Entry/Exit Requirements

U.S. citizens are subject to all UAE immigration laws.  U.S. citizens should familiarize themselves with such laws before traveling to, or residing in, the UAE.  

• Passport Validity: A passport valid for at least six months beyond date of entry is required to enter the UAE.  
• Personal travel of 30 days or less:  A U.S. citizen with a regular passport may obtain a no fee visitor visa upon arrival.  
• Stays longer than 30 days:  All travelers must obtain a visa before arrival in the UAE.  Visitors on a 30 day visa may request a visa extension, which is at the discretion of immigration officials.  Anyone planning to work or study in the UAE must obtain the appropriate visa.
• Medical Exam:  A full medical exam is required for work or residence permits and includes an HIV/AIDS test.  Testing must be performed after arrival; a U.S. HIV/AIDS test is not accepted.  U.S. citizens have been detained and deported for testing positive for HIV or hepatitis.
• Travel on Diplomatic or Official Passports:  U.S. citizens traveling to or through the United Arab Emirates on diplomatic or official passports are required to obtain a visa before travel (transit passengers only require a visa if exiting the airport).  U.S. military ID cards are not acceptable.
• Land Exit Departure Fee:  All travelers who depart the UAE by land and who are not members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) must pay a departure fee.  The fee is 35 UAE dirhams and is payable only in the local currency.

Please verify this information with the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates before you travel.  

The Government of the UAE requires that all persons residing in the country have a national identification card.  U.S. citizens who are working or living in the UAE should visit the Emirates Identity Authority website for more information on card registration procedures and requirements. 

HIV/AIDS restrictions:  UAE has imposed HIV/AIDS travel restrictions on travelers; see above.  Please verify this information with the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates before you travel.

Information about dual nationality and the prevention of international child abduction can be found on our website.  For further information about customs regulations, please read our Customs Information page.

Current restrictions: 

Weapons: Do not transport any arms or items that may be considered law enforcement or military equipment without prior written approval from the UAE Ministry of Defense.  Such items include, but are not limited to:

• Weapons
• Weapon parts and tools
• Functional, inert, or decorative ammunition, even one bullet
• Empty or spent shell casings
• Body armor
• Handcuffs
• Any other military or police equipment

Transport of these items into or through the UAE is considered a violation of UAE law.  Persons found to be carrying such items, even in the smallest quantities, will be arrested and face strict criminal penalties, including imprisonment, large monetary fines, forfeiture of the items, and deportation.  U.S. citizens transporting such weapons and equipment without the express written authorization of the UAE government have been arrested and jailed, even though airlines and U.S. authorities allowed shipment on a U.S.-originating flight.

Prescription Pharmaceuticals: Some drugs normally taken under a doctor's supervision in the United States, and even some over-the-counter U.S. drugs and medications, are classified as narcotics in the UAE and are illegal to possess.  A doctor's prescription should be carried along with any medication that is brought into the country.  A person may be subject to arrest and prosecution if possession of banned medicines (especially those containing codeine and similar narcotic-like ingredients) comes to the attention of local authorities. 

Please review Alcohol and Drugs in the Criminal Penalties section of this document for more information on the UAE’s strict anti-drug laws.