Dubai Visa for Indians: Types, Cost, and Processing Time

Indian passport holders need a visa for the UAE — there's no visa-free entry, though certain Indian visa or Green Card holders from the US, UK, or EU can qualify for visa-on-arrival. For most travellers, that means arranging a tourist e-visa before departure, which is now the standard route for both leisure and short business trips.

The most common options are the 30-day single-entry tourist visa and the 96-hour short-stay visa for quick trips or layovers. Both are processed online through a travel agent or airline, with no embassy visit required — you'll typically get a decision within 3-5 working days, though this can extend during UAE public holidays or peak travel season around Christmas and New Year.

Required documents are minimal: a passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your travel dates, a passport-size photo, and confirmed return flight details. Hotel bookings aren't always mandatory for the visa itself but are worth having ready, since immigration can ask for proof of accommodation on arrival.

Package tours that include 'visa included' pricing, like the ones on this site, handle the application as part of the booking — worth flagging early if your passport has any prior UAE visa rejections or overstays, since those need to be disclosed and can affect approval regardless of which route you apply through.

One thing that catches travellers out: the tourist visa's validity period (usually 60 days from issue) is different from the number of days you're allowed to stay once you enter (30 or 90 days, depending on the visa type). Book your flights within the visa's validity window, not just within the stay duration.