United Arab Emirates Visit Visa Guides

Dubai shopping trips, family visits to Sharjah or Abu Dhabi and business travel make the Emirates a frequent destination for visitors from Pakistan and Bangladesh. The UAE works differently from most countries: its embassies do not issue tourist visas. Your entry permit comes through an online government channel or a licensed sponsor, and you should not assume a visa on arrival for either passport. The UAE government portal tells travellers to confirm their status before flying.

There are several official ways in. The federal authority, ICP, handles visit visas for all emirates, including visits to relatives and friends of UAE residents and tourist visas sponsored by tourism companies. GDRFA Dubai handles permits sponsored by Dubai tourism establishments. Emirates, Etihad and flydubai can arrange a visa if you are flying with them, and licensed UAE travel agents and hotels can apply when you book with them. A resident relative or friend can sponsor you through ICP if they meet the salary rule for your relationship and hold an active residence file.

Dubai is not a separate country visa. You always receive a UAE entry permit; what changes is the channel. As a rule of thumb, if your hotel, tour operator or relative is licensed in Dubai, the file usually goes through GDRFA, and if the sponsor is in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or another emirate, ICP is the more common path. Ask your sponsor which portal will show your application number so you can track it on the matching official site.

Preparation is light but exact. Have a clear scan of your passport data page with plenty of validity left, a recent photo meeting the channel's specifications, a return or onward ticket, health insurance valid in the UAE, and a hotel booking, tour programme or host address. Resident sponsors add their residence and salary papers, and relatives add proof of kinship such as a birth or marriage certificate. Names must match your passport exactly, or the sponsor may have to resubmit.

The commonest mistakes are paying Facebook or WhatsApp sellers who promise same-day Dubai visas without being licensed, copying another nationality's checklist, and relying on an agent who cannot name the licensed UAE company sponsoring you. Fees depend on the permit type, length and channel, and appear on the ICP or GDRFA service page or at your sponsor's checkout. UAE authorities do not publish approval rates, so ignore anyone quoting a success rate.

Guides on this site: read our UAE visit visa guide for Pakistani passport holders at /united-arab-emirates/pakistan for the ICP and GDRFA paths explained for Pakistan, and our UAE visit visa guide for Bangladeshi passport holders at /united-arab-emirates/bangladesh for the sponsor rules, stay options and other visit products Bangladeshi travellers ask about.

Can I get a UAE tourist visa from the UAE embassy? No. The UAE government portal says its embassies do not issue tourist visas. Apply through ICP, GDRFA Dubai, a UAE airline, or a licensed agent or hotel.

Is a Dubai visa different from a UAE visa? No. Dubai issues UAE entry permits. GDRFA Dubai is simply the channel commonly used when your sponsor is licensed in Dubai.

Can my relative in the UAE sponsor my visit? Yes, through ICP, if they meet the minimum salary for your relationship and hold an active residence file.

Do Pakistani or Bangladeshi passports get a UAE visa on arrival? Do not assume so. Plan for a pre-arranged entry permit unless the official portal or embassy confirms otherwise for your passport.