The UAE Has Stopped Granting Visa-on-Arrival to Indian Passport Holders Who Qualified Only Through a UK Visa

The United Arab Emirates has removed UK-issued visas and UK residence permits from the list of documents that let Indian passport holders enter the country on a visa-on-arrival basis, a change reported to have taken effect from July 2026. The facility had been widely used by Indian travellers, many of whom held UK visit or residence documents without holding, say, a US visa, and treated it as one of the simplest routes into Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the other emirates.

What has changed

Until the change, Indian nationals holding a valid UK visa or UK residence permit could obtain a UAE visa-on-arrival without a separate pre-arranged UAE visa. Under the revised policy, a UK document alone no longer qualifies, and affected travellers must instead apply for a UAE visa in advance of travel, through an airline, a UAE-based sponsor, or an authorised visa service.

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Which documents still qualify

Indian passport holders with a valid visa, residence permit or green card from a number of other countries, reported to include the United States, European Union member states, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea, are reported to still qualify for visa-on-arrival under the current rules. The change specifically targets UK-issued documents rather than the visa-on-arrival facility as a whole.

Who is affected

The change is reported to affect a large pool of Indian travellers, including business visitors and frequent flyers, who had relied specifically on a UK visa or residence document rather than holding separate qualifying documents from the US, EU or other listed countries. The policy applies across the UAE, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the other emirates, rather than to a single airport or entry point.

Why this matters for planning ahead

Because the qualifying-document list for UAE visa-on-arrival has been revised more than once in recent years, travellers who have used it before on the strength of a UK visa should not assume the same route still applies without checking current terms first.

Traveller tips

• If your only foreign visa or residence document is UK-issued, apply for a UAE visa in advance rather than assuming visa-on-arrival eligibility.
• Airlines flying to the UAE and authorised visa agents can process a pre-arranged UAE tourist visa, typically faster than a standard embassy application.
• Confirm current visa-on-arrival eligibility directly with UAE immigration authorities or your airline before travelling, as these rules have changed more than once and this summary should not be relied on alone.
• Carry both your Indian passport and the qualifying foreign document at check-in, as airlines will typically verify eligibility before boarding.