UAE travel guide

Getting into the UAE is simple for many travellers: GCC citizens need no visa, and many others, including US, UK and most EU citizens, get a free visa stamped on arrival, as long as their passport is valid for at least six months. The bigger planning question is the weather. Abu Dhabi’s official tourism site points to November to April as the most pleasant months, with summer highs around 42°C. This guide covers entry, Dubai versus Abu Dhabi, local rules worth knowing, transport, money, data and what the official rules say about internet calling.

Entry and visa on arrival

The UAE government portal, u.ae, says GCC citizens do not need a visa, some nationalities can get a visa on arrival, and others must apply in advance. It adds that passports must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry, and that the list of eligible countries “may vary from time to time”, so check with the UAE embassy in your country before you fly.

Emirates’ UAE visa page, which u.ae links to, splits visa-on-arrival nationalities into groups as of October 2026:

Group	Examples from the list	What you get
30-day visit	Ireland, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Ukraine, Monaco	30-day visit visa stamped on arrival, free of charge
90-day visit	United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, South Korea	Multiple-entry visa valid 6 months from issue, for 90 days in total
180-day visit	Mexico	Multiple-entry visa valid 6 months from issue, for 180 days in total

If your nationality is not on these lists, you need a visa before you travel. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) issues visit visas through sponsors such as tourism establishments or relatives in the UAE, and airlines, including Emirates, can arrange them for their passengers. ICP says you must enter within 60 days of the visa being issued, and it charges AED 50 a day for overstaying. Some nationals who hold a US, UK or EU residence permit or visa can get special entry permits; check the Emirates page and ICP for your exact case.

Dubai or Abu Dhabi

The two biggest emirates are close enough to visit on one trip, but they feel different.

	Dubai	Abu Dhabi
Feel	Fast-paced, skyscrapers, big malls and nightlife	Calmer capital, cultural sites, wide corniche
Highlights	Burj Khalifa, Dubai Marina, old Dubai creek and souks	Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat beaches
Getting around	Metro, tram and buses with a nol card, plus taxis	Mostly taxis and buses
Good for	First visits, shopping, short city breaks	Culture, beaches, a slower pace

Many visitors base themselves in one city and do a day trip to the other.

Photo by David Rodrigo on Unsplash

When to go: plan around the heat

Visit Abu Dhabi, the emirate’s official tourism site, calls November to April the most pleasant time to visit, with daytime temperatures around 24°C, while summer highs can reach about 42°C. Rain is sporadic and falls mainly between November and March. In summer, outdoor sightseeing is best kept to early morning and evening, and indoor air conditioning can be cold, so pack a light layer.

Prices vary by season, so compare a few date options. Our guides on finding cheap flights and booking hotels show how, and the flight search sites and hotel booking sites comparisons list the tools.

Dress, Ramadan and local rules

These points come from the UAE’s official government and tourism sites. They are a starting point, not a full guide to UAE law.

• Dress. Visit Abu Dhabi advises covering shoulders and knees in public areas and government buildings. Regular swimwear is fine on public and private beaches and at pools. Malls, health clubs and resorts are more relaxed, and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque has its own dress code, so check before you visit.
• Ramadan. The u.ae portal says non-Muslims are not required to fast. Malls offer dining in areas set apart from people who are fasting, and some restaurants change their hours or close during the day. Visit Abu Dhabi recommends dressing more conservatively during Ramadan.
• Alcohol. Visit Abu Dhabi says you must be over 21 to buy or drink alcohol, and that it is mainly sold in licensed hotel bars and restaurants.
• Internet calls. Voice and video calling apps are regulated, which matters for calling home. See below.

Getting around

Dubai. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) runs the metro, tram, buses and marine transport, all paid with a nol card. RTA does not accept cash for public transport. Visitors can use the paper Red ticket, which costs AED 2 and works for up to 10 journeys or five day passes within 90 days, or a rechargeable Silver card (AED 25 including AED 19 of credit). The nol Travel card adds discounts for tourists.

Abu Dhabi. Visit Abu Dhabi says taxis are plentiful, reasonably priced and metered, and you can flag them at the roadside or book through the TransAD line on 600 535353.

Money

The currency is the UAE dirham (AED or Dhs), divided into 100 fils and pegged to the US dollar. Cards are widely accepted in hotels, malls and restaurants. If a terminal offers to charge you in your home currency, you can choose dirhams instead and let your own bank do the conversion; check your card’s foreign transaction fees before you go.

Getting online

Most Abu Dhabi hotels include free internet for guests, and many cafes and restaurants offer Wi-Fi, according to Visit Abu Dhabi. For maps, taxis and messaging on the move, mobile data is far easier.

Pelesim sells prepaid, data-only eSIMs for the UAE, with fixed-GB plans and daily-unlimited day passes that carry a fair-use limit. Install it before you fly; the plan starts when it first connects in the UAE, you can share it as a hotspot, and it is refundable within 30 days of purchase if not activated. A data eSIM does not include a UAE phone number. If you stream or tether a lot, our unlimited data eSIMs comparison covers day-pass style plans.

Calling home: what the official rules say

This is the part of a UAE trip where you should check the rules before relying on any app. The Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority (TDRA) says in its FAQ that voice and video calls over the internet are a regulated activity. Third parties may offer them only in collaboration with a licensed operator or with TDRA approval, and TDRA publishes a list of approved VoIP applications. It warns that using an app that is not licensed or approved is “very likely” illegal even if it works, and that licensees may block that traffic. TDRA advises checking with your provider or its approved list before you use any such app.

That applies to every internet calling service, including ours. CallTuv calls landlines and mobiles in 232 destinations from a browser, iPhone or Android, pay as you go from $0.03 a minute, with credit that never expires and free verified caller ID showing your own number. It makes outgoing calls only and cannot make emergency calls. Before using CallTuv or any similar app while you are in the UAE, check TDRA’s current approved list. Calls from a UAE SIM or your home carrier’s roaming plan go over the regular phone network instead.

Elsewhere in the world, messaging apps such as WhatsApp call contacts who use the same app, and for a bank, airline, hotel or any landline you need an app that calls the phone network, such as CallTuv. Our guide on how to call home from abroad covers the options. In an emergency in the UAE, dial 999 for police, 998 for an ambulance or 997 for civil defence.

Plugs and power

Visit Abu Dhabi says the UAE supply is 220/240 volts at 50 Hz, with square three-pin sockets, and that hotels often lend adapters. Pack an adapter unless your plugs already fit square three-pin sockets. Most phone and laptop chargers accept 100 to 240 V, but check the label on other appliances.

Staying longer: remote work, visas and setup

The UAE has a residence visa for people who work remotely for a company abroad, and no personal income tax. These are the routes on the federal government portal (u.ae), the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICP) and Dubai’s immigration authority (GDRFA), as published in October 2026. This is not legal or tax advice. Fees change, so check the official service page before you apply.

The virtual work (remote work) visa

• Who it is for: employees working remotely for a company outside the UAE, who sponsor themselves.
• Income: a salary of at least US$3,500 a month, shown with a salary certificate and proof that you work outside the UAE.
• Length: one year, renewable on the same terms.
• Requirements: health insurance valid in the UAE and a medical fitness test, plus a passport valid for at least 6 months.
• Where to apply: online through ICP (federal) or GDRFA (Dubai), from outside the UAE if you like. Dubai’s investment office says you can apply from anywhere and stay up to 12 months.
• Fees in Dubai: GDRFA lists AED 200 for the permit plus several smaller service fees, and an extra AED 500 if you apply from inside the country.

Residents need an Emirates ID, the national identity card, which you must carry. A residence visa can be cancelled if you spend more than 180 days in a row outside the UAE.

Longer tourist stays

• Five-year multi-entry tourist visa: stays of up to 90 days per visit, extendable by another 90. You need a bank balance of US$4,000 or the equivalent over the last six months, UAE-valid health insurance and an onward ticket. ICP lists AED 3,720 in total, which includes a refundable AED 3,000 guarantee.
• Extending a tourist visa in Dubai: GDRFA allows extensions of up to 120 days in total.

Tax

The UAE does not tax individuals’ income. If you need a tax residency certificate, for example to use a tax treaty with your home country, the Federal Tax Authority issues one when you have spent 183 days or more in the UAE in 12 months, or 90 days with a residence permit and a home or job in the UAE. The certificate costs AED 50 to apply plus AED 1,000 for individuals without a corporate tax number. Your home country may still tax you, so check its rules too.

Setting up for a month or more

• SIM cards: the telecom regulator lets visitors buy up to two SIMs per provider with a passport. Visitor SIMs are issued for a limited period. Residents use their Emirates ID and can hold up to five.
• Renting in Dubai: a holiday home (short let) must have a permit from Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, shown inside the unit. An annual lease is registered on Ejari, which costs AED 177.75 through the Dubai REST app.
• Health insurance: in Dubai it is mandatory for residents, and the virtual work visa requires it.
• Banking: banks usually ask for an Emirates ID, a valid residence visa and a salary certificate, and many require a minimum monthly balance, so a bank account comes after the residence visa.
• Calling apps: read the calling section above before relying on any internet calling app, including ours.

Where long-stayers base themselves

Dubai’s investment office lists Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) for waterfront living, Palm Jumeirah and Downtown as luxury areas, and Deira and Bur Dubai for a more traditional setting. Visit Abu Dhabi calls Al Reem Island “one of Abu Dhabi’s most sought-after residential areas”, and also lists Saadiyat Island, Al Raha, the Corniche and Khalidiya among its main areas.