Dubai visa for UK citizens: free 90-day visa on arrival and rules

No. A British citizen travelling to Dubai as a visitor gets a visa free of charge on arrival, stamped in the passport at immigration, with nothing to apply for in advance. It allows up to 90 days within any 180-day period, counted from your first entry.

This guide is for travellers leaving the UK on a full British citizen passport, the passport that GOV.UK's entry requirements for the United Arab Emirates are written for. The same rules apply in Dubai and in the rest of the UAE. It covers the stay allowed, the passport rule, medicines, work, local laws and the flight warning in force.

The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism says that citizens of other countries can get a visa allowing a stay of up to 90 days on arrival, without naming the United Kingdom, so the British rule below rests on GOV.UK. Another type of British passport, or a trip for work or study, follows other rules: ask the UAE Embassy in London.

Up to 90 days within any 180-day period, counted from your first entry, whether you stay in one go or in several visits.

Overstaying brings fines that build up each day, according to GOV.UK. To extend a stay, GOV.UK points to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai, and to the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship for the rest of the UAE. The Dubai service for extending a tourist visa says the total stay cannot exceed 120 days and that it takes about 48 hours, online or at an AMER centre. The page does not say whether it covers the free visa stamped on arrival, so ask the authority before you rely on it.

At least 6 months after the day you arrive. If you hold a UAE residence permit, the rule is 3 months. GOV.UK adds that you will be denied entry with an invalid travel document or a passport reported lost or stolen.

A stopover has its own rule: if you change planes at a UAE airport without passing through immigration, the passport must be valid for at least 3 months after the transit date. GOV.UK's UAE page gives no number of blank pages and says nothing about children, so check the airline's requirements for both. British dual nationals must carry a valid British passport or a certificate of entitlement when they return to the UK.

Many everyday medicines are fine, but a medicine classed as narcotic, psychotropic, controlled or semi-controlled needs prior approval from the UAE Ministry of Health. GOV.UK says applications are normally processed within 5 working days, and that arriving without approval means the medicine will not be allowed in and you may be prosecuted.

As a visitor you can bring up to 3 months' supply of medication, or one month for medicines that need approval. GOV.UK gives the Ministry of Health contacts as info@moh.gov.ae and +971 800 11111. You need no approval if you only change planes without passing through immigration. For vaccines and the yellow fever certificate asked of travellers arriving from a risk country, read TravelHealthPro on yellow fever.

No to working. GOV.UK says working on a visit visa is illegal: you need a probationary work permit, valid for up to 3 months, from the Ministry of Labour, and working without one risks a fine, prison or deportation.

GOV.UK also warns that you can be stopped from leaving the UAE if you are under a travel ban, involved in legal proceedings or have unpaid debts, and that you risk arrest on return if an earlier visa was not in order, for example a work visa you did not cancel. A valid or expired Israeli visa or stamp should not cause problems unless you plan to work.

Most problems for British visitors come from everyday behaviour rather than from the border. The FCDO sets them out on its safety and security page for the UAE, and the table gives the ones that matter on a short holiday.

Yes. GOV.UK's advice for the UAE was last updated on 27 October 2026, with a change to its regional tensions warning for the Middle East. It calls the situation "deeply unpredictable" with a high risk of sudden escalation, and tells British nationals in or transiting the region to be ready for flight cancellations, airspace closures and disruption at short notice.

The warning covers the Middle East as a whole and does not name Dubai or the UAE in particular. Check the FCDO's UAE warnings and updates and your airline's messages shortly before you leave, and sign up for the FCDO email alerts.

Five checks cover the rules of this page.

1. Check your passport type: every rule here is for a full British citizen passport.
2. Count 6 months from your arrival date: that is the passport rule for a visit to the UAE.
3. Count your days: 90 in any 180-day period, from your first entry.
4. Check your medicines: anything narcotic, psychotropic or controlled needs approval first.
5. Read the FCDO warning again the day before you fly.

Rules change with little notice. Our entry requirements hub lists every destination we have checked for British passports, the Maldives visa guide covers another free visa on arrival, and our travel tips for UK travellers gather the wider preparation points.

• Do I need a visa for Dubai with a British passport?

  No visa has to be arranged in advance. British citizens get a free visitor visa on arrival, stamped in the passport at immigration, valid for up to 90 days in any 180-day period (GOV.UK, checked on 3 November 2026).

• How many days can a British citizen stay in Dubai?

  Up to 90 days within any 180-day period, counted from your first entry, in one stay or several. Overstaying brings fines that build up each day.

• Is the Dubai visa on arrival free for British citizens?

  Yes. GOV.UK says British citizens can get the visitor visa on arrival free of charge, with no advance application.

• How long must my passport be valid for Dubai?

  At least 6 months after the day you arrive, or 3 months if you hold a UAE residence permit. For a stopover without passing immigration it is 3 months after the transit date.

• Can I extend my stay in Dubai beyond 90 days?

  GOV.UK points to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai. Its tourist visa extension service caps the total stay at 120 days, but it does not say whether it covers a visa stamped on arrival, so ask the authority first.

• Can I take my prescription medicines to Dubai?

  Yes for most, up to 3 months’ supply. Narcotic, psychotropic, controlled and semi-controlled medicines need prior approval from the UAE Ministry of Health, normally processed within 5 working days, and the limit is one month’s supply.

• Can I work in Dubai on the visa on arrival?

  No. GOV.UK says working on a visit visa is illegal and you would need a probationary work permit from the Ministry of Labour.

• Can I drink alcohol in Dubai as a tourist?

  In venues that serve it, such as hotels and restaurants, from the age of 21. Drinking or being under the influence in a public place is illegal anywhere in the UAE.

• Is it safe to fly to Dubai at the moment?

  GOV.UK’s regional warning for the Middle East, updated on 27 October 2026, says the situation is deeply unpredictable and tells travellers to expect possible flight cancellations and airspace closures. It does not name Dubai in particular: check it again before you fly.