United Arab Emirates visa guideMost Indians need a UAE tourist visa before they fly to Dubai or Abu Dhabi. UAE embassies do not issue it: the airline you fly, a licensed travel agent or hotel, or the UAE's online visa authorities arrange it. Visas are issued for 30 or 60 days, single or multiple entry, and arrive by email, usually within 5 to 6 working days, or 48 hours on express.
Indians who hold a valid US, UK or EU visa, residence permit or US green card, or a residence permit from Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada or New Zealand, are eligible for a 14-day visa on arrival or a 60-day visa issued online.
Do Indians need a visa for the UAE, and which one?
Most do. An Indian passport holder going to Dubai or Abu Dhabi on holiday needs a tourist visa arranged before the flight, and a sponsor in the UAE applies for it: the airline you fly, a licensed travel agent, a hotel, or you apply online through the UAE's visa authorities. The UAE Government portal is clear that UAE embassies do not issue tourist visas.
One group of Indians can skip that. If you hold an ordinary Indian passport and a valid US, UK or EU visa, residence permit or US green card, or a valid residence permit from Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada or New Zealand, you are eligible for the UAE's entry visa for nationals of certain countries. Dubai's immigration authority (GDRFA) describes the 14-day version as a visa on arrival. The details are further down this page.
Everyone else chooses from these tourist visas:
UAE tourist visas for Indians at a glance
- Single entrySponsored by a tourism establishment, airline or hotel
- 30 or 60 days
- Multiple entryRequired for cruise itineraries
- 30 or 60 days from first entry
- Multiple entry, 5 yearsSelf-sponsored; can be extended by a further 90 days
- 90 days per visit
- Time to enterThe valid-until date printed on the visa
- 58 days from issue
- Usual decision timeExpress through VFS: within 48 hours
- 5 to 6 working days
- PassportAt the time of travel
- Valid at least 6 months
VFS Global UAE India visa types, UAE Government portal, ICP; checked 14 Oct 2026
The visa is electronic. On the Emirates route, Dubai Immigration emails a link to download it, and you travel with a printout.
Where do applicants from Punjab apply?
Through a sponsor, and the choice of sponsor decides the rest. The UAE Government portal lists four routes:
- The airline you fly. Emirates, Etihad and flydubai each arrange visas for their own passengers, and each has conditions; one is that you fly with them.
- Emirates through VFS Global. VFS runs the Dubai visa application centres for Emirates in India. The visa category follows your Emirates ticket, and on this route you must enter and leave through Dubai airport, although you may travel anywhere in the UAE.
- A licensed travel agent or hotel. The portal says they can arrange the visa provided you buy the ticket through them and keep a reservation at that hotel.
- Online, directly. Through the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), or for Dubai the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA).
There is no VFS UAE centre in Punjab, Haryana or Chandigarh. The centres are in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune and Thiruvananthapuram (temporarily closed), so on the Emirates route most applicants from the north use New Delhi. You can check the dates there on our UAE appointment availability page. The other routes need no centre visit at all.
A warning from the UAE Government portal itself: check that a travel agent is genuine before you pay or send copies of your documents, and ask the UAE embassy to verify an agent if in doubt.
Which documents depend on your situation?
On the Emirates route through VFS, you qualify under any one of three criteria, and the criterion decides what you add to the common checklist:
Travelled abroad before
- What qualifies you
- A trip in the last 3 years to, or a valid visa for, the USA, UK, Schengen countries, EU, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Canada or Japan
- What to add
- The visa and travel pages from your current or old passport
Salaried or self-employed, no such travel
- What qualifies you
- Form 16 or ITRs for the last 2 years showing gross income above INR 2 lakh a year, or fixed deposits of INR 5 lakh or more in a bank or post office
- What to add
- Original bank statement. Deposits must be a year old and run more than 12 months; co-operative banks and societies do not count
Visiting family settled in the UAE
- What qualifies you
- An invitation from an immediate family member living there on family status
- What to add
- Host's tenancy contract (Ejari) or title deed for a home with two or more bedrooms, proof of relationship, host's UAE resident card
Newly married
- What qualifies you
- Spouse's name not yet in the passport
- What to add
- Marriage certificate or notarised affidavit. Couples travelling straight after the wedding add the parents' NOC with photo ID, the wedding card and a wedding photograph
Child under 18
- What qualifies you
- Travels only with a parent, on the same visa type and dates
- What to add
- Nothing extra, but an unaccompanied child's application is rejected without refund
Student
- What qualifies you
- Emirates does not sponsor students travelling alone
- What to add
- Travel with your parents, or use another route
Living outside India
- What qualifies you
- Your nationality and country of residence differ
- What to add
- Colour copy of your visa or residence proof for that country
VFS adds that in some cases a security deposit of USD 1000 may be asked for, refunded after you return and show your UAE entry and exit stamps.
For a 60-day single-entry visa, your hotel booking must cover 31 days or more, and no visa on the Emirates route accepts more than two hotel bookings for the whole stay.
How much is the UAE visa fee for Indians?
Through VFS on the Emirates route, a 30-day single-entry tourist visa costs ₹7,735, or ₹9,870 for express processing; a 30-day multiple-entry visa costs ₹12,770; a 60-day single-entry visa ₹17,595; and a 60-day multiple-entry visa ₹22,885 (all checked on 14 October 2026). VFS says these fees include its service charge and tax, infants pay the same as adults, and nothing is refunded under any circumstances. Other sponsors charge the ICP or GDRFA fee plus their own charges, so ask for both figures in writing. Our filing fee is shown at the top of this page.
How long does it take, and when should you apply?
VFS gives 5 to 6 working days for normal processing and up to 48 hours for express, counted from submission and excluding Saturdays, Sundays and UAE holidays. You can apply up to 58 days before travel, and the visa must be used within 58 days of issue.
So the sensible window is 3 to 6 weeks before departure: early enough to switch to express if a document is queried, late enough that the 58-day entry window still covers your dates. Book flights you can change until the visa arrives. The Emirates route ties the visa category to your Emirates itinerary, so a change of flights can mean a change of visa.
Why do UAE visas get refused for Indian applicants?
A refused file costs you the whole fee, because nothing is refunded, so prevention matters most. These are the documented ways a file fails on the Emirates route.
No qualifying criterion
You must show a travel record, the income or deposits set out above, or a family invitation. A file with none of these, or with deposits in a co-operative bank, does not qualify. Pick one criterion and prove it fully.
Children or students without a parent
VFS says an application from a minor not travelling with a parent, on the same visa type and dates, is rejected and the charges are not refunded. Emirates also declines to sponsor students travelling alone.
Passport problems
The passport must be valid for at least 6 months when you travel. A name containing special characters such as brackets is not accepted and must be amended before you apply.
Bookings that do not match
Hotel check-in and check-out dates must match the flight dates, with your name and the dates highlighted. More than two hotel bookings, or a 60-day visa with less than 31 days of hotel, breaks the rules.
The wrong visa for the trip
A cruise from Dubai needs a multiple-entry visa. A visa through the Emirates centre means entering and leaving through Dubai airport. Choose the type that fits the whole itinerary before you pay, because the fee is not refunded.
For a closer look at refusals and what to fix, read why Dubai visas get rejected from India.
Tips for a stronger file
- Highlight what VFS asks you to highlight. Your name, the UAE entry and exit on the ticket, and the check-in and check-out dates on the hotel voucher, in yellow.
- Use the right photo. VFS wants a recent colour photo, 2 by 2 inches, front-facing on a plain white background. Polaroids and photos printed on ordinary printers are rejected.
- Show deposits properly. If you qualify on fixed deposits, show they were opened at least a year ago in a bank or post office.
- Family hosts: check the home. The host's tenancy contract or title deed must show two or more bedrooms, with the tenant's name highlighted.
- Keep the email address live. The visa arrives by email from Dubai Immigration. If it does not come within the turnaround time, contact the visa centre at once.
- Plan for extensions only if you need them. On the Emirates route, a 30-day visa can be extended three times and a 60-day visa twice, for 30 days each, at AED 850 each time, from inside the UAE.
- Leave on time. ICP charges a fine of AED 50 for each day you stay past your permitted period.
Can Indians get a UAE visa on arrival?
Only Indians who hold one of the qualifying documents. ICP's terms cover ordinary Indian passport holders, and their family members, who hold a valid visa, residence permit or US green card issued by the US, EU or UK, or a valid residence permit issued by Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada, Singapore or New Zealand. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months.
The two official pages are not worded alike. GDRFA's Dubai page for Indians describes the visa on arrival for holders of a US green card or a UK or EU residence visa, while ICP's terms are wider. If you hold only a US, UK or EU visit visa, confirm with your airline before you fly without a visa.
There are two versions:
- 14 days, on arrival. The fee is AED 100. It can be extended once for another 14 days, for an extension fee of AED 250 on top of ICP's AED 100 application fee.
- 60 days, applied for online through ICP. Issuance costs AED 250 plus a smart services fee of AED 100. You must enter within 30 days, you can stay 60 days from entry, and it cannot be extended.
A Schengen tourist visa that has expired does not count; the document must be valid. If you do not qualify, use the routes above. The UAE transit visa guide covers short stopovers.
When does the 5-year multiple-entry visa make sense?
When you visit often, for example as a parent of children settled in Dubai. The UAE Government portal says this visa lets you enter many times on self-sponsorship and stay 90 days on each visit, which can be extended by a further 90 days, and it is open to all nationalities. To get it you need a bank balance of USD 4,000 or the equivalent in foreign currency during the last six months, health insurance valid in the UAE for 180 days, and a ticket showing your onward or return flight out of the UAE. It is issued through ICP or, for Dubai, GDRFA. For the wider picture, see the UAE country page.
Official sources
- Tourist visa, The Official Platform of the UAE Government
- Issuance of a 60-day visa for nationals of certain countries residing abroad, ICP
- Six new nationalities and six additional countries of residence added to eligibility criteria, ICP
- Visa extension, ICP
- Visa on arrival for citizens of the Republic of India, GDRFA Dubai
- Issuance of a single-entry tourist visa, GDRFA Dubai
- Visa types and fees, VFS Global UAE India
- Visa application centres, VFS Global UAE India
- Frequently asked questions, VFS Global UAE India
