American tourists can visit the United Arab Emirates visa-free for stays of up to 30 days. Visitors will have freedom to move about the seven emirates regardless of the original point of entry. In November 2015, I entered the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, then traveled to Dubai. Entry into the U.A.E. using the visa exception for United States citizens requires the following:
- A valid passport with at least six months validity beyond the date of entry to the U.A.E.
- Confirmed round-trip airfare, or airfare to another country.
Many countries in the Middle East will deny entry to persons with passport stamps from Israel. There is no such policy in the U.A.E. Regardless of the stamps in your passport, entry will be granted if you are a citizen in good standing and meet the requirements outlined above.
If you will require more than 30 days in the U.A.E. for purposes of tourism, you can request additional time at the border checkpoint on arrival, or from the office of the Department of Naturalization & Residency. Such requests should be made before the end of your initial 30 days. For more information on U.A.E. travel requirements, visit their
Embassy’s website.
Travel Safety & Advisories
For the most up to date and detailed information on the safety of travel to the United Arab Emirates, read the country report authored and released by the United States Department of State at
travel.state.gov.
Important information about traveling in a Muslim country and the U.A.E. is available from
www.uae-embassy.org.
