Do British passport holders need a visa for the UAE?

No. British citizens do not need to arrange a visa before travelling to the UAE. Holders of an ordinary British passport are stamped with a free visit visa on arrival at any UAE air, land or sea port. UAE government sources give the stay as 30 days, extendable from inside the country, and the passport must be valid for at least six months on the day you arrive.

Visa required

No, free visa stamped on arrival

Length of stay

30 days per UAE sources, check the stamp

Purpose covered

Tourism, visiting friends and family, business meetings

Extension

Possible from inside the UAE, through ICP or GDRFA Dubai

Passport validity

At least 6 months from your arrival date

Cost

Free on arrival

Entry requirements

• An ordinary British citizen passport valid for at least six months from the date you enter the UAE. The UAE embassy list names the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland and excludes British Overseas citizens, so other British passport types should check with the UAE Embassy in London before booking.
• A machine-readable passport. Hand-written passports, emergency passports and travel documents are not accepted for the visa on arrival.
• A return or onward ticket and, if asked, an address in the UAE and evidence of funds for the stay.
• No work, paid or unpaid. The visit visa stamped on arrival does not permit employment, and working on it risks a fine, detention and deportation.

What happens on arrival

There is nothing to file before you fly. Go to passport control on arrival, where the visit visa is stamped into the passport free of charge. Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the other emirates all apply the same federal rule, so it does not matter which airport you use.

Check the stamp. The UAE’s own embassy pages give British citizens 30 days, the FCDO says up to 90 days in any 180, and what you are actually allowed is whatever the officer recorded. Plan the trip around the UAE figure unless the stamp says otherwise, and ask at the desk if it is not clear.

To stay longer, apply for an extension before the visa expires, through the GDRFA if you entered Dubai or the ICP for the rest of the country. The UAE Embassy in Pretoria quotes one 30-day extension for AED 500. Overstay fines start after a 10-day grace period and accrue per day.

Good to know

• The 10-day grace period is not 10 more days of holiday. The Abu Dhabi Residents Office describes it as the window to obtain an extension or leave, with fines calculated from the tenth day after the visa expires. Treat the visa’s end date as the deadline and the grace period as the margin for sorting out paperwork, not as a 40-day stay.
• The 30 versus 90 days question is a genuine conflict between official sources, not a blog error. The UAE foreign ministry’s own mission pages list the UK among the 30-day nationalities and reserve 90 days for EU and EEA passports, while the FCDO tells British travellers the stamp is good for 90 days in any 180. Until a UAE government page says 90, plan on 30: a traveller who books two months and is stamped for 30 has an overstay problem. If you need longer, extend in-country or arrange a tourist visa in advance.
• Dual nationals holding an EU or EEA passport are in the 90-day group on the UAE lists, so that passport is the one to present at UAE immigration if the longer stay matters. Enter and leave the UAE on the same passport.
• An Israeli stamp or visa in the passport is not a problem for a visit. The FCDO notes British visitors with valid or expired Israeli stamps should not face difficulties entering the UAE as long as they do not plan to work.

Frequently asked questions

Related pages

• Do British citizens need a visa for Singapore?
• Do British citizens need a visa for Canada?
• Check visa requirements for any passport

Other passports for the UAE

• Iceland passport holders visiting UAE

Other destinations for United Kingdom passport holders

• United Kingdom passport holders visiting The Bahamas

Sources

Every fact on this page was checked against the official sources below on 21 August 2026.

• UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Embassy in Pretoria — Visas: ordinary passport holders of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland are granted an Entry Visit Visa on arrival at any UAE port, valid for 30 days and free of charge; extendable once for 30 days at AED 500; no work permitted. Read 2026-08-21.
• UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Embassy in Oslo — Visas: United Kingdom and Northern Ireland listed among countries granted a free entry visa for a maximum of 30 days; passport valid for at least six months. Read 2026-08-21.
• UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Consulate in Boston — Visas: United Kingdom and Northern Ireland (except British overseas citizens) eligible for a one-month visa on arrival, extendable via the local immigration office. Read 2026-08-21.
• Abu Dhabi Residents Office (adro.gov.ae) — Visas: visa on arrival valid for 30 days with a 10-day period for extension; six months’ passport validity; fines calculated from 10 days after expiry. Read 2026-08-21.
• The Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae) — Check if you need a visa to enter the UAE: passports must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry; visa on arrival lists may vary. Read 2026-08-21.
• UK FCDO — United Arab Emirates entry requirements (secondary): free visitor visa stamped on arrival, stated as up to 90 days in a 180-day period; six months’ passport validity. Read 2026-08-21.

Entry rules change without notice and the official source is always the authority. Confirm with the embassy or immigration portal before you book.