Apart from the tourist visa and employment visa, a transit visa is very popular in the UAE as well. This is used by travelers who are transiting in the country for more or less than 48 hours. Compared to a tourist visa, a transit visa can only be used for a short period of time. The shortest transit visa you can apply for is a 48-hour visa.
Also Read: How to Sponsor your Family in UAE (Residence Visa for Spouse, Children, and Parents)
To know more about this, we compiled everything you need to know in this article. Read this blog to gain insights about the transit visa and how you can apply for one.
What is a transit visa?
A transit visa is a visa sponsored by the UAE-based airlines. It is used individuals who are not one of the nationalities who are qualified for a visa on arrival or a visa-free entry to the UAE. This is usually processed and approved before someone can enter the country. A transit visa has two types. One is for 48 hours and the other is for 96 hours. Both are also not extendable.
If you are someone from a country that not is qualified for visa-free, you should apply for a transit visa if you are transiting in the UAE during your trip.
Where can you get your transit visa?
You can only get your transit visa from your travel agency or UAE-based airlines. You can’t get your own transit visa by applying directly to the portals of the UAE government.
Only the UAE-based airlines can apply for your transit visa. Make sure that you know the company you are traveling through before your flight. In case you use a travel agency for your travel booking, your travel agency can also help to get your visa but it must be routed to the airlines as well. What the airline agents can do is to apply for your transit visa through the following:
- The ICA UAE eChannels app for Apple and Android.
- The eChannels portal
- Online channels provided by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in each emirate.
What are the types of transit visas?
A transit visa has two types: one for 48 hours and the other for 96 hours. Note that both of the transit visas can’t be extended.
48-hour Transit Visa
This transit visa is only valid for 48 hours and it is issued for free to travelers who are transiting through the airports of the UAE. Before you can use it, you need to apply for it in advance through your travel agency or UAE-based airline. You can’t extend or renew this visa once it has expired. After 48 hours, you should immediately leave the country.
96-hour Transit Visa
This transit visa is valid for 96 hours. This is longer compared to the previous type. However, when you apply for this, you have to pay for 50 AED as this is not for free. This has the same purpose as the previous transit visa type—only valid for a specific period of time, not extendable, and not renewable. Once your visa has expired, you need to leave the country immediately.
How to apply for a transit visa?
The process of applying for a transit visa should not be done by you. You need to call your travel agency or the UAE-based airline you are going to use for your travel. What you need to do is to prepare the following documents so you can successfully apply for a transit visa:
- Your original passport or travel document that is valid for six months.
- A photo of you with a white background
- Your onward ticket booking to a 3rd destination. This is different from where you are coming from.
Now that you know the purpose of a transit visa and how you can get it, it’s time to share this with your family and friends who are transiting through the UAE airports. Also, keep in mind that no additional fees or amount will be charged to you by the federal and local government and private companies. Expect that you will pay a fee of AED 30, which is usually levied on each passenger passing through the airports in the country.