If you’ve been arranging visit visas for family or colleagues in advance, check whether you still need to. The UAE’s visa-on-arrival programme has widened significantly.
Who’s been added
The scheme, previously available to eligible Indian nationals, has been extended to citizens of Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Kenya and South Africa.
Separately, the list of foreign residencies that qualify someone for the facility has broadened. Alongside the United States, United Kingdom and EU member states, valid residency in Singapore, Japan, South Korea and Australia now also counts.
Why this matters if you’re sponsoring visitors
It removes a step, a cost and a waiting period. If a relative previously needed you to sponsor a visit visa in advance — with the income thresholds that involves — they may now simply arrive.
Those thresholds are worth knowing either way, because they still apply to sponsored visits: AED 4,000 monthly income for first-degree relatives, AED 8,000 for second and third degree, and AED 15,000 to sponsor a friend.
Before anyone books a flight
Eligibility for visa on arrival typically depends on passport nationality and what other residency or visas the traveller holds, and the combination matters. Conditions also change — the UAE suspended new visa issuance for nationals of three countries in June 2026 on public health grounds, which shows how quickly the picture can move.
Confirm the traveller’s specific eligibility with their airline or on the official portal before they fly. Being turned back at check-in is a considerably worse outcome than having applied unnecessarily.
Published 16 August 2026. Visa-on-arrival eligibility changes frequently and much of the online guidance comes from travel agencies rather than authorities. Verify at ICP or with the airline before travel.
Related
- Visit Visa Rules 2026 — overstay fines, extensions and sponsor income thresholds
- Visas & Residency — the residence visa routes compared
UAE Survival Guide 
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