UAE Eases Entry Restrictions for Travelers Arriving from Uganda

Update — November 5, 2026 8:10 PM CST: Dubai authorities announced the Dubai Access Club on November 5, 2026, granting international travellers a five-year multi-entry tourist visa alongside Dh2,000 in merchant perks. The membership requires an upfront fee of Dh4,032.50, plus an additional Dh650 fee for applicants applying inside the UAE. The service is integrated into the Visit Dubai platform, with visa issuance managed by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs.

Update — November 4, 2026 1:15 AM CST: International visitors can now apply directly for entry visas through Dubai's official Visit Dubai portal starting November 2026. The service covers both single-entry and multiple-entry tourist visas, launched alongside the Dubai Access Club program. Visa approval and issuance authorities remain under the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs.

Update — November 3, 2026 5:13 PM CST: Dubai has announced a strategy integrating expanded visa services into the official Visit Dubai platform, processing tourist visa applications within 48 hours. The framework details 30-day, 60-day, and five-year multiple-entry visas, alongside visa-free entry for nationals from countries including China.

Update — November 3, 2026 12:13 PM CST: Dubai authorities have clarified updated tourist visa procedures integrated into the central Visit Dubai platform. Nationals from six specified countries who hold valid visas or residence permits from designated third countries are eligible for visa-on-arrival entry. Qualified visitors can receive either a 14-day or 60-day visa upon arrival.

Update — November 2, 2026 8:14 PM CST: Dubai has announced updates allowing international visitors to apply directly for tourist visas via the Visit Dubai portal starting November 2026. The platform supports single-entry and multiple-entry visas, with verification remaining under the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs.

Update — November 2, 2026 6:14 PM CST: Dubai has launched a direct channel allowing international visitors to apply for tourist visas via the official Visit Dubai platform. Applications will continue to be reviewed and issued by GDRFA Dubai, alongside the launch of the Dubai Access Club.

Update — November 2, 2026 6:14 PM CST: Dubai has introduced a direct channel for international travelers to apply for single-entry and multiple-entry tourist visas via the Visit Dubai platform starting in November 2026. Applications will continue to be reviewed and issued by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai. An invitation-only membership initiative, the Dubai Access Club, was also launched for repeat global travelers.

Update — November 2, 2026 6:13 AM CST: Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has launched three initiatives to bolster Dubai's global tourism competitiveness and support the Dubai Economic Agenda D33. Under the measures, international visitors can apply directly for single- and multiple-entry visas via the Visit Dubai platform. The package also establishes an invitation-only frequent visitor club and unifies government travel procedures digitally.

Update — November 1, 2026 4:12 PM CST: Dubai Customs has issued a regulatory advisory clarifying personal duty-free allowances and customs declarations for incoming travelers. Arriving passengers aged 18 and older may import up to 400 cigarettes, 50 cigars, or 500 grams of tobacco without customs duties. Quantities exceeding these thresholds are treated as commercial imports subject to duties, and undeclared goods risk confiscation and fines.

Update — October 31, 2026 7:13 PM CST: The UAE has established a revised three-tier salary threshold for foreign residents sponsoring entry and visit visas for relatives and friends. Monthly income requirements range from AED 4,000 for first-degree relatives to AED 15,000 for sponsoring friends. Visas under these regulations permit stays of up to 120 days, including extensions.

Update — September 28, 2026 9:11 AM CST: UAE federal authorities have eased entry and travel restrictions previously imposed on travelers arriving from Uganda. The decision follows an epidemiological review confirming the end of the Ebola outbreak in Uganda. Precautionary entry restrictions remain in place for arrivals from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Update — September 28, 2026 9:11 AM CST: UAE federal authorities have eased precautionary entry measures for travelers arriving from Uganda following the declared end of an Ebola outbreak. Health-related entry restrictions continue for arrivals originating from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Update — September 28, 2026 9:10 AM CST: UAE authorities have eased precautionary entry and travel measures for travelers arriving from Uganda following the end of an Ebola outbreak. Health restrictions remain active for arrivals originating from South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The decision was issued jointly by NCEMA, MoHAP, and ICP.