Dubai Desert (Al Marmoom) in January

E-visa before you fly for up to 30 days, about ₹6,860

1. Apply for a 30-day UAE tourist visa before you fly: through your airline (Emirates and flydubai process visas for their passengers; IndiGo, Air India Express and Air Arabia sell them too), a travel agent, your UAE hotel, or the ICP and GDRFA portals. The government fee is AED 252 + 5% VAT, about ₹6,860; agents add their charges. Allow 1-3 working days.
2. Hold a valid US visa or Green Card, an EU visa or residence permit, or residence in Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada, Singapore or New Zealand? You can instead take a 14-day visa on arrival (AED 100, extendable once). A UK visa or UK residence permit alone is reported (July 2026) to be dropped from this list, with no start date announced yet: if that is all you hold, get the e-visa to be safe.
3. At immigration in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or Ras Al Khaimah, show your passport and the visa approval, and your return ticket and hotel booking if asked.
4. For a longer trip, apply for a 60-day tourist visa instead of the 30-day one, or extend through the same airline, agent or portal before the visa expires.

Carry: Passport valid for at least 6 months from the day you arrive; UAE visa approval (PDF or printout), or the US / EU / listed residence document if you take the visa on arrival; Confirmed return or onward ticket; Hotel bookings, or a host's address and Emirates ID copy; Recent passport photo on a white background and a PAN card copy, which some airlines and agents ask for.

The visa-on-arrival rules for Indians are changing in 2026 (UK documents reported to be dropped, start date not announced) and fees differ between sources, so check on the ICP site or with your airline before booking. Flights to the UAE have been cancelled at short notice since the regional war began in February 2026; buy a fare you can change.

Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.