UAE visa rules: all you need to know about the 60-day visa for tourists

All visas can be renewed for a further 60 days

The UAE is offering new types of visa, including options for long-stay tourists, jobseekers, accomplished professionals, star students and high-net-worth individuals. Wam

A 60-day visit visa for tourists is now standard instead of a 30-day one. Christopher Pike / Bloomberg

The Job Exploration Entry Visa was created to attract young talent and skilled professionals. Photo: Dubai Airports

Holders of the Green Visa for Skilled Employees and Freelancers will be able to bring any first-degree relative to live with them. Khushnum Bhandari / The National

A five-year multi-entry tourist visa has been introduced. This does not require a sponsor and allows the holder to stay in the country for up to 90 consecutive days, as long as they have $4,000 or its equivalent in their bank account. Christopher Pike / Bloomberg

A Green Residence visa for an investor or partner in a company provides five-year residency. It replaces the previous residence permit, which was valid for two years. Photo: DMCC

The five-year Green Residence for Skilled Employees visa is to attract experienced professionals, freelancers, investors and entrepreneurs. AFP

The 10-year Golden Residence Scheme visa is open to investors, entrepreneurs, scientists and certain other professionals; humanitarians, first responders, and outstanding students and recent graduates. Photo: National Geographic

The Golden Visa for Outstanding Students and Graduates is available to secondary school pupils and undergraduates of exceptional academic ability, as well as outstanding graduates of UAE universities and the best 100 universities worldwide. Pawan Singh / The National

The new UAE visa rules that came into effect on October 3 allow holidaymakers to stay for 60 days at a time.

The decision to make all entry visas valid for 60 days from the date of issue ― double the previous allowance ― is one of a series of visa changes that were approved by the Cabinet in April.

Previously, there was no specific visa for tourists and those wishing to visit the UAE applied for 30-day, 60-day or 90-day visit visas.

The one, two and three-month entry permits are still available on a new visa, but mainly for people wishing to visit friends or relatives in the country, which requires documentary evidence proving the relationship and reasons for the visit.

All entry visas are available for single or multiple entry and can be renewed for a further 60 days.

Roshan Davis, manager of Golden Talent Tourism Agency in Dubai, said the change has made it easier for tourists to spend extended time in the country exploring and enjoying everything it has to offer.

“We have received more than 50 tourist visa applications from customers in the past four days,” he said.

Who is the tourist visa for?

Those who do not qualify for a visa on arrival or visa-free entry to the UAE can apply for a tourist visa.

Citizens from 69 countries and states are eligible for a visa on arrival in the UAE. Females below the age of 18 are not eligible to apply for a tourist visa unless they are travelling with their parents.

How can I apply for a tourist visa?

Visitors from countries that do not have a visa-on-arrival arrangement with the UAE can apply for their visas in advance through a travel agency or through the airline with which they are travelling.

How much does the tourist visa cost?

Mr Davis said they charge between Dh550 and Dh600 for 60-day visas and between Dh350 and Dh750 for one, two and three-month visa requests for visiting relatives.

A 60-day single entry visa with Etihad Airways costs Dh650, while a similar visa from Emirates airline costs Dh697 ($190). Both airlines offer a shorter, 30-day visa priced at Dh350 for Etihad and Dh330 ($90) for Emirates.