If you want to travel to the UAE, you should familiarize yourself with the entry requirements of Dubai from the UK. The UK government has an understanding of the current rules for individuals travelling from the UK to the UAE on a full British Citizen passport. The UAE authorities set and enforce the entry requirements. Therefore, you should revise the rules and ensure you meet the requirements before travelling to the country.
UAE residents also need to learn the UK visa requirements if they wish to travel to the UK for business or tourism. You can obtain a UK visa from Dubai hassle-free by hiring the services of an authorized visa consultancy.
It is no longer necessary for visitors visiting the UAE to present a COVID-19 vaccination certificate or submit to any PCR tests. However, the Covid-19 entry requirements may change on short notice. Therefore, you should check the state of the requirements before leaving your country for the UAE. Consult either the British Airways, Emirates, Etihad or the IAETA Travel Centre for more details concerning the prevailing COVID-19 requirements.
People who are traveling to or via the UAE simply need to adhere to the travel and transit regulations of the nation they are visiting. They only need proof of COVID-19 vaccination or the PCR test if the final destination country requires them.
If travelling to a country that requires COVID-19, arrange for a private test and not the NHS testing service.
Only a few cruise companies have resumed services in some UAE ports. If a COVID-19 PCR test is necessary, discuss it with your cruise operator for one. If you intend on taking a trip on an international cruise that is scheduled to stop at any port in the UAE, please get in touch with your travel agency for the most recent information.
Before you travel to the UAE, check with your airline or travel agency to ensure your passport and other travel documents meet the UAE’s requirements. You can also contact the UAE embassy, high commission or consulate for more information on passport and document requirements.
Your UK passport should be valid for over six months from the date of entry into the United Arab Emirates. If you have a UK residence permit, your passport must be valid for a minimum of three months for you to enter the UAE.
If you are not passing through the UAE immigration but only transiting through the country, your passport must be valid for at least three months from the date of transit.
Travellers with a full British passport will be issued a UAE tourist/visitor visa on arrival. You don't have to apply for a visa before entering the country. As you go through immigration, you will be issued a visa, and your passport will be stamped. The on-arrival tourist visa is valid for up to 40 days.
Reach out to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC) for visa inquiries at +971 (0)9 208 3344. Enquiries about visa validity or expiry should be directed to UAE immigration only.
You can also contact the UAE embassy in the UK to learn about the on-arrival visa to UAE. If you wish to stay in UAE past your visa'svisa's validity period, you must apply to extend your visa or get a permit. Overstaying a visa is a crime and may attract hefty fines or deportation.
If you wish to work in the UAE but are on a tourist visa, you should apply for a probationary work permit from the Ministry of Labour. The permit is only valid for three months, and you risk going to jail, paying fines and getting deported if you don’t acquire one and are caught working while on a tourist visa.
If you wish to live in the UAE, you must apply for a residence visa before your tourist visa expires. If you test HIV positive or hepatitis, you are detained and then deported to the UK. There is no appeal for this visa rejection.
Foreigners working in the UAE may be asked to surrender their passports to the company as part of the terms and conditions of employment. While this is a common practice by employers, withholding someone’s passport is illegal under the UAE labour law.
If you are leaving the UAE permanently, make sure to cancel your work visa because if you don't, you risk being arrested when you return or transit through the UAE for leaving the country without permission. You will also be arrested when you return or transit through the UAE if you have not cleared your debts or resolved any outstanding cases. Consult a local lawyer if you have doubts about your status before passing through or returning to the UAE.
You must meet the UAE’s specific medical requirements if travelling to the UAE with any prescribed or over-the-counter medicine. You must seek the UAE authorities' approval before landing if you plan to enter a country that is classified as narcotic, psychotropic, controlled or semi-controlled. Apply for a permit online through the UAE Ministry of Health website at least five days before your travel date.
The medication won't be permitted if you enter the UAE without a permit, and you can face legal action. If you are just transiting through the UAE and don't intend to enter the country, you don't have to get medical approval for your medicine.
Whether approved or with a permit, there is a limit on the amount of medication that can be brought into the UAE legally. You are allowed to carry up to three months of medication, and if the medication requires approval, the limit decreases to one month.
Travellers should have legal status in the UAE when leaving the country. You may be forbidden from leaving the UAE if you are involved in legal proceedings, have a travel ban, have unpaid debt or have a child with a custody dispute.
