Dubai Tour Visa Fees in 2024: What You Actually Pay

If you're planning a trip to Dubai and trying to budget the visa portion, the published numbers are only half the story. Agents, insurance, security deposits, and refundable holds quietly inflate the total. Here's what the real bill looks like.

Quick answer

Dubai tour visa fees in 2024 sit roughly between AED 350 and AED 1,200 depending on duration and processing speed. A 30-day single-entry tourist visa typically runs AED 350-650, a 60-day single-entry AED 650-1,000, and multi-entry options push higher. Add a refundable security deposit (often AED 1,000-1,200) that some sponsors require, plus mandatory medical insurance for visit-visa holders. Express processing adds AED 100-300. The ICP fee itself is fixed; the rest is sponsor margin.

What the federal regulator actually charges

The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security — known as ICP — publishes the base government fees. For a tourist entry permit, the ICP fee for a 30-day single-entry visa is around AED 200 in government charges, with a 60-day around AED 300, before any service fees, VAT, or insurance get bolted on. [1]

These are the numbers you see on the ICP smart services portal if you apply directly. Most travellers don't, though.

Honestly, most clients I see have already paid an agent or a hotel before they think to check. That's fine — but understand the markup.

The legal basis for visit visas sits under Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 on Entry and Residence of Foreigners and its Executive Regulations, which were updated in 2022 to introduce the new visa categories you'll see today. [2]

Here's the practical breakdown as of 2024:

30-day single-entry tourist visa: AED 350-650 through most agents and airlines. Emirates and flydubai bundle this with tickets at the lower end. Standalone applications via private typing centres or visa platforms hover around AED 500-650.

60-day single-entry tourist visa: AED 650-1,000. This replaced the old 90-day visa for most nationalities. Useful if you're visiting family or doing a longer trip.

30-day multi-entry tourist visa: AED 950-1,300. Worth it only if you genuinely plan to leave and re-enter — say, a Muscat side trip.

60-day multi-entry tourist visa: AED 1,400-1,800. Niche product. Most tourists don't need it.

5-year multi-entry tourist visa: AED 1,800-2,500, allows stays of up to 90 days per visit, extendable for another 90. Launched in 2022. [3]

Add VAT at 5% on the service portion, not the government fee. Add medical insurance — usually AED 60-150 for the visa duration through approved providers.

Watch out: Some agents quote you a number that excludes the refundable deposit. They'll then ask for AED 1,000 or more "in case you overstay." This is legal and common, but ask whether it's truly refundable, how long the refund takes (often 30-90 days after exit), and whether they deduct an "admin fee."

Express versus normal processing

ICP normal processing runs 3-4 working days. Express is 24 hours. The express premium varies wildly by channel.

Direct on ICP: roughly AED 100 extra.

Through a private agent or visa platform: AED 200-400 extra. The agents I'd actually trust will tell you upfront they're just pushing the same application through the same system, faster only because they're watching it.

If you have a confirmed flight in 48 hours, pay for express. If you have ten days, don't — you're funding someone's margin.

Who actually sponsors your tourist visa

This matters more than people realise. The sponsor determines the price floor and the refund mechanics.

Airlines (Emirates, flydubai, Etihad, Air Arabia): cheapest reliable option for short visas. Bundled with tickets, processed in 2-4 days. No physical deposit usually — they hold it against your card.

Hotels: convenient but pricey. Expect AED 700-1,100 for a 30-day visa, and they'll require a confirmed booking covering your stay.

Registered travel agents and visa platforms: the bulk of the market. Quality varies. Check they're DTCM-licensed (Department of Economy and Tourism) and read the deposit terms.

Relatives in the UAE: cheapest if you have a resident family member willing to sponsor. The sponsor must meet income thresholds and provide a tenancy contract (Ejari — the Dubai rental registration system), Emirates ID, and salary certificate.

A relative-sponsored visit visa can come in under AED 300 if you submit through ICP directly, but the sponsor takes on liability for your conduct and any overstay fines.

Overstay fines and the deposit problem

This is where dubai tour visa fees stop being predictable.

Overstaying a tourist visa costs AED 50 per day from day one after expiry (the old 10-day grace period was removed in 2022 for most visit visa categories — check your specific visa). [4] That AED 50/day accumulates fast. A two-week overstay is AED 700 plus a potential AED 250 exit fee.

If your sponsor held a refundable deposit, they apply your overstay fines against it before refunding. Stay clean, stay 24 hours under your visa expiry, and you'll get the full deposit back — eventually.

In my experience, the refund delays are the single biggest complaint. AED 1,000 sitting with an agent for 90 days isn't theft, but it's not great either. Ask in writing.

You can extend a tourist visa twice for 30 days each, in-country, for around AED 600-650 per extension via ICP. Cheaper than overstaying and leaving the country to reset.

Tips that actually save money

Apply through the airline you're flying with. The bundled rate beats almost everyone.

Skip the multi-entry unless you genuinely need it. The single-entry covers 95% of tourist trips.

If a relative can sponsor, do that — but only if they understand the liability. Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 makes the sponsor responsible for ensuring the visitor leaves on time. [2]

Don't book the visa before your flights are confirmed. Visa validity starts from issue date in some categories, not entry date — you can burn weeks of validity sitting in your home country.

Check the ICP portal directly for the current published fee before accepting any agent quote. The smart services site lists exact government charges. [1]

For more on UAE entry rules generally, see our visa category page.

Costs cheat sheet (2024)
- 30-day single-entry: AED 350-650 all-in
- 60-day single-entry: AED 650-1,000
- 5-year multi-entry: AED 1,800-2,500
- Express add-on: AED 100-400
- Overstay: AED 50/day, no grace period
- Refundable deposit (where required): AED 1,000-1,200

When to skip the tourist visa entirely

Roughly 70 nationalities get visa-on-arrival or visa-free entry to the UAE — including GCC nationals, EU passport holders, UK, US, Canada, Australia, Japan, and most of South America. If you hold one of these, you don't pay any dubai tour visa fees at all for short stays. Check the ICP visa-on-arrival list before you apply for anything. [1]

For everyone else, the cost is unavoidable but manageable if you go direct and ignore the upsells.

Need this checked for your situation? Talk to a UAE-licensed lawyer →

Citations

[1] Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) — Smart Services Portal, Tourist Visa Fees. https://icp.gov.ae

[2] Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 on Entry and Residence of Foreigners, and Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022 on the Executive Regulations.

[3] UAE Government Portal — New Visa System (effective October 2022). https://u.ae

[4] General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (GDRFA) — Overstay Fines Schedule.

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Dubai Tourist Visa Costs Explained