Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency & Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) quietly refreshed its service pages on 21 October 2026, clarifying base fees for the emirate’s most popular tourist visas. Single-entry permits now list at AED 200 for 30 days and AED 300 for 60 days, while multiple-entry versions cost AED 300 and AED 500 respectively. All figures exclude the mandatory 5 percent VAT and any agency service charges. Although the fee structure itself is unchanged, the explicit breakout on GDRFA’s English and Arabic portals is designed to combat misleading advertisements that bundle government fees with optional insurance and “express processing” into headline rates. The timing is strategic: inbound arrivals typically surge 25–30 percent between mid-November and New Year, and officials want price transparency after several high-profile social-media complaints last summer. For mobility and travel-procurement teams, the update offers a clearer cost baseline when comparing quotes from airlines and tour operators that act as visa sponsors. Employers inviting candidates for interviews should note that turnaround times remain 48 hours for complete applications, but in-country conversions (for tourists who secure UAE jobs) incur an additional AED 500. The page also reiterates document nuances that often trip up applicants of certain nationalities—such as the requirement for Pakistani, Iranian, Iraqi and Afghan citizens to upload their national ID card in addition to the passport biodata page. Failure to do so is a common cause of last-minute rejections at the airport. With the five-year multiple-entry tourist visa gaining traction among frequent business visitors, the GDRFA says it will release a separate bulletin on long-stay visit-visa renewals before year-end. Companies should watch for that notice if they rely on remote workers who shuttle in and out of Dubai without local sponsorship.
Source: Gulf Inside
