The United Arab Emirates has moved to further liberalise entry for one of its largest expatriate and visitor communities by launching a visa-on-arrival (VOA) facility for Philippine passport-holders who meet certain conditions. According to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and UAE media reports, from Thursday, 25 June 2026, Filipinos who hold a valid visa, residence permit or Green Card issued by the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore or South Korea will be able to obtain their UAE entry visa at the immigration counter. Travellers must present their Philippine passport together with the qualifying third-country document, which must have at least six months’ validity.
![UAE introduces visa-on-arrival for eligible Filipino travellers from 25 June]()
For applicants who prefer to complete their paperwork ahead of time or who fall outside the VOA criteria, VisaHQ offers a streamlined online service that walks you through every step of the UAE visa application, tracks changes in regulations and submits documents directly to the relevant authorities—details can be found at https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/
Two products will be available at the port of entry: a 14-day, single-entry visa costing AED 100 (c. US$27) that may be extended once for a further 14 days for AED 250, and a 60-day, single-entry visa priced at AED 250 that is not extendable. Standard security and immigration checks will still apply, and eligibility is assessed by border officers on arrival. The decision is widely seen as a goodwill gesture reflecting deepening economic and people-to-people ties between the UAE and the Philippines. More than 650,000 Filipino residents already live and work in the Emirates, and Dubai remains one of the busiest long-haul gateways for travellers to and from Manila and Cebu. For business travellers, the VOA removes the need to obtain a prepaid tourist or visit visa and will simplify last-minute travel for executives, project teams and family visitors. Companies sending Filipino staff to the UAE should update their mobility policies to reflect the new option and remind employees that qualifying US/EU/ANZ visas or residence permits must be carried physically or accessible digitally. Travellers who do not meet the VOA criteria must still apply for the appropriate visit, work or residence visa through normal channels. The UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) has not indicated any quota or cap, suggesting the programme will operate on an open basis similar to existing VOA schemes for UK, US and EU nationals.
For applicants who prefer to complete their paperwork ahead of time or who fall outside the VOA criteria, VisaHQ offers a streamlined online service that walks you through every step of the UAE visa application, tracks changes in regulations and submits documents directly to the relevant authorities—details can be found at https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/
Two products will be available at the port of entry: a 14-day, single-entry visa costing AED 100 (c. US$27) that may be extended once for a further 14 days for AED 250, and a 60-day, single-entry visa priced at AED 250 that is not extendable. Standard security and immigration checks will still apply, and eligibility is assessed by border officers on arrival. The decision is widely seen as a goodwill gesture reflecting deepening economic and people-to-people ties between the UAE and the Philippines. More than 650,000 Filipino residents already live and work in the Emirates, and Dubai remains one of the busiest long-haul gateways for travellers to and from Manila and Cebu. For business travellers, the VOA removes the need to obtain a prepaid tourist or visit visa and will simplify last-minute travel for executives, project teams and family visitors. Companies sending Filipino staff to the UAE should update their mobility policies to reflect the new option and remind employees that qualifying US/EU/ANZ visas or residence permits must be carried physically or accessible digitally. Travellers who do not meet the VOA criteria must still apply for the appropriate visit, work or residence visa through normal channels. The UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) has not indicated any quota or cap, suggesting the programme will operate on an open basis similar to existing VOA schemes for UK, US and EU nationals.
