Written and verified by Sohail Ahmed
UAE Visa and Travel Operations Manager · Arabiers Holidays UAE · Processing Abu Dhabi tourist visas through ICP since 2016 ·
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Do you need a visa to visit Abu Dhabi?
Whether you need a tourist visa for Abu Dhabi depends on your passport. The UAE operates the same visa framework for all seven emirates. Abu Dhabi is not a separate visa jurisdiction.
| Passport type |
What you need |
Cost |
| 90-day visa on arrival nationalities UK, USA, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Canada, Singapore and 65 others (74 total) |
Free stamp at the Abu Dhabi border or any UAE airport. No advance arrangement needed. |
Free |
| 30-day visa on arrival Malaysia, Ireland, Ukraine and 10 others (13 nationalities) |
Free stamp at the border. No advance arrangement. |
Free |
| Mexico |
Free 180-day visa on arrival. |
Free |
| Indian nationals with qualifying US/UK/EU/AU/CA/JP/NZ/KR/SG visa or permit |
Preapproved 14-day or 60-day entry permit applied before travel through Emirates, Etihad or ICP. |
AED 100 or AED 250 |
| All other nationalities Jordan, India (without qualifying permit), Egypt, South Africa, Panama and others |
Prearranged tourist visa applied before travel through a licensed agency, airline or ICP directly. |
From AED 489 |
The full eligibility framework with all nationality groups is on the UAE visit visa page. If your passport gets a free stamp at the border, a prearranged tourist visa is only needed if you want to extend your stay beyond the free period without exiting.
Source: ICP Smart Services · Emirates UAE Visa Information
Four visitor types which one are you?
The UAE visit visa framework divides every visitor into one of four groups. The group determines what options are available before and during the trip. This is the same framework used across all seven emirates including Abu Dhabi.
Visitor type 1
Visa on Arrival 90 days
UK, USA, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Australia, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and 62 others 74 nationalities total. Mexico: 180 days. No advance arrangement needed at all.
Free stamp at the border
Visitor type 2
Preapproved Entry Permit
Indian nationals with a valid US, UK, EU, AU, CA, JP, NZ, KR or SG visa or residence permit. Also Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Kenya and South Africa with qualifying permit. 14-day (extendable once) or 60-day permit applied before travel through Emirates, Etihad or ICP.
AED 100 (14-day) or AED 250 (60-day)
Visitor type 3
Visa on Arrival 30 days
Andorra, Brunei, Hong Kong SAR, Kazakhstan, Macau SAR, Malaysia, Mauritius, Monaco, Mongolia, Republic of Ireland, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vatican City 13 nationalities. Free 30-day stamp at the border, extendable once in-country.
Free stamp extension AED 990
Visitor type 4
Prearranged Tourist Visa
Jordan, India (without qualifying permit), Egypt, South Africa, Panama and all other nationalities not covered above. Tourist visa applied before travel through a licensed agency, Etihad, Emirates or ICP directly. 30-day or 60-day, single or multiple entry.
From AED 489 through licensed agency
Source: ICP Smart Services · u.ae tourist visa page
Abu Dhabi tourist visa prices
All prices below are through local authorised travel agencies and are all-inclusive: the government fee paid directly to ICP, the security placing fee, document checking before submission, and a real person handling the case from submission to approval PDF on WhatsApp. IPG and bank charges included.
30-Day · Single Entry
Standard 48 to 72 hrsAED 489
USD 134
Express 4 to 8 hrsAED 789
60-Day · Single Entry
Standard 48 to 72 hrsAED 689
USD 188
Express 4 to 8 hrsAED 989
30-Day · Multiple Entry
Standard 48 to 72 hrsAED 990
USD 270
Express 4 to 8 hrsAED 1,190
60-Day · Multiple Entry
Standard 48 to 72 hrsAED 1,190
USD 324
Express 4 to 8 hrsAED 1,390
Applying directly through ICP Smart Services: AED 252 plus VAT for a 30-day visa and AED 352 plus VAT for a 60-day visa. The security placing fee and document checking are managed by the applicant directly.
The UAE tourist visa price is the same for all emirates. The visa is a federal document. The price to the applicant is the same whether you enter through Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah or any other emirate. Any provider charging a different rate for the same duration and entry type is adding an unjustified margin.
Source: ICP Smart Services · Local authorised travel agencies
Documents required
The ICP Smart Services document requirements for an Abu Dhabi tourist visa are as follows.
| Document |
Requirement |
Who |
| Passport |
Valid for at least 6 months from the intended travel date. The machine-readable zone at the bottom of the photo page must be fully visible and sharp. A cropped or blurry scan is the most common reason an application is returned before submission. |
All nationalities |
| Passport photograph |
White background, UAE-specification dimensions. Not a selfie cropped from another photo. |
All nationalities |
| Return or onward travel ticket |
Confirmed booking showing departure from the UAE. |
All nationalities |
| Medical insurance valid in UAE |
Required per the ICP service requirements. |
All nationalities |
| National identity card |
Required in addition to passport. |
Iraq, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan nationals only |
Five most common document corrections from 84,000 applications: blurry or cropped passport scan; passport validity under 6 months from travel date; wrong photo background or size; name on ticket differs from passport; missing national ID card for Iraq, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan nationals. Checking these five before submission avoids the most frequent delays.
Source: ICP Smart Services document requirements · Arabiers operational data 2016 to 2026
How to apply for an Abu Dhabi tourist visa online
Through a licensed travel agency
1
Send documents on WhatsApp or email
Passport scan, photograph, return ticket and medical insurance. National ID card if from Iraq, Pakistan, Iran or Afghanistan.
2
Documents checked before submission
The agency checks every document against ICP requirements before the application goes in. Problems are flagged and corrected before submission rather than causing a return from ICP.
3
Payment confirmed processing begins
AED 489 for 30-day single entry. AED 689 for 60-day. AED 789 and AED 989 for express. Payment by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No office visit.
4
Approved visa PDF delivered on WhatsApp
Standard: 48 to 72 hours. Express: 4 to 8 hours. The PDF is the visa show it at Abu Dhabi airport immigration on arrival.
5
Verify on ICP Smart Services before travel
Open
icp.gov.ae, select File Validity, then Passport Information, then Visa. Enter passport number and expiry. Confirm visa type, issue date and expiry match the PDF.
Through ICP Smart Services directly
2
Complete the form and upload documents
Same five documents as the agency route. The applicant manages the upload quality check and security deposit directly.
3
Pay the ICP government fee online
AED 252 plus VAT for 30 days, AED 352 plus VAT for 60 days. Security placing fee and agency service are not included.
4
Visa arrives digitally 48 to 72 hours
ICP processes and records the visa in the federal immigration database. The approval is delivered digitally.
Through an airline
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi's national airline accepts tourist visa applications alongside flight bookings through the same ICP system. Emirates also covers Abu Dhabi entry visas. Useful when the flight and visa are arranged at the same time.
Verify the agency before paying. Arabiers' DET Trade Licence is 1176592, verifiable at
dubai.ae. A legitimate agency quotes one all-inclusive price and never guarantees visa approval that decision rests with ICP alone.
Processing times what the data shows
ICP publishes 48 hours as the expected processing time. Across 86,820 applications processed by Arabiers since 2016:
2.6 days
Standard median (68,360 applications)
4.3 days
Standard 90th percentile
5h 25m
Express median (18,460 applications)
7h 50m
Express 90th percentile
Applications submitted Monday to Wednesday morning with complete documents process fastest. Peak seasons around Eid and school holidays run 12 to 18 percent slower than quieter months.
Sohail Ahmed · Visa Operations Manager
Express is worth it when there is a real time constraint a confirmed flight, urgent family travel. On flexible dates, standard processing with correct documents submitted early in the week is the better value. No processing speed fixes a blurry passport scan or a name mismatch. Those restart the clock regardless of which route is chosen.
Source: ICP Smart Services published processing times · Arabiers operational data 2016 to 2026
Applying by nationality
The application process is the same for all nationalities. The differences are in which documents are required and whether a preapproved permit route is available.
🇮🇳
India
Indian nationals without a qualifying US/UK/EU/AU/CA/JP/NZ/KR/SG permit apply for the standard 30 or 60-day tourist visa through Arabiers or ICP directly. Those with a qualifying permit use the preapproved 14-day (AED 100) or 60-day (AED 250) entry permit route through Etihad, Emirates or ICP.
🇬🇧
United Kingdom
UK passport holders receive a free 90-day stamp at any UAE border including Abu Dhabi airport. No prearranged tourist visa needed. A tourist visa only applies when extending beyond the 90-day period via an in-country status change without exit.
🇪🇺
Europe
EU nationals (France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands and all other EU passports) receive a free 90-day stamp at Abu Dhabi airport or any UAE border. No prearranged visa needed. Tourist visa only needed for in-country status change beyond 90 days.
🇿🇦
South Africa
Standard tourist visa required. South African nationals do not receive a visa on arrival in the UAE. 30-day single entry from AED 489, 60-day from AED 689. Apply through Arabiers, Etihad, Emirates or ICP directly.
🇯🇴
Jordan
Standard tourist visa required. Jordanian nationals do not receive a visa on arrival in the UAE. 30-day single entry from AED 489, 60-day from AED 689. Apply through Arabiers, Etihad, Emirates or ICP directly.
🌍
Other nationalities
Check the UAE visit visa page at arabiers.com/uae-visit-visa for the full eligibility table. Some nationalities hold visa on arrival rights. Others need a prearranged tourist visa before travel.
Source: ICP Smart Services · Emirates UAE Visa Information page
UAE visit visa rule changes 2026
The PAAS data shows high search volume around "new visit visa rules UAE 2026" and "latest visa updates". These are the rule changes currently in effect.
| Rule |
What changed |
In effect from |
| Grace period for on-arrival visas |
Removed. The printed expiry date is now a hard deadline. Overstay fines begin from the day after expiry with no buffer at all. |
October 2024 |
| Overstay fine rate |
Flat AED 50 per day from the first day of overstay. No tiered structure, no grace days. Fines must be settled at ICP before exit or before any new visa application. |
February 2026 |
| Repeated back-to-back extensions |
ICP may refuse a second or subsequent in-country extension for applicants who have extended repeatedly without an exit. A single extension is not affected the caution is around habitual in-country renewals. |
June 2025 |
| Mission entry visa (96-hour) |
No longer extendable. Exit required on or before the 96-hour expiry. |
October 2024 |
| On-arrival visa nationalities, preapproved permit scheme and standard tourist visa prices |
No change. |
Current |
No grace period means no grace period. An overstay of even one day carries the AED 50 fine. Submit any extension or status change application at least 5 days before the visa expires to leave time for any document issue without risking a fine.
Source: ICP Smart Services · Arabiers visa desk updates 2026
After approval what to do with the visa PDF
1
Verify on ICP Smart Services
Open
icp.gov.ae, select File Validity, then Passport Information, then Visa. Enter passport number and expiry. Confirm visa type, issue date and expiry match the PDF.
2
Keep the PDF accessible for travel
The PDF is the visa. Keep it on your phone or print it. Abu Dhabi airport immigration scans the barcode on arrival. No separate physical card or stamp is needed before entry.
3
Count days from entry date, not issue date
A 30-day visa gives 30 days from the date you enter the UAE not from the date the visa was issued. The permitted stay starts on arrival, not when the visa was processed.
4
Plan extension or exit before expiry
No grace period applies. AED 50 per day fine from the day after expiry. Apply for an extension before the visa expires not on the day it expires.
Extending or renewing an Abu Dhabi tourist visa
A UAE tourist visa issued through ICP can be extended in-country up to twice without exit. Each extension adds 30 days. The fee is AED 1,190 per extension through a licensed agency. The extension must be applied for before the current visa expires.
The full extension process, all visitor-type options, and the rules around repeated back-to-back extensions are on the UAE tourist visa extension page.
No grace period. AED 50 per day overstay fine from day one after expiry. Fines must be settled at ICP before exit or before any new application is accepted. Full details on the overstay fine page at arabiers.com/overstay-fine-in-uae once available.
Frequently asked questions
How can I apply for an Abu Dhabi tourist visa online?
Through ICP Smart Services (icp.gov.ae), Etihad Airways or Emirates Airline, or through a licensed travel agency. Abu Dhabi tourist visas are processed through ICP Smart Services. The agency route includes document checking before submission and delivers the approved visa PDF on WhatsApp. No office visit needed on any route.
How much does an Abu Dhabi tourist visa cost?
Through local authorised travel agencies: 30-day single entry AED 489, 60-day single entry AED 689, 30-day multiple entry AED 990, 60-day multiple entry AED 1,190. Express in 4 to 8 hours: 30-day AED 789, 60-day AED 989. Through ICP Smart Services directly: AED 252 plus VAT for 30 days, AED 352 plus VAT for 60 days. Abu Dhabi and Dubai prices are identical the visa is a federal document.
How do I check my Abu Dhabi tourist visa status online?
Go to icp.gov.ae. Select File Validity, then Passport Information, then Visa. Enter your passport number, expiry date and nationality. Complete the captcha and click Search. The visa status and expiry date recorded by federal immigration will display immediately.
Is there a difference between an Abu Dhabi tourist visa and a Dubai tourist visa?
No. A UAE tourist visa is one federal document that permits entry and stay anywhere in all seven UAE emirates. There is no separate Abu Dhabi visa or Dubai visa. The document, the price and the permitted stay are identical regardless of which emirate you fly into. The visa holder can move freely between Abu Dhabi, Dubai and all other emirates on the same document.
Is Abu Dhabi issuing tourist visas now?
Yes. UAE tourist visas for Abu Dhabi entry are being issued normally through ICP Smart Services as of 21 August 2026. No current restrictions. Standard processing is 48 to 72 hours. Express in 4 to 8 hours is available.
Is the Abu Dhabi visa free?
For 74 nationalities UK, USA, Spain, France, Germany, Australia, Canada, Singapore and others yes. Entry to Abu Dhabi and all UAE emirates is free on a visa on arrival stamp. No advance arrangement or fee needed. For nationalities that require a prearranged tourist visa, the fee starts at AED 489 for a 30-day single entry through a licensed travel agency.
How long can I stay in Abu Dhabi on a tourist visa?
A 30-day tourist visa allows up to 30 days from the entry date. A 60-day visa allows up to 60 days. Visa on arrival nationalities get 90 days free at the border. Both tourist visa types can be extended in-country up to twice without exit, 30 days per extension, at AED 1,190 per extension.
Can I get a 30-day tourist visa for Abu Dhabi?
Yes. A 30-day single entry tourist visa costs AED 489 through local authorised travel agencies. A 30-day multiple entry costs AED 990. Express in 4 to 8 hours: AED 789 single entry, AED 1,190 multiple entry. The visa allows entry through Abu Dhabi or any other UAE emirate.
What documents are needed for an Abu Dhabi tourist visa online?
Passport valid for at least 6 months from the travel date, passport photograph with white background in UAE dimensions, return or onward travel ticket, and medical insurance valid in the UAE. Nationals of Iraq, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan must also include their national identity card. The machine-readable zone on the passport photo page must be complete and sharp.
What are the new UAE visit visa rules for 2026?
The grace period for on-arrival visas was removed in October 2024 the printed expiry is now a hard deadline. A flat AED 50 per day overstay fine applies from the first day after expiry with no grace period, under February 2026 ICP rules. Repeated back-to-back in-country extensions may be refused from June 2025. The on-arrival nationalities, preapproved permit scheme and standard tourist visa prices have not changed.
How long does it take to process an Abu Dhabi tourist visa online?
Standard: 48 to 72 hours. Express: 4 to 8 hours. The observed median across 68,360 standard applications processed by Arabiers since 2016 is 2.6 working days. Express median is 5 hours 25 minutes. All times assume complete and correct documents from the start.
What is the official government portal for Abu Dhabi tourist visa applications?
ICP Smart Services at icp.gov.ae operated by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security. Etihad Airways and Emirates Airline are official airline partners for visa applications alongside flight bookings. Licensed travel agencies submit through the same ICP portal.
This guide is general information verified by Arabiers' UAE Visa and Travel Operations Manager. It is not legal advice. Visa rules are set by the UAE Government and can change without notice. Confirm current requirements at icp.gov.ae before acting. Last reviewed 21 August 2026.
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Updated 21 August 2026 · Verified by Sohail Ahmed against ICP Smart Services
