Dubai Visa for Pakistani Passport Holders

Do Pakistani passport holders need a visa for Dubai?

Yes. Holders of an ordinary Pakistani passport must have an approved UAE visa before they fly to Dubai; there is no visa on arrival. For a holiday, the usual route is a 30-day or 60-day tourist visa arranged by a registered travel agent in Pakistan or by an airline such as Emirates or Etihad. The UAE Embassy in Islamabad does not issue tourist visas itself.

A UAE visa issued for Dubai lets you move freely between all seven emirates, so a day trip to Abu Dhabi or Sharjah needs no extra paperwork. This page covers the Dubai holiday: getting the visa, then planning flights, a hotel and a budget. If you are weighing other routes, such as a visa sponsored by a relative, business travel or longer stays, our UAE visa options for Pakistani citizens page compares every category.

Scope: everything below applies to the ordinary (green) Pakistani passport. If you already hold UAE or GCC residence, or a diplomatic or official passport, different rules apply, so check with ICP (icp.gov.ae) before you book.

What changed for Pakistani applicants in 2026

For several months before August 2026, UAE visit visa applications from Pakistan faced long delays and tighter screening, and passenger numbers from Pakistan to Dubai fell sharply. No formal ban was announced. In early August 2026, Pakistani travel agents and a UAE embassy official quoted by Pakistani media said visit visas were again being issued to ordinary passport holders who apply through registered travel agents, with family applications moving fastest.

Pakistani authorities have linked the extra scrutiny to cases of forged educational and employment documents, overstays and misuse of visit visas. In practice that means three things for you:

• Apply only through a registered travel agent or an airline, not an informal "visa seller".
• Make sure every document is genuine and that names and dates match your passport exactly.
• Allow more time than the official processing target, and do not buy non-refundable tickets until the visa is issued.

Dubai visa quick facts for Pakistani citizens

Dubai tourist visa types and government fees

Dubai tourist visas are issued by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA Dubai) and must be sponsored by a licensed tourism company. The stay counts from the day you enter, not the day the visa is issued. These are the GDRFA government fees listed as of September 2026:

The government fee is only part of what you pay. Agents in Pakistan add their own service charge and usually bundle in UAE health insurance, so the rupee price you are quoted will be well above the figure in the table, and it varies a lot between agents. Ask for a written, itemised quote and check whether it is refundable if the visa is refused. Fees change without notice, so confirm them on gdrfad.gov.ae before paying.

Which one to pick: a 30-day single-entry visa covers most holidays and family visits. Choose multiple entry only if you plan to leave the UAE and come back on the same visa, for example a side trip to Oman.

Documents needed for a Dubai visa from Pakistan

GDRFA's own list for a tourist visa is short. Agents and airlines usually ask for more, because a thin file is more likely to be delayed or refused. Prepare the following:

• Passport: an ordinary Pakistani passport valid for more than six months, with a clear colour scan of the data page.
• Photo: a recent colour photograph on a white background.
• CNIC copy: GDRFA specifically asks Pakistani nationals for their national identity card.
• Return or onward ticket: a confirmed booking with a return date before the visa expires.
• Health insurance: cover valid in the UAE is an official condition; most agents include it in the package.
• Accommodation: a hotel booking, or your host's address and documents if staying with family.
• Bank statement: not on GDRFA's list, but commonly requested by agents and useful at the airport as proof of funds.

Families: every traveller, including infants and children, needs their own passport and their own visa. Apply for the whole family together so the approvals arrive at the same time.

How to apply, step by step

1. Fix your dates. Choose 30 or 60 days and single or multiple entry.
2. Pick a registered agent or airline. Emirates and Etihad arrange visas for their own passengers; otherwise use an established travel agent and ask which UAE tourism company will sponsor you.
3. Send clean scans. Passport, photo, CNIC, flight booking, hotel booking and any bank statement the agent asks for.
4. Pay against an itemised receipt. It should show the visa fee, service charge and insurance separately.
5. Wait for the e-visa. GDRFA lists 48 hours for processing once a file is submitted, but applications from Pakistan have taken longer in 2026. Apply two to three weeks before you fly.
6. Check the e-visa. Make sure your name, passport number and date of birth match your passport exactly, and verify the visa on the GDRFA or ICP website.
7. Travel within the window. You must enter the UAE within 60 days of issue. Keep a printed copy and a copy on your phone.

Relative in Dubai? The family visit visa route

A UAE resident can sponsor a relative or friend for a visit visa instead of using a tourism company. Since ICP's September 2025 update, the sponsor needs a minimum monthly income of AED 4,000 for first-degree relatives (parents, spouse, children), AED 8,000 for second and third-degree relatives, and AED 15,000 for friends. Because this route has different fees and conditions, it is covered in detail on our UAE visa guide for Pakistanis.

Leaving Pakistan: FIA checks at the airport

Getting the visa is only half the process. FIA immigration at Pakistani airports questions visit visa passengers closely, and tens of thousands of travellers have been offloaded in recent years for incomplete documents, doubts about the purpose of travel or suspected illegal migration. In May 2026 the Lahore High Court ruled that passengers holding valid visas, tickets and travel documents should not be offloaded on vague suspicion alone.

Carry these in your hand luggage, printed:

• Your e-visa and passport.
• Confirmed return ticket, dated before your visa expires.
• Hotel booking, or your host's address, Emirates ID copy and contact number.
• A recent bank statement or other proof that you can pay for the trip.
• For a visit to family, something showing the relationship if you have it.

Answer questions simply and consistently with your documents. The same papers are useful on arrival in Dubai.

Flights from Pakistan to Dubai

Dubai International (DXB) has direct flights from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and several other Pakistani cities, run by Emirates, flydubai, PIA and Pakistani private airlines. Flying time is roughly two hours from Karachi and around three hours from Lahore or Islamabad. Sharjah Airport, about 30 to 60 minutes by road from central Dubai depending on traffic, is served by Air Arabia and can be cheaper, and a Dubai-sponsored visa is valid for entry there too.

• Book the flight only after the visa is issued, or buy a fare you can change or refund.
• Check the baggage allowance: cheaper fares on low-cost carriers often exclude checked luggage.
• For getting from the airport to your hotel by metro, taxi or bus, see our Dubai airport transfer guide.

Where to stay

A confirmed hotel booking supports both the visa application and the FIA check, so book one even if you plan to stay partly with friends. For Pakistani visitors, the areas that usually work best on value are:

For named options at lower price points, see our budget hotels in Dubai list.

Budgeting for the trip

Your total cost depends mostly on the season and your hotel. Winter (November to March) is the busiest and most expensive time; summer is cheaper but very hot. Build your budget from these parts:

For daily spending levels in rupees and dirhams, use our Dubai budget planner for Pakistani travellers. For halal food, prayer facilities and sights, the Dubai travel guide for Pakistanis covers the rest of the trip.

Extensions, overstays and common refusals

Extending: GDRFA lists a tourist visa extension service at AED 600 plus VAT, with further charges when the holder is inside the UAE, as of September 2026. ICP caps a visitor's total stay at 120 days, and every extension is at the authority's discretion. The request goes through the tourism company that sponsored you, so contact your agent well before the visa ends. Our UAE visa extension guide explains the process.

Overstaying: ICP charges AED 50 for each day over your permitted stay, and an overstay can count against future applications. See how UAE overstay fines work if your plans slip.

Common reasons for refusal or delay:

• Passport with six months or less of validity.
• Blurred scans, or a name spelt differently on the ticket and the passport.
• Missing CNIC copy.
• Documents that cannot be verified, such as fake certificates or employment letters.
• A previous overstay or immigration violation in the UAE.

If a visa is refused, ask the agent for the stated reason, fix it and reapply. Government fees are generally not refunded after a refusal, so check your agent's refund terms first.

Frequently asked questions