While you get residency in two months, you can apply for citizenship after a year.
Egypt
A one-year residency permit can be bought if you purchase property in Egypt worth $100,000. A three-year residency is available for those who invest $200,000 in property, and five years for those who purchase property worth $400,000.
Source: Citizenship Invest and Aqua Properties
