The UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) has released its consolidated 2026 entry matrix, confirming visa-free access for 70 nationalities and tiered visa-on-arrival options for dozens more. Nigerian news site Legit.ng broke the story after reviewing the new list, which took effect on 8 July 2026. Key take-aways: nationals of all GCC states remain completely exempt from visa formalities, while citizens of 49 mostly OECD countries receive a 90-day visa-free stay within any 180-day period. A further 13 jurisdictions – including Malaysia, Hong Kong SAR and Kazakhstan – get 30 days on arrival.
![UAE Publishes 2026 Visa-Free and Visa-on-Arrival List Covering 70 Countries]()
For busy HR teams and frequent flyers navigating these rule sets, VisaHQ can help. The service aggregates the latest ICP directives on its UAE portal, offers instant eligibility checks by nationality, and provides step-by-step application support where pre-travel authorisations are still required—saving time and avoiding costly airport surprises.
Finally, the ICP has expanded its conditional 14-/60-day VoA category to seven countries (India, Indonesia, Kenya, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam) provided travellers hold a valid residence permit from an approved third country such as the US, EU or Japan. For mobility and travel-risk teams the list provides much-needed clarity after two years of rolling, piecemeal announcements. Global assignment managers can now update company policy documents, immigration workflows and online booking tools with confidence. The expanded 90-day cohort also makes short-term project deployments to Dubai and Abu Dhabi simpler – no local sponsorship, bank guarantees or medicals are required for stays under three months. Conversely, firms sourcing talent from non-listed countries must continue to budget extra lead-time for entry permits. The ICP reiterated that overstay fines have risen to AED 50 per day across all categories, with no pandemic-era waivers in force. Airlines are liable for penalty repatriations if they transport ineligible passengers, so expect stricter document checks at departure airports. Analysts view the publication as part of the UAE’s broader competitiveness play: by codifying relaxed entry rules in a single circular, the government signals predictability – a valuable commodity for multinational headquarters weighing Gulf relocation options.
For busy HR teams and frequent flyers navigating these rule sets, VisaHQ can help. The service aggregates the latest ICP directives on its UAE portal, offers instant eligibility checks by nationality, and provides step-by-step application support where pre-travel authorisations are still required—saving time and avoiding costly airport surprises.
Finally, the ICP has expanded its conditional 14-/60-day VoA category to seven countries (India, Indonesia, Kenya, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam) provided travellers hold a valid residence permit from an approved third country such as the US, EU or Japan. For mobility and travel-risk teams the list provides much-needed clarity after two years of rolling, piecemeal announcements. Global assignment managers can now update company policy documents, immigration workflows and online booking tools with confidence. The expanded 90-day cohort also makes short-term project deployments to Dubai and Abu Dhabi simpler – no local sponsorship, bank guarantees or medicals are required for stays under three months. Conversely, firms sourcing talent from non-listed countries must continue to budget extra lead-time for entry permits. The ICP reiterated that overstay fines have risen to AED 50 per day across all categories, with no pandemic-era waivers in force. Airlines are liable for penalty repatriations if they transport ineligible passengers, so expect stricter document checks at departure airports. Analysts view the publication as part of the UAE’s broader competitiveness play: by codifying relaxed entry rules in a single circular, the government signals predictability – a valuable commodity for multinational headquarters weighing Gulf relocation options.
