DUBAI VISA FOR PAKISTAN CITIZENS - COMPLETE GUIDE

A Dubai visa for Pakistani passport holders must be approved before you travel. There is no visa on arrival for Pakistani citizens at any UAE airport, and airlines flying from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Peshawar will not issue a boarding pass without a valid e-visa. This page covers the Dubai visa requirements for Pakistani applicants, the documents you need, current fees, processing times and the reasons applications get refused.

Pakistani applications are reviewed carefully by GDRFA. Most approvals go through without issue when the file is complete, but the extra checks mean you should apply earlier than travellers from many other countries.

Is the Dubai Visa Open for Pakistani Citizens?

Yes, as of 10 September 2026. GDRFA Dubai is accepting tourist and visit visa applications on Pakistani passports through licensed sponsors. Rules for Pakistani nationals have tightened in recent years, particularly around financial proof and return travel, but there is no blanket suspension in place. We update this line whenever the position changes, so check the date above before you book.

The UAE government does not issue visit visas directly to individuals. Every application must be filed by a UAE-based sponsor — a resident relative, a hotel, an airline, or a GDRFA-registered travel agency such as Dubai E Visa Online. We file the application under our own establishment card, pay the government fee, and send you the approved visa by email.

Dubai Visa Requirements for Pakistani Applicants

To qualify for a Dubai visa for Pakistani citizens, you must meet these conditions:

• A machine-readable Pakistani passport valid for at least six months from your entry date. Both the older MRP and the newer e-passport are accepted.
• A valid CNIC (Computerised National Identity Card). GDRFA routinely asks for a copy from Pakistani applicants.
• No UAE immigration ban or unpaid overstay fines from a previous stay. Our page on the permanent immigration ban explains how to check.
• A confirmed return or onward ticket.
• Proof of accommodation in the UAE.
• A bank statement for the last three to six months. For Pakistani applicants this is requested far more often than for most nationalities, and a healthy balance materially improves approval odds.
• A polio vaccination certificate. Pakistan requires this for all international departures, and airlines check it at the gate.

Applicants under 18 travelling without both parents may need a no-objection letter from the absent parent. Women travelling alone are not restricted, but a clear itinerary and hotel booking help the file.

Documents Required for a Dubai Visa on a Pakistani Passport

Upload clear colour scans. Unreadable documents are the most common reason a Pakistani application is returned for correction.

1. Passport bio page — full page, all four corners visible.
2. CNIC — front and back.
3. Passport-size photograph — white background, taken within the last six months, face fully visible.
4. Confirmed flight ticket — return or onward.
5. Accommodation proof — hotel booking, or your host's Emirates ID copy and tenancy contract.
6. Bank statement — last three to six months, stamped by the bank.
7. Residence permit — only if you are applying from outside Pakistan. If you live in the UK, use our dedicated guide to the Dubai visa for Pakistani passport holders living in the UK; if you live in the US, see the US resident version.

You never send your physical passport anywhere. The Dubai visa for Pakistani passport holders is fully electronic. The general list for all nationalities is on our documents required for a Dubai visa page.

Dubai Visa Fees for Pakistani Citizens

All fees are quoted in US dollars, per person. Your card issuer converts the amount to Pakistani rupees at its own rate on the day of payment. A 30-day single-entry visit visa starts from $150.

The "starting from" price includes the GDRFA government fee (non-refundable once submitted), our sponsorship and service fee, and travel insurance where the visa type requires it. It does not include flights, hotels, extension fees, or overstay fines. These figures match our homepage and our Dubai visa fees page.

Extensions are priced separately: the 30 Day Inside A2A Visa Extension starts from $450, the 60 Day Inside A2A Visa Extension from $550, and the 90 Day Visa Extension from $750 per person. Multiple-entry 60-day visas and the 90-day leisure visa cannot be extended.

Some sponsors ask Pakistani applicants for a refundable security deposit, returned after you exit the UAE on time. If a deposit applies to your file, we tell you before you pay. Be wary of any agent in Pakistan quoting far below the figures above. Government fees cannot be discounted, and a suspiciously cheap "done-based" visa is often never filed. Our guide on how to check if a Dubai visa is original or fake shows how to verify any document.

Dubai Visa Types Available for Pakistan Passport Holders

30-Day Visit Visa

The standard choice for tourism, shopping and short family visits. Available as single or multiple entry. Full rules on the 30-day Dubai visa page.

60-Day Visit Visa

Popular for longer family stays and for attending trade events. See how to apply for the 60-day Dubai visit visa.

Dubai Transit Visa for Pakistani Travellers

If you are connecting through Dubai to a third country and want to leave the airport, you need a 48-hour Dubai transit visa or the 96-hour version. A confirmed onward ticket to a destination other than Pakistan is required.

Visas Not Covered on This Page

A work visa is sponsored by a UAE employer through the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, not by a travel agency — start with how to get an employment visa in Dubai. Residence visas for spouses and children are covered in our Dubai family visa for Pakistani nationals guide.

How to Apply for a Dubai Visa from Pakistan

The process is fully online. You do not visit an embassy or a typing centre.

1. Choose your visa type and enter your travel dates on the application form.
2. Upload your documents — passport, CNIC, photo, ticket, accommodation proof and bank statement.
3. Receive a written quote showing the government fee and service fee separately.
4. Pay online with an international Visa or Mastercard.
5. We submit to GDRFA and send you the application reference number.
6. Receive your e-visa by email. Print it and carry it with your passport and polio certificate.

Track progress at any time using our guide on how to check Dubai visa status online. Once approved, arrange OK to Board with your airline. PIA, Emirates, flydubai and Air Arabia all require it on flights departing Pakistan, and without it you will be turned away at check-in.

Processing Time for Pakistani Applicants

Standard processing for 30-day and 60-day visas is three to four working days after GDRFA receives a complete file; the 7-day, 14-day and 48-hour options are typically decided in one to two days. Pakistani applications are sometimes referred for additional review, which can add several days. We recommend applying at least ten working days before departure.

The shorter-processing options are not a guarantee of approval, and referral for review can still delay them. Any agency promising "confirmed approval in 24 hours" on a Pakistani passport is promising something it does not control.

Dubai Visa vs UAE Visa for Pakistani Passport Holders

A UAE visa for a Pakistani passport and a Dubai visa for Pakistani citizens are the same kind of document with a different issuing authority. A visa sponsored by a Dubai-based company is issued by GDRFA Dubai. One sponsored from Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or another emirate is issued by the federal Identity and Citizenship Authority (ICP). Both allow entry to all seven emirates.

If you are landing at Dubai International and staying in Dubai, a GDRFA-issued visa keeps status checks, extensions and corrections in one system. If you are landing at Sharjah on Air Arabia, either authority works, but confirm the sponsor's emirate before you pay. 

Why Pakistani Dubai Visa Applications Get Rejected

Refusals on Pakistani passports are higher than the global average, and most trace back to one of these:

• Weak bank statement — low balance, recent large deposits, or no statement at all.
• Passport validity under six months, or a handwritten passport.
• Name mismatch between the passport, CNIC and application form.
• Previous overstay in the UAE with fines unpaid. Since February 2026 the fine is AED 50 per day with no grace period — see Dubai visa overstay rules.
• Unclear purpose — no hotel booking or host details.
• Wrong visa type — applying for a tourist visa when the real purpose is job hunting.

If refused, the government fee is not returned, but you can fix the issue and reapply. Read common reasons for Dubai visa rejection and the Dubai visa refund policy.

Extending Your Stay

Single-entry 30-day visas can be extended by up to 30 days and 60-day single-entry visas by up to two weeks, subject to GDRFA approval. Extension pricing starts from $450 per person. Multiple-entry 60-day visas cannot be extended. Apply before the current visa expires. Steps are on our Dubai visit visa extension page.