Dubai Is Moving Tourist Visa Applications to a New Front Door

Dubai announced on November 1 that visitors will be able to apply for tourist visas through the official Visit Dubai website. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum made the announcement, and the service is expected to go live sometime in November, although no exact date has been given. It will begin with single-entry and multiple-entry tourist visas, with other categories promised later.

The change is about where people apply, not who decides. Dubai’s residency and foreigners affairs directorate will still assess applications and issue the visas. The move is part of a shared digital channels initiative approved in February 2025 that brings together the residency directorate, the Department of Economy and Tourism and Digital Dubai.

For now the rules and prices look unchanged. Reported fees, before VAT, run from 200 dirhams for a 30-day single-entry visa to 500 dirhams for a 60-day multiple-entry visa. Typical documents include a passport valid for six months, a recent photo, a confirmed return or onward ticket and valid UAE medical insurance. It is not yet clear whether travelers will still need a licensed sponsor or agency.

Many visitors will notice nothing. Citizens of more than 80 countries already receive a visa on arrival, and Gulf Cooperation Council nationals need no visa at all. Dubai also announced an invitation-only membership for repeat visitors, called Dubai Access Club, but has not published how people are chosen. Travelers should wait for the official launch before relying on the new process.

Sources: Visas Update