The United Arab Emirates took another major step toward becoming the region’s most open hub for travel and investment on 25 June 2026, when the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) quietly published an expanded list of nationalities eligible for its fast-track visa-on-arrival programme. Until now, only Indian passport-holders who also possessed a valid visa or residence permit from certain ‘high-trust’ countries could obtain an instant UAE entry visa. The updated policy inserts six additional nationalities—Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Kenya and South Africa—into the same category. Business travellers and tourists from these countries can obtain either a 14-day multiple-entry visa (renewable once) or a single-entry, non-extendable 60-day visa upon arrival at any UAE port of entry. Fees are set at AED 100 and AED 250 respectively. ICP officials explained that eligibility hinges on a dual test: applicants must hold a passport from one of the seven named countries (India plus the six new additions) and they must already be resident in, or hold a long-term visa from, an expanded list of ‘trusted’ jurisdictions. The latter list has also grown; alongside the United States, European Union and United Kingdom, the UAE now recognises residence permits from Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The logic, officials say, is to welcome “internationally mobile professionals who have already cleared rigorous immigration scrutiny elsewhere.”
Travelers who want added peace of mind before boarding can turn to VisaHQ, whose UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) offers real-time eligibility checks, step-by-step application support and express processing services—making it easy to confirm requirements or secure a visa in advance when corporate itineraries change at the last minute.
![UAE widens visa-on-arrival scheme: Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Kenya and South Africa added]()
For companies managing global talent, the change removes a significant layer of administrative friction. Workers on regional assignments can now fly into Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah without waiting for a pre-approved e-visa—an advantage at a time when supply-chain disruptions and shifting client needs demand rapid deployment. Travel managers should note, however, that overstay fines remain a steep AED 50 per day and that the 60-day visa cannot be extended inside the country.
The policy also carries wider diplomatic signals. Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Kenya and South Africa are all emerging trade partners in food security, renewable energy and logistics; the Philippines is home to the UAE’s third-largest expatriate community. By easing entry, the Emirates underlines its long-term strategy of economic diversification away from hydrocarbon revenue and toward human-capital intensity. In practical terms, airlines expect a measurable uptick in inbound traffic from Southeast Asia and Africa during the July-to-September holiday peak. Hospitality operators in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah have already started targeted marketing campaigns, while free-zone authorities are preparing multilingual arrival desks to channel investors straight from the airport to company-registration counters.
Travelers who want added peace of mind before boarding can turn to VisaHQ, whose UAE portal (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) offers real-time eligibility checks, step-by-step application support and express processing services—making it easy to confirm requirements or secure a visa in advance when corporate itineraries change at the last minute.
For companies managing global talent, the change removes a significant layer of administrative friction. Workers on regional assignments can now fly into Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah without waiting for a pre-approved e-visa—an advantage at a time when supply-chain disruptions and shifting client needs demand rapid deployment. Travel managers should note, however, that overstay fines remain a steep AED 50 per day and that the 60-day visa cannot be extended inside the country.
The policy also carries wider diplomatic signals. Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Kenya and South Africa are all emerging trade partners in food security, renewable energy and logistics; the Philippines is home to the UAE’s third-largest expatriate community. By easing entry, the Emirates underlines its long-term strategy of economic diversification away from hydrocarbon revenue and toward human-capital intensity. In practical terms, airlines expect a measurable uptick in inbound traffic from Southeast Asia and Africa during the July-to-September holiday peak. Hospitality operators in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah have already started targeted marketing campaigns, while free-zone authorities are preparing multilingual arrival desks to channel investors straight from the airport to company-registration counters.
