96-hour transit visa for all airline passengers at UAE airports

Transit passengers can avail of a 96-hour visa at UAE airports irrespective of the airlines they are flying in.

A transit 96 hours visa is being issued to passengers arriving at UAE airport through any international airline, General Directorate of Residency & Foreigners Affairs-Dubai has said.

Previously, such a visa was given only to passengers flying on UAE airlines.

According to an email from Amer Contact Center, a passenger can apply for a transit 96 hours visa at the airport upon paying its fees. However, they have to meet certain conditions such as the duration between the two trips should not be less than 8 hours and the two trips should be to different destinations (one should transit from Dubai to another destination and not back to the same place where he/she came from.)

A hotel booking is mandatory if anyone wanted to apply for transit visa, a call centre executive told ‘Emirates24|7’.

“You can book your hotel before coming to Dubai or there are hotel booking facilities available at the airport itself,” the executive added.

A call centre employee of the Abu Dhabi eGovernment Gateway also confirmed the availability of visa at the airport.

The applicant will need original passport and a valid ticket for onward flight. The fee for the visa is Dh170.

Moreover, Etihad Airline states on its website that it is under the responsibility of the guests applying for the visa to ensure that they do not violate the conditions of the visa, in particular to ensure that the 96 hours entry permitted in to the UAE is not exceeded.

“Any person staying beyond the permissible 96 hours would be considered illegally staying in the country and may be subject to fines and penalties imposed by the UAE immigration authorities,” the website says.

A 96-hour transit visa is for a four-day stay with the first day of arrival (until midnight) being considered as Day 1 with three more days left to stay. The exit has to be completed before midnight of the 4th day, the airline informs.