The tourism boom in Dubai began in the year 2010 and it shows absolutely no signs of slowing down! According to Global Media Insight, the sumptuous tourist destination had received over 15.8 million visitors in the year 2018 alone! Well, that’s just unreal!

A trip to Dubai is sure to be royal, enlivening and fulfilling in ways more than one! With its stark diversity, love for extravagance and modernism combined with the myriad patchwork of art and culture, Dubai never ceases to surprise and is typically why it has become the favourite tourist junction of the world. Be it shopping, beach parties, adventure sports or innovative architecture, Dubai has it covered. Rather, it’s safe to say that Dubai has it more than just covered!

But, there’s one thing you need to take care of as you can plan your trip or take any of the Dubai tour packages, and guess what? It is the travel documentation and Visa! The name alone at times can get daunting, but don’t you worry! Lucky for you, the ministry of UAE in 2015 launched an online service portal that can be utilized by the Indians for availing Dubai Visa.

How to apply for Dubai (UAE) Visa?

In order to begin with the application process for Dubai Visa, you must first fill a form, submit along with the necessary documents and conform to the eligibility along with a few other things. Following are the Dubai Visa requirements for Indians:

Documents:

• A note verbale that is issued from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs or any other concerned Diplomatic Mission.
• A coloured copy of the name page and personal data as well as the date of expiry and cover page of the passport.
• A coloured passport size photograph.

Credit Score

In order to be applying for a Dubai Visa, you will need to submit an application form for the Visa along with the above-mentioned documents and also pay the prescribed fees that Indians pay for the Dubai Visa to the authorities present at the Embassy or any of the consulate-offices.

Eligibility

As an Indian applicant that intends to visit Dubai (UAE), you need to fulfil a certain criterion to be eligible to avail a Dubai Visa. The criterions you are required to fulfil are segregated under various categories such as:

• Financial record
• Travel record
• Invitation from an immediate family member that resides in UAE on your family status

Once you have submitted the application to the authorities, along with the relevant documents and necessary fees for the Dubai Visa, you will be able to track the status of the application. The reference number provided after the application and the passport expiry date is what you would need to track the status. That being said, you can also explore a few ways that are available for Indian tourists to get the Dubai Visa. This brings us to the types of Dubai Visa.

Types of Dubai Visa

The UAE authorities issue different types of tourist Visas for Dubai to Indian citizens with fees that are charged according to the type of Visa that one applies for. Following are the different types of tourist visas issued to Indian citizens:

48-hour Visa: You can avail this Visa if you’re a tourist who intends to stay in Dubai for a period of only 48 hours. Even though this Visa can grant you a stay of 2 days in Dubai, it still comes with a 30-day validity counted from the date of issue.

96-hour Visa: In a similar manner, this Visa will grant you a stay of 4 or fewer days in Dubai. This Visa too is valid for a period of 30 days from the date of issue.

Short Term Visit Single Entry - Service (14 days): With a validity of two weeks or 14 days from the date of issue, this type of Visa is the most sought amongst Indian tourists who visit the country. However, it is non-extendable.

Short Term Visit Single Entry - Tourist: A Visa valid for 58 days from the date of issue, this can be extended twice for an additional of 30 days each enabling an individual to stay in the country for additional 30 consecutive days.

90 days Visit Visa: With a validity of 90 days, this Visa is beneficial for those who intend to stay in Dubai for longer durations of time. The visa too like the ‘Short Term Visit Single Entry - Tourist’ can be extended twice for 30 days each by paying 850 Arab Emirates Dirham.

Multi Entry Short-Term Visa: With this visa, an individual can visit Dubai multiple times within the validity period which is 58 days. Like the above Visas, this too can be extended twice for 30 days each by paying the necessary fees. A point to note: Once the visa is utilized it cannot be cancelled until the expiry of validity.

Multi Entry Long-Term Visa: The Visa, with a validity of 90 days can also be extended twice for 30 days each. With this Visa, however, one can travel to the country multiple times within the validity period or can choose to just stay there for 90 consecutive days.

Something noteworthy to mention is that the citizens of India who have a valid Visa or are residents of the US or EU are eligible for an immediate Visa on arrival for a maximum of 14 days.

You no more have to postpone the Dubai trip just to escape the trouble of getting the Visa made. Now that you are aware of how to apply for Dubai Visa from India and the charges to be paid, it is a small task to accomplish before you take your dream trip to Dubai!