What you need for a UAE visa
Three photos from your phone and a passport valid for at least 6 months. Every visa we handle needs the same list, and a transit visa also needs an onward ticket. A few passports need one more document, such as a national ID card: the checker below tells you.
What every traveller needs
Pick your visa and tick things off as you get them ready. Tourist and multiple-entry visas need the same documents.
- One set per person
Every traveller, including children, needs their own photo and passport scans. Add everyone to one application and pay once.
- Your phone is enough
Clear, well-lit phone photos are fine. There is no office or embassy visit.
- Anything else, only if we ask
For example a return ticket or hotel booking. We will email you if your application needs more.
Six months from the day you land
UAE immigration needs your passport to be valid for at least 6 months from your arrival date, not from the day you apply. If it expires sooner, renew it first, then apply with the new passport.
The photo is where most applications go wrong
A recent colour photo of your face on a plain white background, taken in the last 6 months. Below are the mistakes our visa experts see most.
The photo, by the numbers
- Passport-photo size
- 35 × 45 mmPortrait, head and top of the shoulders
- Face height
- 70–80%From chin to the top of the head (crown)
- Plain background
- WhiteNo shadows, patterns or other people
- Recent and unedited
- ColourTaken in the last 6 months, no filters
Upload it as a JPG or PNG straight from your phone. If anything is off, we ask you for a new one before we submit.
Face photo: do’s and don’ts
Most delays come from the photo.
Do
- Plain white background with no shadows or patterns
- Face centred, looking straight at the camera
- Neutral expression, eyes open, mouth closed
- Head and top of the shoulders, face filling 70–80% of the photo
- In colour, taken in the last 6 months, not edited or filtered
- Religious head covering is fine if your whole face is visible, chin to forehead
- Passport-photo size: 35 × 45 mm
Don’t
- Glasses (glare on the lenses is a common rejection) or sunglasses
- Caps, hats or headphones
- Selfies taken at arm’s length, or a tilted head
- Blurry, dark or black-and-white photos, or shadows behind you
- Beauty filters, or a photo cut from your old passport
Taking it on your phone
Four steps, about two minutes. Daylight works best.
- Find a white wall
Stand close to a plain white wall in daylight, facing the light so there are no shadows behind you.
- Ask someone else
Have someone take the photo for you. Selfies at arm’s length are a common reason we ask for a new one.
- Face the camera
Glasses and cap off. Look straight ahead with a neutral expression, eyes open and mouth closed.
- Upload it as it is
No filters or edits. Check your whole face is sharp, then upload it as a JPG or PNG.
One clear photo of your bio page
The bio page is the one with your photo. Immigration uses it to match you to your application, so every character needs to be readable.
- 1All four corners in the frame
Photograph the whole open page. Don’t crop it, and keep your fingers off the edges.
- 2No glare on your photo
Switch off the flash and tilt the passport away from lamps, so no white patch hides your face or details.
- 3Valid for 6+ months
Counted from the day you arrive. Check your dates
- 4The two code lines are sharp
The machine-readable lines at the bottom must be in focus and in the frame. JPG, PNG or PDF.
Anything extra for your visa?
Only the transit visa needs an extra document. Prices are per traveller and include the UAE government fee and our service fee. Everything else is the same short list for every visa.
14-day tourist visaUp to 14 days · single entryNothing extra$150per travellerDetailsApply
30-day tourist visaUp to 30 days · single entryNothing extra$170per travellerDetailsApply
60-day tourist visaUp to 60 days · single entryNothing extra$270per travellerDetailsApply
30-day multiple-entry visaUp to 30 days · multiple entryNothing extra$240per travellerDetailsApply
60-day multiple-entry visaUp to 60 days · multiple entryNothing extra$350per travellerDetailsApply
96-hour transit visaUp to 96 hours · single entryPlus: confirmed onward flight ticket$150per travellerDetailsApply
Every visa: face photo, passport bio page and coverPrices include the UAE government feeExpress, within 24 working hours: +$50 per traveller
One all-in price per traveller, including the UAE government fee. You’ll see it after a quick sign-in, before you pay. No hidden fees.
Do you need a visa at all?
Pick your passport. We’ll tell you honestly.
Popular passports
Rules for 198 passports, based on current UAE entry rules. Always check before you fly.
Three possible answers
Questions? Answered.
Still unsure about a photo or scan? Send it to us on WhatsApp and we’ll check it before you apply.
Our visa experts answer on WhatsApp, phone or email.
What documents do I need?
What are the photo rules?
Can I take the photos with my phone?
My passport expires in less than 6 months. Can I apply?
You asked me for a new photo. Why?
No answers match that. Ask us on WhatsApp.
See you in Dubai
Documents ready? Apply in 2 minutes.
From $150 · eVisa by email in 2–3 working days · valid in all seven emirates