Indian passport holders may qualify for a UAE visa on arrival for Indians with US visa when they hold an ordinary Indian passport and a qualifying US visa or US Green Card. For the Dubai route, the Indian passport and the US visa or Green Card used for eligibility must each be valid for at least six months. If you do not meet the conditional-entry rules, use the UAE visa application route before travelling rather than relying on airport approval.
Quick answer:
Current UAE rules allow eligible Indian ordinary-passport holders to use a qualifying US visa, residence permit or US Green Card for conditional entry. The standard 14-day category allows a 14-day stay and may be extended once for the same period. Final entry remains subject to UAE immigration checks.
Who Qualifies for UAE Visa on Arrival With an Indian Passport and US Visa?
The core rule is narrower than simply “having a US visa.” The traveller must hold an ordinary Indian passport, meet the document-validity conditions and have no restriction preventing entry to the UAE. The UAE Embassy in New Delhi states that Indian nationals with a valid US visa of at least six months can obtain visa on arrival at a UAE airport.
GDRFA Dubai also states in its current terms that an Indian traveller using a US visa or US Green Card for this route must have at least six months of validity remaining on that document. The passport or travel document must also be valid for at least six months.
- Passport: ordinary Indian passport with at least six months of validity.
- US document: a valid US visa or US Green Card used to establish eligibility.
- US document validity for Dubai: at least six months under the current GDRFA terms.
- Immigration status: the traveller must not have a restriction that prevents entry to the UAE.
For the current Dubai service terms and fee, see the GDRFA Dubai visa-on-arrival service.
How Long Can Eligible Indian US Visa Holders Stay?
The current 14-day conditional-entry category allows a stay of 14 days from the date of entry. ICP states that this 14-day visa can be extended once for the same duration. GDRFA Dubai likewise describes a 14-day visitor entry that can be extended one time for a similar period.
Do not confuse the stay period with the entry-validity window. ICP lists a 30-day pre-entry validity period for its 14-day service. The 14-day stay starts from the date the traveller actually enters the UAE.
What Are the Current UAE Visa-on-Arrival Fees for Indian US Visa Holders?
Official published fees are not identical across the federal ICP service and the Dubai GDRFA service, so this page should not present one amount as a universal UAE total.
| Authority / Service | Published Fee | Stay | Official Service Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICP 14-day entry visa | AED 100 issuance fee + AED 100 smart-services fee | 14 days | 2 days |
| GDRFA Dubai visa-on-arrival service | AED 253 | 14 days | 48 hours |
These are government-authority service figures, not a UAE Visa Online commercial processing SLA. Use the amount shown by the authority or authorised channel handling your case rather than relying on an old flat fee.
How Much Does a 14-Day Extension Cost?
For the Dubai GDRFA extension service specifically, the current service page lists a visa extension fee of AED 250, plus 5% VAT, AED 10 Knowledge Dirham and AED 10 Innovation Dirham. That fee belongs to the Dubai GDRFA extension service and should not be described as a universal extension total for every UAE processing channel.
The GDRFA extension terms also state that the applicant must be an Indian national holding a qualifying special visa that is valid for at least six months, including a US visa or US Green Card. The extension is for a further 14-day stay.
What Documents Are Required?
For the federal ICP 14-day digital service, the required-document list includes the passport, a personal photo and a copy of the qualifying visa or residence permit. GDRFA Dubai also requires a valid passport or travel document and a personal photo, while its service terms set the six-month validity conditions described above.
- Indian passport meeting the required validity period.
- Copy of the qualifying US visa or US Green Card.
- Personal photograph for the digital service where requested.
Keep the original travel documents accessible for airline check-in and UAE immigration. A digital application or eligibility condition does not remove the authority's right to verify the traveller's documents at entry.
Does a US F-1 Visa Qualify?
Current official UAE service pages use the broad term valid US visa and do not publish an F-1-specific eligibility rule for this Indian conditional-entry route. Because the official wording does not identify individual US visa classes, this page should not categorically promise that an F-1 visa will be accepted in every case.
If you hold an F-1 or another specific US visa class, verify the document with the relevant UAE authority or your airline before departure. You can also contact our visa support team if you need help understanding which pre-arranged UAE visa route to use when visa-on-arrival eligibility is uncertain.
Can You Apply Online Before Flying to Dubai?
Yes, the Dubai GDRFA visa-on-arrival service has a digital application route. Its published steps are to log in, choose the service, complete the data, pay the due fees and receive the visa by email after approval. GDRFA lists an expected completion time of 48 hours.
ICP also offers its 14-day conditional-entry service through Smart Services and lists a service completion duration of two days. These are authority processing targets; they should not be presented as guaranteed approval times.
Is There Also a 60-Day UAE Entry Option?
Yes. ICP currently lists a separate 60-day entry visa for nationals of certain countries residing abroad, including eligible Indian ordinary-passport holders. Its terms include Indian passport holders with a valid visa, residence permit or US Green Card issued by the US, EU or UK, as well as specified residence permits from several other countries.
The 60-day category has a 30-day pre-entry validity period, allows a 60-day stay from entry and is non-extendable. ICP lists an AED 250 issuance fee plus an AED 100 smart-services fee. This is a separate category from the 14-day visa and should not be described as an extension of the 14-day route.
For the current federal 14-day conditions, documents, fees and processing target, see the ICP 14-day entry visa service.
What Changed for Indian Travellers in 2025 and 2026?
In February 2025, the UAE expanded eligibility for Indian nationals to include ordinary-passport holders with valid residence permits from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Singapore. This was an expansion of the existing route that already covered qualifying documents linked to the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom.
In June 2026, ICP expanded the broader conditional-entry programme to additional nationalities and confirmed both 14-day and 60-day visa categories. For this page, the important point is that the Indian route remains active and the current official service pages still include qualifying US documentation.
What If Your US Visa Has Less Than Six Months Remaining?
For the Dubai GDRFA route, do not rely on visa-on-arrival eligibility when the US visa or US Green Card being used has less than six months of validity. GDRFA's current terms require at least six months of validity for that qualifying US document, and the passport must also meet the six-month rule.
If you do not meet those conditions, arrange a pre-approved UAE visa before travel. This avoids relying on an entry route for which your documents do not meet the published requirements.
Final Checklist Before Travelling
- Confirm that you hold an ordinary Indian passport.
- Check that the passport has at least six months of validity.
- Check that the qualifying US visa or US Green Card meets the required validity conditions for the route you plan to use.
- Confirm whether you are using the 14-day category or the separate 60-day ICP category.
- Use the current fee shown by the authority or authorised channel handling your application.
- Carry the original passport and qualifying US document for travel checks.
- If your eligibility is uncertain, obtain a pre-arranged UAE visa before flying.
Do Not Meet the Visa-on-Arrival Conditions?
Choose a pre-arranged UAE visa before travel instead of relying on airport eligibility that your documents do not meet.
Apply for a UAE Visa
