The UAE Transit Visa is for travellers making a short stopover in the United Arab Emirates en route to another destination. It is issued as a 48-hour or a 96-hour single-entry visa: ideal for stopovers and short business stops.
The visa is valid for 30 days from the date of issue, and you must hold a valid visa for the destination country you are travelling on to. Applications are made through a visa application centre.
Lifeset Overseas confirms which transit visa fits your itinerary and prepares the file so the stopover is straightforward.
UAE transit visa for Indian passport holders
The UAE Government portal states it plainly: "The UAE issues two types of transit visas: one for 48 hours, and another for 96 hours. Transit visas are sponsored by the UAE-based airlines and must be processed and approved before entering the UAE." You cannot obtain one at the airport on arrival; the airline you fly with (Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, Air Arabia) arranges it against your confirmed onward ticket.
When you need one
You need a transit visa if you will leave the airport's international transit area during a connection in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah, for example to stay overnight or see the city. Passengers who stay airside on a same-terminal connection generally do not. If you qualify for a UAE visa on arrival under ICP rules that depend on other visas or residence permits you hold, that may replace a transit visa; confirm with your airline before booking.
What the airline will ask for
A passport valid for at least six months, the confirmed onward ticket out of the UAE within 48 or 96 hours, a photograph, and the visa for your final destination where one is required. Fees are set by the airline's sponsorship channel; ask for the government fee and the service charge separately.
Official sources
- UAE Government portal, Transit visa: https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/visa-and-emirates-id/Types-of-visas/transit-visa
- UAE Government portal, Tourist visa: https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/visa-and-emirates-id/Types-of-visas/tourist-visa
Quotation checked against the UAE Government portal on 30 September 2026. Rules change; the official page always prevails.
