Know before you go: United Arab Emirates

The UAE keeps one of the most open entry regimes in the Gulf. The UAE confirmed that citizens from at least 70 countries can enter without a pre-arranged visa under its 2026 entry guidelines, with visa-free stays ranging from 14 days to unlimited access depending on nationality, and GCC passport holders facing no duration cap. GCC nationals can enter with either a passport or national ID, and travel between member states is essentially unrestricted.

For everyone else, eligibility now runs on a tiered system. Broadly: GCC nationals and visa-exempt countries get 30 or 90 days; most other eligible nationalities (holding a qualifying residence permit from the US, UK, EU, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore or South Korea) get 30 days on arrival; and a separate category covers seven nationalities. A conditional visa-on-arrival option, available for either 14 or 60 days, applies to nationals from seven specific countries: India, Indonesia, Kenya, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand and Vietnam.

India’s route is the most specific and the most frequently updated, so check it carefully. On 25 June 2026 the ICP set the 14-day visa on arrival at AED 100 and the 60-day visa at AED 250, with a AED 50 daily overstay fine, extending a facility India was previously the only nationality eligible for. Only Indians holding a qualifying visa or residence permit, such as a valid US visa or a UK or EU residence permit, can get the 14-day visa on arrival. That 14-day visa can be extended once for 14 days. Travellers from Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Kenya and South Africa fall under the same expanded June 2026 permit-based scheme.

Anyone who doesn’t fall into a visa-free or visa-on-arrival category needs a standard e-visa applied for online in advance, typically through an approved agent, airline, or directly via the immigration authorities, with a passport that is valid well beyond the trip.

Because nationality lists, stay lengths and fees change often and have already shifted twice in 2026, always confirm your specific category shortly before flying. Verify eligibility with the UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security (ICP), or with Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) if you’re flying into Dubai specifically.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi both run efficient, affordable public transport, though Dubai’s network is the most extensive for visitors. The centrepiece is the Dubai Metro, connecting the emirate’s key districts, airports and major attractions with modern, air-conditioned, driverless trains across the Red and Green lines.

To ride it you need a Nol card, the RTA’s rechargeable smart card; cash isn’t accepted at the gates. The Silver card is the default choice for tourists and regular riders: it costs AED 25 at the ticket office or machine, of which AED 19 is usable balance and AED 6 is the non-refundable cost of the card itself, and it stays valid for five years. A Gold card costs the same AED 25 but unlocks the premium Gold Class cabin, and a paper Red Ticket suits a single short visit. Fares by zone on a Silver Nol card are AED 3.00 for one zone, AED 5.00 for two zones and AED 7.50 for three or more zones, and children under five (or shorter than 90 cm) travel free on the metro and tram. There is no daily spending cap on a Nol card; RTA also sells one-day passes for unlimited travel until midnight, with current prices on rta.ae. The same card also works on the tram, buses, water buses and RTA paid parking.

For trip planning, the RTA’s app provides live route planning, balance checks and metro timings. Taxis are plentiful, metered, and generally accept both cards and cash; ride-hailing apps operate widely too. Abu Dhabi relies more on buses and taxis, with its own bus network continuing to expand. Renting a car is straightforward with an international licence if you want to explore the desert or other emirates, though driving standards and speeds can be aggressive, so stay alert.

The official currency is the Emirati dirham (AED), pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate that has held since November 1997. This stability means US dollar travellers can budget with unusual certainty, while other currencies move day to day only because they float against the dollar, not the dirham directly.

Card payments dominate daily spending; the UAE is highly cashless compared with many destinations, with contactless and mobile wallets widely used. Even so, carry some cash: traditional souks, some independent taxis, small neighbourhood shops and street-food vendors may prefer or only accept it. When paying by card or using an ATM, choose to be charged in dirhams rather than your home currency, since dynamic currency conversion at the terminal is usually a worse rate.

On cash limits: passengers travelling out of or entering the UAE with more than AED 60,000 in cash or an equivalent amount in other currencies, financial instruments, precious metals or valuable stones, must declare it to the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Ports Security (ICP). Declarations can be made through the official website or the Afseh app. There’s no upper limit on how much you can carry, only the obligation to declare above that threshold.

Costs vary sharply by season: expect peak pricing from November to March, and noticeably cheaper hotel rates in the June to September low season.

The UAE is considered very safe for travellers, with a low violent-crime rate and efficient emergency services. The core numbers to save are: 999 for Police, 998 for Ambulance, 997 for Civil Defence. These are toll-free and work nationwide from any mobile or landline. The federal portal also lists 996 for Coastguard and 995 for Find and Rescue. Note that 112 is not on the UAE government’s official emergency-numbers list, so dial 999, 998 or 997 directly rather than relying on it.

If you’re involved in a traffic incident, don’t try to resolve it privately: call the police on 999 from anywhere in the UAE, inform them about the accident, mention your location and wait for their instructions. For a fire or building evacuation, call Civil Defence on 997 and leave the premises calmly via marked exits without stopping to collect belongings.

Standard travel-safety precautions apply: keep copies of your passport and visa, respect local laws around alcohol (generally confined to licensed venues), dress and public behaviour, and be aware that penalties for drug possession, including trace amounts, are strict. Tourist police units in Dubai and Abu Dhabi can help visitors report theft, scams or losses.