Announced 1 November 2026 by the Crown Prince of Dubai (WAM) · Facts checked on wam.ae on 11 November 2026 · By 800 Business
The short answer
On 1 November 2026, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, announced that visitors will be able to apply for Dubai tourist visas on Visit Dubai, the city's official tourism website. Single-entry and multiple-entry visas come first. GDRFA Dubai still checks every application and issues the visa. He also announced the Dubai Access Club, an invitation-only programme for repeat visitors. WAM says both will be put in place during November 2026.
What happened
According to the WAM announcement of 1 November 2026, Dubai is launching two things for tourists:
- Tourist visa applications on Visit Dubai. Single-entry and multiple-entry tourist visas will be available at launch, with more visa types planned. The General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA Dubai) keeps assessing applications and issuing visas. More details will be announced later. On 11 November, the Visit Dubai visa page still showed the service as "coming soon".
- Dubai Access Club. Described as the world's first city-led, invitation-only tourism membership. Invited members get experiences, services and benefits meant to make coming back to Dubai easier.
Both were built by GDRFA Dubai, the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and Digital Dubai, so visitors can plan a trip, book tickets and apply for a visa in one place.
Who it affects
- Visitors whose passport needs a visa before travel. You get one more official place to apply, next to the existing channels: approved airlines, hotels and travel agencies, or a UAE resident or company that sponsors you.
- Visitors from Italy and other Schengen-area countries usually don't need it. Visit Dubai says Schengen-area passport holders can get a visa on arrival. From the UK or anywhere else? Check your passport on the ICP website or with the UAE embassy before you fly. The list can change.
- Anyone planning to work, live or run a company here. Nothing changes for you. A tourist visa lets you visit. It does not give you the right to work in the UAE, and working on one can lead to fines and legal action. It does not let you live here either.
What to do now
- Coming to look around before you move? Check whether your passport gets a visa on arrival. If not, you can use the existing channels now, or Visit Dubai once the service is live.
- Book your meetings for the trip. Many people use a first visit to see Free Zones, banks and neighbourhoods. Plan which Free Zone and licence fit your business before you land, so the trip is useful.
- Need to live here? You need a residence visa, usually through your own company: entry permit, medical test, Emirates ID. See how it works on our residence visa page.
- Don't start working on a tourist visa. Set up the company and the visa first.
Talk it through with us
On a free 30-minute Zoom call we tell you which Free Zone and visa fit your plans and what each official step costs, so you get the most out of your first trip to Dubai.
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Sources
- WAM (Emirates News Agency), Hamdan bin Mohammed announces new initiatives to further enhance competitiveness of Dubai's tourism sector (1 November 2026), checked 11 November 2026
- Visit Dubai (Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism), Get your Dubai tourist visa: "coming soon" notice, application channels, Schengen passports and visa on arrival, checked 11 November 2026
- UAE Government portal u.ae, Tips to avoid labour and visa fraud (updated 10 November 2026): no work on a visit or tourist visa, checked 11 November 2026
- Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, icp.gov.ae: visa and entry rules by nationality
This article is general information based on official sources. It is not legal advice. Visa rules change; check the official page before you travel.
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