United Arab Emirates Travel Guide
Visa summary
247 passport nationalities researched for entry into United Arab Emirates.
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Guide
Holders of a passport from most EU countries (Ireland is the exception), the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, or South Korea can enter the UAE for 90 days in any 180 day period without applying for anything in advance. Whether that stamp is technically an exemption or a visa on arrival depends on the passport, but the effect is the same. Irish, Kazakh, Malaysian, and Mauritian citizens, among others, get 30 days, while Mexican and Albanian citizens get 180.
That generosity is mostly written around airports. The UAE's land borders are with Oman, where five named crossings are in regular use, and with Saudi Arabia, where Ghuwaifat is the main one. Published guidance mostly describes airport arrivals and does not spell out every land post, so confirm the current position with the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) before you plan a road entry.
The rules keep moving. On 30 June 2026, nationals of Indonesia, Kenya, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, and Vietnam who hold residence permits from Australia, Canada, any EU country, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, or the United States became eligible for a 60 day visa on arrival for tourism or business, according to immigration law firm Fragomen.
Border crossings
- Hatta, or Al Wajajah from the Omani side
On Route E44, this is the crossing most Dubai visitors have in mind. The UAE charges a land exit fee of AED 35, and guides put the full process, both sides combined, at 30 to 60 minutes on an ordinary day. Gulf News describes a 14 day Oman visa on arrival for UAE residents at 5 OMR, so a visitor without UAE residence should check Oman's own rules separately instead of assuming the same offer applies.
- Dibba and Khatmat Milaha, the Fujairah crossings
Both are on Route E99 in Fujairah. The Dibba post connects with Dibba and Zaghi on the Omani side, while Khatmat Milaha is the one that leads toward Sohar and Muscat.
- Al Darah and Mezyad, the ends of the map
Al Darah, on Route E11 in Ras Al Khaimah, connects with Oman's Musandam peninsula and the town of Khasab. Mezyad, on Route E40 outside Al Ain, is the crossing for southern Oman and Salalah.
- Ghuwaifat, into Saudi Arabia
Right at the far western edge of Abu Dhabi emirate, in the Al Gharbia region, with Al Batha on the Saudi side. It has an x-ray facility able to scan complete trucks, which tells you what kind of traffic it mostly sees. Travel guides describe it as open around the clock. Saudi Arabia's tourist eVisa is a separate application, and guides say a rental car needs a no-objection letter allowing cross-border travel.
Transit routes
- Abu Dhabi's airport has a new name and a new terminal
Abu Dhabi International was renamed Zayed International Airport on 9 February 2024, and its Terminal A, formerly called the Midfield Terminal, opened on 1 November 2023 with room for about 45 million passengers a year. Older maps, booking sites, and airport signs may still show the earlier name.
- Airline transit visas
Passengers on a connecting international flight can get a transit visa that is free for 48 hours and can be extended to 96 hours for AED 50, with a hotel booking required. Citizens of several countries, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Niger, Syria, Somalia, and Yemen, are excluded from this.
- Dubai to Riyadh, by road
It is roughly 980 km and takes 9 to 10 hours, according to one property portal's guide, and the Ghuwaifat crossing sits in the middle of it. Time the border, not just the drive.
Entry point notes
- Duration depends on the passport, and the conditional list has been rewritten more than once
Nationals of India, Indonesia, Kenya, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, and Vietnam holding certain visas or residence permits can get a conditional visa on arrival, 14 days (extendable once for 14 days at AED 100) or 60 days non extendable (AED 250). Eligible documents have been trimmed and expanded repeatedly, for example UK residence visas were dropped for Indian nationals in November 2024, so check the current list before you rely on an older one.
- GCC citizens travel on an ID card, not a passport
Citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia only need to show a government issued ID card to enter, which is one reason the Saudi and Omani land borders are so busy with ordinary regional traffic.