Do you need a visa for a Dubai layover?

If you stay airside

Most international connections at Dubai International Airport (DXB) don’t involve passport control. On one ticket you collect the boarding pass for your onward flight at the transfer desks, says Dubai Airports, and follow the signs to your gate. In Terminal 3 you can walk between the B and C gates and take the airport train to the A gates; Terminal 1’s D gates are a short train ride away.

Your passport must have an expiry date at least 3 months after the date you transit, says the UK government. No official limit on how long you can stay in the transit area is published; the airside DXB Hotel’s stays end at 24 hours.

If you want to leave the airport

Passport	What you need
UK	A free visit visa on arrival, up to 90 days in any 180 (UK FCDO); passport valid 6 months from arrival
US	A visa on arrival, up to 90 days in any 180 (US State Department); passport valid 6 months from entry
Canada	A free tourist visa on arrival, 90 days in any 180 (Government of Canada); passport valid 6 months from entry
Australia	A tourist visa on arrival (Smartraveller), 90 days on Emirates’ list; passport valid more than 6 months
EU and Schengen, except Ireland	A free 90-day visa on arrival (Emirates’ list); “Visa Free” for the UAE’s foreign ministry
Ireland	A free 30-day visa on arrival (Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs)
India	A visa arranged before landing (below)

Emirates publishes the UAE’s lists: a free 30-day visa on arrival for 13 passports including Ireland’s, and a free “multiple entry 90‑day visit visa” for the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, every other EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, among others. The UAE’s own rule is that passports must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry. If your passport isn’t on either list, you need a visa arranged before landing, says the UAE Government portal. Smartraveller adds that Australian passports with XX in the birth date or an X sex marker are refused. Dubai Airports’ FAQ adds that “certain nationalities can get a visa on arrival if the transit time is longer than 8 hours” without naming them, so confirm with your airline.

Transit visa

The UAE issues a transit visa for either 48 or 96 hours. It is single entry and can’t be extended, says the UAE Government portal. GDRFA Dubai says to apply through an approved airline, for AED 50 plus the airline’s fee, with a passport valid at least six months and an onward ticket.

Emirates sells both for travel on its own flights: the 48-hour visa for US$10 and the 96-hour visa, valid 4 days from arrival, for US$49. Apply through Manage your booking, which Emirates says takes about 3 to 4 working days, or at its visa office in Terminal 3 arrivals, open 24 hours.

Indian passports

Since 25 June 2026, ICP, the UAE’s immigration authority, gives Indian passport holders a 14-day or 60-day visa if they hold a valid visa, residence permit or green card from the US, the EU or the UK, or a residence permit from Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada, Singapore or New Zealand. The 14-day visa costs AED 100 and can be extended once; the 60-day visa costs AED 250 and can’t. ICP’s online service adds a AED 100 smart-services fee. The passport must be valid for at least 6 months. Emirates sells the same permit through Manage your booking, for US$63 (14 days) or US$141.36 (60 days).

The UAE’s foreign ministry calls it a visa on arrival, but ICP’s service is an online application, so arrange it before you fly. Without one of those residences or visas, an Indian passport needs a transit visa (above) or a visit visa.

If you’re on separate tickets

You pass the border. Dubai Airports says passengers on separate tickets must clear passport control, collect their bags and check in for the connecting flight. Without a UAE visa, ask Marhaba Services at the transfer desk to move your bags, for a fee. Make sure you can enter the UAE on your passport before you book separate tickets.

At the border

Dubai Airports publishes no immigration queue times. This guide allows about an hour from landing to sitting on the metro, its own allowance, not an official figure. Visa-on-arrival passengers with biometric passports can use the Smart Gates, says Dubai Airports, and the GDRFA visa office is in Terminal 3 arrivals near Entrance 1, open 24 hours.

Emirates Dubai Connect

Dubai Connect is Emirates’ free service for a long wait between Emirates flights: a hotel, transfers, applicable meals and a 48-hour visa. Its terms set the rules:

• The connection must be at least 6 hours and no more than 26, and the shortest available on your route.
• The fare must be at least US$450 one-way or US$700 return, on one Emirates ticket, with both flights operated by Emirates.
• The passport must be valid for at least 6 months.
• Booking. Emirates’ page says to add it at least 12 hours ahead, but its conditions say Emirates can only accept bookings made at least 24 hours before the flight to Dubai leaves, and that it’s subject to availability. Book 24 hours ahead to be safe.
• On arrival, go to the Dubai Connect desk in Arrivals. If your passport needs a visa, Emirates asks for it to be arranged at least 48 hours before arrival.
• The hotel is the Copthorne Hotel Dubai, the Le Méridien Airport Hotel Dubai, the JW Marriott Marquis or another of Emirates’ choosing.

Under 18s can use it when travelling with someone over 18. For a longer stay, Emirates’ Dubai Stopover adds a hotel to your booking, with packages of 2 nights or more.

Before you go landside

Carry your passport and your onward boarding pass. Left luggage is on the arrivals level of each terminal, landside, open 24 hours. Be back at Dubai International 90 minutes before departure; Dubai Airports recommends three hours if you still need to check in. How to reach the city: getting into the city.