United Arab Emirates Visa Requirements for U.S. Citizens
Middle East · AE
United Arab Emirates visa requirements for U.S. citizens
Visa on arrival, 30 days, extendable
- U.S. passport status
- Visa free
- Visa-free days
- 30 days
- Document route
- Embassy legalisation
- Translation
- Required
- Short-stay fee
- None
- Schengen area
- No
Entering United Arab Emirates
U.S. citizens receive a visa on arrival for 30 days, extendable twice for a further 30 days each on payment of a fee. No advance application is needed for a normal visit.
Passport requirements
Valid for at least six months beyond your intended departure, with at least two blank pages.
What is specific to United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates is NOT a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, and this is the point most commonly got wrong about the Gulf. No UAE authority accepts an apostille in place of attestation. U.S. documents need the full chain: notarisation where applicable, state or federal authentication, attestation by the UAE Embassy in Washington, and then attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the document arrives in the country. That is four steps, it takes weeks, and it is required for every degree, marriage certificate and birth certificate used for a residence or employment application. Note that Saudi Arabia, by contrast, joined the Convention in 2022 and does accept apostilles, so the two neighbours are handled completely differently.
Visa categories for United Arab Emirates
Each has its own page combining the universal process for that category with what United Arab Emirates specifically requires.
Tourist and Visitor Visa
Visa on arrival for 30 days, extendable twice.
Business Visitor Visa
Visa on arrival covers meetings; a work permit is required for paid activity.
Student and Study Visa
A student visa is one of the most document-heavy categories, and it is also one of the most mechanical: if you have an unconditional…
Work and Employment Visa
Employer-sponsored. The sponsor holds formal legal responsibility for the employee, which is a materially stronger relationship than a Western employment contract. Attested degree certificates are required.
Digital Nomad and Remote Work Visa
A one-year virtual working programme for remote employees with a monthly income threshold.
Family, Spouse and Partner Visa
Family routes are usually the most generous immigration category a country offers and simultaneously the most document-intensive. There is normally no income test on…
Retirement and Passive Income Visa
A five-year retirement visa for those aged 55 and over, on a property, savings or income test.
Investor, Golden and Entrepreneur Visa
The Golden Visa gives ten years of renewable residence to investors, entrepreneurs, specialised talent and outstanding students, and it does not require a local sponsor.
Permanent Residence and Citizenship
Not available. The Golden Visa is long-term renewable residence rather than permanence, and citizenship is effectively unavailable.
Where and how to apply
- Official portal
- ICP smart services
- Where to file
- At the consulate with jurisdiction over your U.S. state of residence.
- Biometrics
- Fingerprints and a facial image are collected for most visa categories.
- Fees
- No fee for the visa on arrival. Extensions and long-stay permits carry fees, and document attestation is a significant cost in its own right.
- Short-stay processing
- Immediate on arrival
- Long-stay processing
- Two to eight weeks for residence permits, which are sponsor-led
Documents and authentication for United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates is NOT a party to the Hague Apostille Convention. An apostille alone will be rejected. U.S. documents must be authenticated domestically and then legalised by that country’s embassy or consulate, which is slower and more expensive.
Translation. Required into Arabic by a translator licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice, and the translation itself is then attested.
- 1 Obtain a certified original From the issuing authority. Photocopies, scans and souvenir certificates cannot be authenticated.
- 2 Notarise, if it is a private document Letters, affidavits, powers of attorney and diploma copies need a notary acknowledgement first. Government-issued vital records do not.
- 3 County clerk, in some states A handful of states require the county clerk to certify the notary commission before the Secretary of State will act.
- 4 Authenticate at the right level State-issued documents go to the Secretary of State of the ISSUING state. Federal documents, including the FBI Identity History Summary, go to the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications.
- 5 Apostille or embassy legalisation Hague Convention destination: the apostille ends the chain. Non-member destination: the document then goes to that country embassy or consulate. For United Arab Emirates, an apostille alone will be rejected. The document must go on to that country’s embassy or consulate.
- 6 Certified translation Translate the document together with its apostille or legalisation certificate. Doing this first means paying twice. Required into Arabic by a translator licensed by the UAE Ministry of Justice, and the translation itself is then attested.
- 7 File with the right consulate Jurisdiction is by your U.S. state of residence. Bring originals plus a full copy set.
The two expensive mistakes. Sending a federal document such as an FBI Identity History Summary to a Secretary of State, which cannot authenticate it. And translating before authentication, so the apostille certificate is not inside the translation and the whole set has to be paid for twice.
Official sources
- ICP (Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship) Visas, residence and the Golden Visa.
- UAE Embassy in Washington Document attestation, which is required because the UAE is not a Hague member.
Questions about United Arab Emirates
Does the UAE accept an apostille?
No. The UAE is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention and no UAE authority accepts an apostille in place of attestation. Your documents need U.S. authentication, then attestation by the UAE Embassy in Washington, then attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs after arrival in the country. Saudi Arabia is different: it joined the Convention in 2022 and does accept apostilles.
What is the Golden Visa?
A ten-year renewable residence visa for investors, entrepreneurs, specialised talent, scientists, outstanding students and certain professionals. Its most valuable feature is that it does not require a local employer sponsor, which breaks the usual Gulf sponsorship dependency.
Verified Sep 7, 2026 Primary sources: icp.gov.ae, icp.gov.ae
This resource is provided free by Federal Apostille as an educational tool. It is not legal or immigration advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created by using it. Visa rules, fees, processing times and entry requirements change frequently and often without notice, and individual circumstances change the answer. Always confirm current requirements with the official government source and the specific embassy or consulate that has jurisdiction over your place of residence before you book travel or file an application. Every figure on this site carries the date we last verified it and a link to the primary source.
