Emirates 96 hour Transit Visa

3The Dubai 96 hours transit visa lets you leave the airport and spend up to four days in the UAE between two international flights. It is single entry, valid to enter within 14 days of issue, cannot be extended, and costs $100 per person all-inclusive. This page sets out the official UAE rules for the 48-hour and 96-hour transit visas as published by the government, the price, who needs one, the difference between applying through an airline and through a licensed agency, and how to apply online.

If your layover is under two days, the 48-hour transit visa at $90 is the better fit. If it is over four days, you need a visit visa, not a transit visa.

UAE Transit Visa 48 Hours and 96 Hours: The Official Rules

A large share of searches for the transit visa are for the official UAE Government page, and the rules there are short. As set out on the UAE Government portal (u.ae), the UAE issues two transit permits for passengers passing through the country:

• 48-hour transit visa — free of government charge, single entry, cannot be extended.
• 96-hour transit visa — a nominal government fee, single entry, cannot be extended.
• Both are sponsored by UAE-based airlines or a licensed UAE sponsor and must be applied for before travel — they are not issued on arrival.
• Both require a confirmed onward ticket to a third country, passport validity of at least six months, and the passenger to actually be in transit — not returning to the country of origin.

The scheme has not been discontinued. Rumours to that effect circulated in 2026 and 2026; the permits remain in force as of September 2026 and are filed daily. The "government fee waived" line for the 48-hour permit is why our 48-hour price is lower than the 96-hour: what you pay covers sponsorship, processing and insurance, not a government charge.

Dubai 96 Hours Transit Visa Price

The Dubai transit visa 96 hours price is $100 per person, total. That includes the government fee, sponsorship and filing, and insurance where required. Nothing is added at checkout.

The 7 Days Single is listed for comparison: for one dollar less it allows a full week, a 60-day window to enter, and it does not require an onward ticket to a third country — the right choice if your "layover" is really a short holiday, or if your two flights are on separate bookings. Full pricing for every visa type is on the Emirates visa price page.

Four-day layover? Apply for the 96-hour transit visa on any airline — $100 total, approval by email in 1-2 days.

Apply 96-Hour Transit Visa

Who Needs a 96 Hour Transit Visa for Dubai

You need a Dubai 96 hours transit visa if all three apply: your nationality is not visa-free or visa-on-arrival for the UAE; you are connecting through Dubai (or another UAE airport) to a third country; and you want to leave the terminal for more than 48 hours. Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Nepali, Filipino, Egyptian and most African passport holders fall into this group.

You do not need it if you stay airside for a same-terminal connection, if your passport is on the visa-on-arrival list, or if your layover is under 48 hours (use the 48-hour permit). Indian nationals with a valid US, EU, Australian, Canadian, Japanese, New Zealand, Singapore or South Korean visa or residence permit qualify for visa on arrival and do not need a transit visa at all — see visa on arrival for Indians.

Emirates 96 Hour Transit Visa: Airline vs Licensed Agency

Emirates airline, flydubai and Air Arabia each sponsor the Dubai 96 hours transit visa for passengers on their own tickets, through their websites after booking. The permit is identical to ours — issued by UAE immigration, checked against the same passport number. The differences are practical:

• Ticket restriction. The airline route requires both legs on that airline's ticket. Codeshares, mixed carriers and two separate one-way bookings are usually declined.
• Timing. Airline desks need applications several working days before departure.
• Price. Airline service charges are typically higher.

A licensed UAE agency sponsors the same permit whoever you fly with. If you are on Turkish Airlines, IndiGo, Air India, Qatar Airways or a low-cost carrier connecting through Dubai, the agency route is the only one open to you. Emirates Visa is an independent agency, not affiliated with Emirates airline — the permit we file is the same one.

Documents Required

1. Passport bio page — clear colour scan, six months' validity.
2. Passport-size photo — plain background.
3. Confirmed onward ticket — to a third country, departing within 96 hours of arrival.
4. Inbound ticket — showing arrival in the UAE.
5. Hotel booking — recommended; often requested at immigration.

The general checklist is on documents required; photo specifications on Dubai visa photo size.

How to Apply for the 96 Hour Transit Visa Online

1. Select 96 Hour Transit and enter your arrival date.
2. Upload passport, photo, inbound and onward tickets.
3. Pay $100 online — the total price.
4. We file with GDRFA or ICP and send the reference number.
5. Receive the e-visa by email in one to two working days. Print it.

Apply at least five working days before travel and no more than 14 days before arrival, because the permit must be used within 14 days of issue. Track it on visa status.

48 Hours, 96 Hours or 7 Days: Which to Choose

The Dubai 96 hours transit visa is the right product for a genuine three-to-four-day connection on a single itinerary. It is the wrong one in three common situations:

• Your layover is under two days. The 48-hour permit is $10 cheaper and identical otherwise.
• Your flights are on separate bookings or you are returning home. Immigration may not treat that as transit; the 7 Days Single at $99 works regardless of itinerary.
• Your dates might move. The transit permit must be used within 14 days of issue; the 7-day visa gives 60 days to enter.

Choose the 96-hour permit when you have one through-ticket, a confirmed onward flight within four days, and no interest in staying longer.

Why a Dubai 96 Hours Transit Visa Is Refused

• No onward ticket, or an onward ticket back to the country you departed from.
• Onward departure outside the 96-hour window.
• Passport validity under six months.
• Previous overstay with unpaid fines.
• Nationality restricted to airline-only sponsorship — a small number of nationalities cannot use the agency route.

The government fee is not returned on refusal; the file can be corrected and refiled. Full reasons on Dubai visa rejection.

Transit Visa for Indian, Pakistani and Other Passport Holders

The Dubai 96 hours transit visa is the same permit at the same price for every visa-required nationality. Indian nationals form the largest group of applicants, usually on India–Dubai–Europe or India–Dubai–North America itineraries. Pakistani and Bangladeshi applicants are more often asked for a hotel booking. Nigerian, Kenyan and Ghanaian passport holders on Dubai–Europe connections qualify on the same terms. If your itinerary is really a round trip with a Dubai stop rather than a transit, apply for a visit visa on your nationality page instead — for example UAE visa for Indian citizens or Pakistan.

Can You Apply at the Airport or While Already in Transit?

No. The transit visa is filed by a sponsor before travel and must be approved before you board the first leg. A passenger already airside at Dubai with no permit cannot obtain one at the counter, and airlines will not board a visa-required passenger on the assumption that one can be arranged on the ground. If you are reading this at the departure gate, the only option is express processing through a licensed agency with a few hours in hand — and no guarantee.

Planning a 96-Hour Layover

Four days covers Dubai properly and leaves room for a day trip. A typical plan: Downtown and Burj Khalifa on day one, Old Dubai, the souks and a desert safari on day two, a day in Abu Dhabi on day three, and the beach before an evening flight on day four. The permit is valid across the UAE, so the Abu Dhabi day needs no separate paperwork. Airport hotels in Garhoud and Deira are ten minutes from Terminal 3 for early departures.

96 Hour Transit Visa Rules to Remember

• Stay: 96 hours from the time you clear immigration.
• Entries: single.
• Extension: not possible. Since February 2026 the UAE charges AED 50 per day of overstay with no grace period — see our overstay rules guide.
• Upgrade: a 48-hour permit cannot be converted to 96 hours after issue — choose the right one first.
• All emirates: the permit is valid for Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the rest of the UAE, not only Dubai.

Any airline, any ticket. Upload your passport and tickets and get your Dubai 96 hours transit visa by email.

Get Transit Visa