How to Apply for a UAE Visit Visa in 2026: GDRFA, ICP, DubaiNow, Airlines or an Agency

How to Apply for a UAE Visit Visa - 2026 Quick Answer

Most visitors cannot file a UAE visit visa themselves. A sponsor in the UAE applies for them. According to the UAE government portal, UAE embassies do not issue tourist visas, and applications go online to GDRFA for Dubai or ICP for the other emirates.

Channels by situation, as of 4 November 2026:

• Tourist with no relative in the UAE: a licensed tourism company, a hotel or an airline
• Relative or friend of a UAE resident: the resident applies through GDRFA or ICP
• Nationals of seven listed countries, including India and the Philippines, with residence in the US, EU, UK or six other listed countries: apply yourself for 14 or 60 days
• Indian ordinary-passport holders with a US green card or UK or EU residence: a 14-day visa on arrival, extendable once
• Anyone meeting the balance, insurance and ticket rules: the self-sponsored 5-year tourist visa

GDRFA and ICP quote about 48 hours once requirements are met. We recommend checking the official service page before paying, as fees change.

Who Can Apply - Sponsor, Airline, Hotel or Agency

The UAE government portal lists ICP, GDRFA Dubai, airlines, licensed travel agents and hotels as channels for travellers who cannot enter visa-free or on arrival.

• Tourism companies: only accredited Dubai tourism offices can issue GDRFA's tourist visa, and ICP's FAQ (updated 8 October 2026) says a tourist visa is submitted by a licensed tourism establishment.
• Residents: a relative or friend is sponsored through GDRFA if the resident holds a Dubai visa, otherwise through ICP.
• Hotels and licensed travel agents in the UAE: they can arrange a tourist visa if you buy the ticket through them and keep a reservation with that hotel. No official page lists hotel visa fees.
• Yourself: the certain-countries visa, the visa on arrival for eligible Indians or the 5-year visa (90 days per visit, USD 4,000 bank balance over six months, 180 days of UAE-valid insurance, onward or return ticket).

The portal advises checking that an agent is genuine before paying or sending document copies. Visarun is an agency. We help you choose the channel, prepare the documents and submit the application. GDRFA or ICP decides, and no agency can guarantee approval.

GDRFA Dubai and the DubaiNow App

GDRFA Dubai issues and tracks Dubai visas. According to the UAE government portal (updated 16 July 2026), entry permits can be applied for on the GDRFA website, in the DubaiNow app and at typing centres.

Tourist visa

GDRFA lists single-entry and multiple-entry tourist visas for 30 or 60 days, with a tourism establishment as the host. For the single-entry visa, GDRFA says only accredited Dubai tourism offices can issue it, with a listed completion time of 48 hours.

Relative or friend visa

This visa covers 30, 60 or 90 days, single or multiple entry, for a relative or friend of a UAE citizen or resident. The sponsor attaches proof of relationship, the reason for the visit, marriage or birth certificates and a salary certificate, employment contract or partnership contract. Channels are the GDRFA website or app, Customer Happiness Centres and Amer centres, with a listed time of 48 hours.

Self-service visa for certain nationals

Nationals of India, Kenya, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and South Africa can apply without a sponsor if they hold a visa or residence permit, valid six months or more, from the US, EU, UK, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand or Canada. Indians with a valid US visa also qualify. The applicant registers on GDRFA's smart portal and gets the visa by email. The options are 14 days, extendable once, or 60 days, not extendable.

DubaiNow and the sponsorship file

No official page describes DubaiNow's visit-visa steps. According to applicant reports on Reddit in October 2026, the app asked a resident to open a sponsorship file before applying for a 30-day visa for a relative. ICP's card requires an "active sponsor file", but GDRFA has not published this step, so we recommend asking at an Amer centre first.

ICP for Abu Dhabi and the Other Emirates

ICP issues and tracks visas for Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. It takes applications through the ICP Smart App or Smart Services website, which need a UAE Pass login, and through authorised typing and tourism offices. That is why visitors abroad usually apply through a sponsor.

For relatives and friends, the host needs an active sponsor file and proof of kinship. Minimum monthly salaries, as listed on 4 November 2026:

• First-degree relatives (parents, spouse, children): AED 4,000
• Second- and third-degree relatives (siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, uncles, aunts, cousins): AED 8,000
• Friends: AED 15,000

Tourist visas through a tourism establishment need a passport, a photo, a tour programme statement, UAE-valid health insurance and a return ticket. ICP's card states 2 days, its FAQ 48 hours after all requirements are met. Visas arrive by email, and the stay is 30, 60 or 90 days.

Airline Visas - Emirates, flydubai, Etihad and Air Arabia

The UAE government portal says each airline sets its own visa conditions, including flying with it. Only Emirates' visa terms were verified on 4 November 2026, and they are airline rules, not government rules.

Emirates

• The online visa is processed by VFS, and VFS fees apply on top.
• It requires an issued Emirates ticket, with the trip into and out of Dubai on one PNR on Emirates flights. Itineraries with other carriers are not eligible.
• Emirates asks for at least four international working days before arrival and quotes about 2 to 4 working days of processing.
• Fees are non-refundable once the application is submitted and processed.

Through Emirates' sponsor channel, a UAE resident applies at an Emirates ticketing office in the UAE, and the visitor flies in and out of Dubai on Emirates. Emirates' own salary minimums run from AED 4,000 (wife, children, parents) to AED 10,000 (friends, other relatives). They differ from ICP's thresholds, and the authority still decides. If the sponsor applies without supporting proof, a refundable AED 1,000 deposit applies, lost if the visitor overstays or flies another airline.

According to applicant reports on Reddit in November 2026, one traveller found the VFS form tied to an Emirates booking while flying another airline.

flydubai and Etihad

Their visa terms could not be verified on 4 November 2026, so this guide gives no prices or ticket rules for them. We recommend reading the airline's own visa page before booking.

Air Arabia

Only the "Ok to Board" rule was verified. Passengers from Pakistan or Bangladesh holding a copy of a UAE visa or e-visa, not the original, need this message on the booking. The sponsor adds it at an Air Arabia office for AED 15 to 20, at least 24 hours before departure.

Fees, Validity and the 30-Day Entry Window

Fees are as listed on 4 November 2026. Agencies, typing centres and VFS add their own service charges.

GDRFA Dubai

• Tourist, single entry: AED 200 (30 days) or AED 300 (60 days) plus 5% VAT, no deposit
• Tourist, multiple entry: AED 300 (30 days) or AED 500 (60 days) plus 5% VAT, no deposit
• Tourist visa for a visitor already inside the UAE: an extra AED 500 plus AED 10 and AED 10
• Relative or friend, single entry: AED 200, 300 or 400 (30, 60 or 90 days) plus 5% VAT, an AED 1,000 deposit and AED 20 and AED 40 deposit fees
• Relative or friend, multiple entry: AED 300, 500 or 700 plus 5% VAT, an AED 2,000 guarantee and AED 20 and AED 40 fees
• Insurance for relative visas: AED 40, 60 or 90
• Visa on arrival for eligible Indians: the card lists 253 (AED)

ICP

• Application fee AED 100 and smart service fee AED 100
• Issuance AED 100 per month (single entry) or AED 200 per month (multiple entry)
• Guarantee AED 1,000 (single) or AED 2,000 (multiple), plus AED 20
• Certain-countries visa: AED 100 (14 days) or AED 250 (60 days)

ICP prints no VAT line, so these are components, not a final total.

Emirates (tourist visas include VAT, VFS fees extra)

• 30 days: USD 90 single, USD 136 multiple entry
• 60 days: USD 177 single, USD 231 multiple entry
• Certain-nationals permit: USD 63 (14 days) or USD 141.36 (60 days)

Entry window by visa type

There is no single 30-day rule for entering after issue:

• GDRFA certain-countries visa: enter within 30 days of issue
• GCC-resident entry permit: valid 30 days from issue
• ICP relative, friend and tourist permits: 60 days, extendable once before arrival (AED 50 plus AED 100)
• Emirates tourist visas: 60 days from issue
• GDRFA relative or friend visas: 60 days, according to Gulf News citing GDRFA in July 2026

GDRFA's tourist visa card prints no entry window, and no GDRFA service for extending the certain-countries window was found. According to applicant reports on Reddit in October 2026, a traveller with a 14-day GDRFA visa found no way to extend its 30-day entry window. We recommend checking the "valid until" date on the e-visa and booking flights inside it.

ICP's FAQ says most visit visas are valid for 30 to 90 days. Overstaying, or letting the entry visa expire, is fined AED 50 per day.

Common Rejections and Portal Errors

Neither GDRFA nor ICP publishes an official list of rejection reasons. The practical check is the published requirements:

• Passport valid at least six months, a passport copy and a photo
• Medical insurance valid in the UAE and an onward or exit ticket
• A home-country ID card for nationals of Pakistan, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan (GDRFA list). ICP's and Emirates' lists differ slightly, so we recommend keeping a copy ready on any channel
• Proof of kinship, the sponsor's salary document and, for ICP, an active sponsor file

GDRFA's general notice says missing documents are requested by text and email and have to be attached within 30 days, or the application is cancelled.

Single-name passports

Under UAE NAIC instructions applied by airlines, a passport showing one name and no other on any page can be refused unless the father's or family name appears on another page or the UAE visa shows more than one name.

Reports of refusals and delays

According to applicant reports on Reddit in October 2026, one Dubai application stayed "under process" with no decision, and a sponsor said a relative's tourist visa was refused twice for "security reason" despite two earlier UAE trips. No official explanation of such refusals has been published.

Refunds

• If a service is not completed, ICP refunds only issuance fees, not application or smart-service fees. A bank certificate with IBAN is needed, and ICP lists 5 days.
• ICP returns the guarantee on request after cancellation or exit if no residency violation was committed.
• Emirates fees are non-refundable once processed.
• GDRFA's refund rules are not on an open page, so check the receipt and ask GDRFA or Amer.

Recent Changes (2025-2026)

• 29 September 2025: ICP added four visit visa categories and revised conditions, including the AED 4,000, 8,000 and 15,000 sponsor thresholds.
• 9 June 2026: The National reported GDRFA saying 30-day and 60-day single-entry tourist visas take 48 hours and cost about Dh230 and Dh340 including VAT and other fees, before centre charges.
• 19 June 2026: GDRFA warned against unauthorised visa services promoted on social media and urged people to use official channels.
• 25 June 2026: ICP opened the certain-countries visa, previously for Indians only, to six more nationalities and to residents of six more countries, including Canada and Australia.
• To 3 November 2026: ICP's news list shows no newer visit-visa rule.

FAQ

Can I apply for a UAE visit visa without a sponsor?

Yes, for the certain-countries visa, the GCC-resident eVisa, the visa on arrival for eligible Indians and the 5-year tourist visa. Most others need sponsors.

Do UAE embassies issue tourist visas?

No, according to the UAE government portal. Applications go to GDRFA or ICP.

Should I use GDRFA or ICP?

Dubai visas go through GDRFA, the other six emirates through ICP.

How long does processing take?

As of November 2026, GDRFA lists 48 hours and ICP 2 days or 48 hours. Emirates quotes 2 to 4 working days. Missing documents delay the file.

Can I fly another airline on an Emirates visa?

Under Emirates' terms, no. Its online visa covers trips into and out of Dubai on Emirates flights only.

How much does a sponsor need to earn?

ICP sets AED 4,000 a month for first-degree relatives, AED 8,000 for second- and third-degree relatives and AED 15,000 for friends. Emirates uses its own list.

Are fees refunded after a rejection?

Partly at best. ICP refunds only issuance fees, Emirates fees are non-refundable once processed, and GDRFA's rules are not on an open page.

What is the overstay fine?

AED 50 per day, as listed by ICP. On Emirates-arranged visas, the sponsor is legally responsible for overstay fines.

Can Visarun guarantee my UAE visa?

No. Visarun helps you pick the channel, prepare the documents and submit the application, while GDRFA or ICP makes the decision.