How Long Can Tourists Stay in UAE? Visa Lengths, Extensions and Monthly Stays

How long can tourists stay in UAE? From 14 to 90 days per entry, depending on the visa or exemption they arrive on, and most tourist visas can be extended to 120 days in total. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) handles visas for Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, and the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (GDRFA Dubai) handles Dubai's.

On a tourist visa, that is up to about four months in a furnished apartment, and up to about six with an extended 5-year visa, as long as you count nights rather than months. The rules below come from ICP, GDRFA Dubai, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the UAE Government portal (u.ae), checked on 5 November 2026; where official pages disagree, we say so. This is general information, not immigration advice: the terms on your own visa are the ones that count, so confirm with ICP, GDRFA Dubai or your airline before you travel.

How long can tourists stay in UAE on each type of visa?

It depends on the route. A tourist visa gives 30, 60 or 90 days and can be extended to 120 days in total. The entry visa for certain nationals gives 14 or 60 days, and the 5-year visa 90 days a visit plus 90. Visa-free stays are set by nationality. Overstaying costs AED 50 a day.

Entry route	Who it is for	Days per entry	Extension inside the UAE	Where to apply or check
Visa-free entry	Nationalities MOFA marks 'Visa Free' (90 on 5 Nov 2026); GCC citizens need no visa	Set by nationality; not published on MOFA or u.ae	Not published; ask ICP or GDRFA Dubai	MOFA's list and your airline
Entry visa for certain nationals, 14 days	Nationals of India, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Thailand, the Philippines, Kenya or South Africa with a residence permit from the US, the EU, the UK or six other listed countries	14	Once, for another 14 days (ICP lists AED 250)	ICP; GDRFA Dubai online
Entry visa for certain nationals, 60 days	The same nationals and residence permits	60, single entry	Not extendable	ICP; GDRFA Dubai online
Tourist visa	Anyone else, arranged by an airline, hotel or licensed travel agent	30, 60 or 90 (ICP); 30 or 60 (GDRFA Dubai)	One or more times, up to 120 days in total	The airline, hotel or agent that sponsors it
5-year multiple-entry tourist visa	Any nationality, no sponsor; a USD 4,000 balance over six months	90	Once, by 90 days; ICP and GDRFA cap stays at 180 days a year	ICP or GDRFA Dubai
GCC residents' eVisa	Residents of GCC countries who meet u.ae's conditions	30	Once, for 30 days	ICP or GDRFA Dubai, before you travel
Visit visa from a relative or friend	Sponsored by a UAE resident	30, 60 or 90	Up to 120 days in total (ICP issuance page) or 180 (ICP extension page)	The resident sponsor, through ICP or GDRFA Dubai
Treatment visa	Patients and companions, sponsored by a licensed healthcare facility	Set by the visa	Up to 180 days in total (ICP)	The hospital or clinic

Sources: ICP, GDRFA Dubai, MOFA and u.ae, checked on 5 November 2026 (links at the end). On every route, ICP fines AED 50 a day for overstaying.

Do you need a visa, or can you enter visa-free?

Check your passport against MOFA's list of visa requirements. On 5 November 2026 it marked 90 nationalities 'Visa Free' and 107 'Visa Required'. GCC citizens need no visa at all, according to u.ae. Everyone else needs a visa arranged before travel, or one of the entry visas described below.

MOFA's list doesn't give the length of a visa-free stay, u.ae's visa-on-arrival page was offline when we checked, and no ICP, GDRFA, MOFA or u.ae page we found lists it by nationality. Travel reports often say 30 or 90 days, depending on the passport. u.ae adds that the lists change and that your passport must be valid for six months from the date you enter.

For a 30-night booking: before you pay for a month, ask your airline how long your passport allows, or call ICP on 600 522222 or GDRFA Dubai on 800 5111 from inside the UAE.

Who gets the 14-day or 60-day entry visa?

Nationals of India, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Thailand, the Philippines, Kenya and South Africa who hold a valid residence permit from the US, an EU country, the UK, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand or Canada can get a 14-day visa, extendable once, or a 60-day visa that can't be extended. ICP added the six nationalities to India on 25 June 2026.

ICP's announcement puts the fee at AED 100 for the 14-day visa and AED 250 for the 60-day, single-entry visa. Extending the 14-day visa once costs AED 250 on ICP's extension page, which also shows an AED 100 application fee for every extension.

The authorities describe it differently. MOFA calls it a visa on arrival, while GDRFA Dubai's service page describes applying online before you travel and entering within 30 days of issue. GDRFA also accepts Indian nationals with a valid US visa, and wants the visa or residence permit valid for at least six months. Ask your airline which applies to your flight.

For a 30-night booking: 14 days, even extended to 28, is shorter than a 30-night stay. The 60-day visa fits one 30-night booking with weeks to spare, but two back-to-back 30-night bookings would end on the 61st calendar day of your trip, so check the last day shown on your visa first.

How long is a UAE tourist visa, and can you extend it?

Under ICP's terms, a tourist visa gives 30, 60 or 90 days; GDRFA Dubai's tourist visa pages list 30 or 60 days. Both authorities can extend it one or more times, up to 120 days in total. The visa is applied for by an airline, hotel or licensed travel agent, and the extension goes through the same sponsor.

u.ae says airlines arrange tourist visas for their passengers, and hotels and licensed travel agents for guests who book with them; UAE embassies don't issue them. ICP also asks for UAE-valid health insurance, a passport valid for six months and a return ticket. Want a property to arrange your visa? Ask before booking whether it is licensed to.

• Extending an ICP visa (Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates): an AED 100 application fee plus an AED 500 extension fee.
• Extending a GDRFA Dubai visa: AED 600 plus 5% VAT, plus AED 500 and AED 20 in Knowledge and Innovation Dirhams when the visitor is inside the UAE. GDRFA notes the total can vary, so ask the sponsor for the full price.

For a 30-night booking: a 90-day visa fits two 30-night bookings with weeks left over; extended to 120 days, it fits three. Ask the sponsor to apply well before the current stay ends.

How long can you stay on the 5-year multiple-entry tourist visa?

Up to 90 days at a time, which can be extended once by another 90 days. ICP and GDRFA Dubai cap the total at 180 days a year, counted from your first entry, while u.ae describes it as 90 days on each visit plus a 90-day extension. Any nationality can apply, without a sponsor in the UAE.

u.ae lists a bank balance of USD 4,000 or its equivalent over the last six months, UAE health insurance valid for 180 days and a ticket out. One line on ICP's page also says the holder must not exceed 90 days within a single year, and unused days don't carry over, so confirm your allowance with ICP before a second long visit.

For a 30-night booking: a 90-day visit fits two 30-night bookings comfortably, or one longer booking whose check-out falls inside the 90 days.

How long can other visitors stay: GCC residents, relatives and patients?

Residents of GCC countries can get a 30-day eVisa before travelling, extendable once for 30 days. Relatives and friends of UAE residents get a visit visa of 30, 60 or 90 days, which ICP can extend. Patients and their companions on a treatment visa can stay up to 180 days in total under ICP's extension terms.

• GCC residents: u.ae's conditions include a GCC residence valid for at least a year from arrival and a profession on the approved list.
• Relatives and friends: ICP's issuance page caps the total at 120 days, its extension page at 180. Our guide to the visit visa for parents covers the salary rule and fees.
• Patients and companions: the treating hospital or clinic sponsors the visa; see our medical treatment visa guide.

How do you fit a 30-night apartment booking inside your visa?

Count nights, not months. A 30-night booking runs from your arrival day to a check-out 30 days later, so it touches 31 calendar dates. Find the last day your visa or permitted stay allows, book the check-out on or before it, and apply for any extension before that day, not after it.

1. Find your last day. u.ae points to ICP's validity check for visas issued for Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates, and GDRFA Dubai's status inquiry for Dubai visas.
2. Book in whole months. Most listings on servicedapartments.ae have a 30-night minimum, so if you plan to extend, confirm the next 30 nights once the extension is approved.
3. Bring the passport you entered on. You show it at check-in; our guide to hotel check-in in the UAE explains what to bring.
4. Split a long winter if you like. See apartments in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, our guide to the Etihad Rail passenger train for travel between them, and our Ramadan 2027 guide if your stay runs into February.

What happens if you overstay a tourist visa in the UAE?

ICP fines AED 50 for each day you remain after your permitted stay or entry visa expires, and the same AED 50 a day applies to the 14- and 60-day entry visas. Where a refundable financial guarantee was paid, ICP returns it only if no residency violations were committed, so an overstay can cost the guarantee too.

Older pages can disagree: the Abu Dhabi Residents Office's visa page still quotes AED 100 a day. We follow ICP's current service pages. Either way, book your flight home, or apply for an extension, before the last day.

Frequently asked questions

How long can a tourist stay in Abu Dhabi?

The same as anywhere in the UAE: ICP's tourist visa allows 30, 60 or 90 days and can be extended to 120 days in total, and the 5-year visa allows 90 days a visit plus 90. Visa-free stays depend on nationality.

Can I extend my UAE tourist visa without leaving the country?

ICP and GDRFA Dubai both list extensions of tourist visas, one or more times, up to 120 days in total. The airline, hotel or travel agent that sponsored the visa applies, so ask it before your current stay ends.

How much does it cost to extend a UAE tourist visa?

ICP lists an AED 100 application fee and an AED 500 extension fee. GDRFA Dubai lists AED 600 plus 5% VAT, plus AED 520 in further fees if the visitor is inside the UAE (checked 5 November 2026).

How long can Indians stay in the UAE on a visa on arrival?

Indian nationals with a valid residence permit from the US, an EU country, the UK, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand or Canada (or, for GDRFA Dubai, a valid US visa) can get 14 days, extendable once, or 60 days with no extension. The fees are AED 100 and AED 250.

What is the overstay fine in the UAE?

AED 50 for each day after the permitted stay or entry visa expires, according to ICP. A refundable guarantee is returned only if no residency violations were committed.

Sources

• Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP): Issuance of a Visa, tourism and relatives categories: 30, 60 or 90 days, the 120-day total, the 60-day entry window, insurance, passport and ticket, the guarantee refund and the AED 50 daily fine (checked 5 November 2026)
• ICP: Visa Extension, tourism, visitor and treatment categories: the 120-day and 180-day totals, the 14-day and 60-day visa rules, and the AED 100, AED 250 and AED 500 fees (checked 5 November 2026)
• ICP: Issuance of a Long-Term Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa: 90 days, the 180-day yearly cap and the 90-day line (checked 5 November 2026)
• ICP: Six new nationalities and six additional countries of residence added to eligibility criteria, 25 June 2026 (checked 5 November 2026)
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA): UAE grants visa on arrival to nationals of six countries, 25 June 2026 (checked 5 November 2026)
• MOFA: Visa information to enter the country: 'Visa Free' and 'Visa Required' by nationality (checked 5 November 2026)
• GDRFA Dubai: Visa for Citizens of Certain Countries Resident Outside the UAE (checked 5 November 2026)
• GDRFA Dubai: Issuance of a single-entry tourist visa and tourist visa for several entries: 30 or 60 days (checked 5 November 2026)
• GDRFA Dubai: Extending a tourist visa for a single or multiple trips: AED 600 plus VAT, 120 days in total (checked 5 November 2026)
• GDRFA Dubai: Issuing a multi-entry tourist visa (5 years): 90 days, extendable, 180 days a year (checked 5 November 2026)
• UAE Government portal (u.ae): Tourist visa: who arranges tourist visas, the 5-year visa and the GCC residents' eVisa (updated 1 October 2026, checked 5 November 2026)
• u.ae: Check if you need a visa to enter the UAE: GCC citizens and passport validity (updated 13 July 2026, checked 5 November 2026)
• u.ae: Track visa and check validity: which authority covers which emirate, validity checks and phone numbers (updated 15 July 2026, checked 5 November 2026)
• Abu Dhabi Residents Office: Visas, quoted only for its older overstay figure (checked 5 November 2026)

Know the last day your visa allows? Browse our monthly offers and book a 30-night stay that ends before it. Rules and fees checked on 5 November 2026.