Dubai is one of the most sought travel destinations for Indians. If you are also planning a Dubai trip, then this is a must-read. After going through this post, you will get to know how to get Dubai’s visa, flights from India and several other travel tips.

How to get Dubai’s visa

You need UAE visa to visit Dubai. UAE embassy does not issue a tourist visa to ordinary passport holders. There are 3 ways to get a visa for Dubai.

1. Hotels
2. Airlines
3. Travel agents

• Approach the hotel where you are going to stay in Dubai. They will charge their fees and get you the visa.
• Emirates, Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Etihad Airways, Indigo can help you in getting a tourist visa for UAE.
• You can also approach travel agents, but due to the authenticity issues, its advisable to contact the Airlines.
• Besides these 3 ways, there is one more option to get the visa if you have a sponsor based in UAE. Google to know more about it.

OTB for Dubai

Ask your airlines to insert the ‘OK to Board’ (OTB) message in your flight ticket details, in case you have got the visa from a travel agency or others. This should be done at least 12-48 hours (depending upon the airlines) prior to the departure of your flight, otherwise, you may not be allowed to travel despite having a valid visa. While getting UAE visa from a travel agency provide them with your flight ticket’s details such as PNR, passenger’s name, date of travel, etc. and ask them to call the airlines to insert the OTB message for you. Call your airlines to clear any doubts.

LATEST UPDATE: No OTB required for Dubai for these travellers

Dubai visa online application

Those travelling with Emirates can get an online visa. For more information please visit the official website of Emirates.

Flights for Dubai

Direct flights from various parts of India to Dubai

• Air India
• Emirates
• Jet Airways
• Fly Dubai
• Air India Express
• Indigo
• Spicejet

Check this - All Airlines between India and Dubai

Other airlines like Etihad and Air Arabia also operate from India but don’t have a direct flight to Dubai. Etihad Airways will take you to Abu Dhabi and from there they will provide a luxury bus to Dubai. The bus takes about 1-1.5 hours to reach Dubai. Likewise, Air Arabia will take you to Sharjah and from there they will also provide a coach to Dubai. Travelling time between Sharjah to Dubai is between half an hour to One hour.

Cheapest flight finder for Dubai

Documents needed for Dubai’s (UAE) Visa

1. Bank statement (last 6 months)
2. Income Tax Return for previous year (not mandatory)
3. 1 passport sized photograph with white background
4. Passport in original
5. Confirmed hotel reservation (Click here to get online confirmed hotel booking for Dubai)
6. Return flight tickets (only Fly Dubai)

• UAE Visa fee – Rs. 5750
• Processing time – 3 to 4 days
• Minimum Bank balance for Dubai’s visa – Its suggested having a bank balance more than Rs 50,000-75000.

I called Fly Dubai to know the documents required to get UAE tourist visa through them. The information shared above has been provided by them.

Dubai’s Visa on Arrival

Those Indian passport holders having a valid visa for the USA or Green card can get a visa-on-arrival for UAE. Duration of such visa is 14 days and fees is AED 120 (2070 INR approx.)

Travel tips for Dubai

The following tips are shared by Mr Rajesh Sood, a member of TouristHelpline’s facebook group who recently travelled to Dubai with his family.

Dubai flights in advance

Plan and book flight tickets at least 2-3 months in advance. Use websites like skyscanner, kayak, momondo to find lowest flight tickets. You can also check this post on TouristHelpline.com to find cheap international air tickets from India –

How to book hotels in Dubai

Choose a central location to stay in Dubai. You can use online travel agencies like booking.com, goibibo, makemytrip, yatra, etc. to book your stay. TouristHelpline’s hotel booking page can also be used for getting a confirmed hotel booking, even without paying in advance.

Use Dubai’s public transport

Use public transport in Dubai to travel between places. Most of the tourist places are well connected with public transportation like metro and buses. Dubai Metro service is world class.

Obey rules in Dubai

When in Dubai, Strictly follow their laws. A small mistake can land you into big troubles. If you are walking, cross a road only using the zebra crossing and that too when its green signal for crossing the road. Don’t spit or throw any waste material anywhere you wish. This can be treated as an offence.

Other valuable tips

• Book activities tickets on their official websites.
• Carry a forex card and use it to pay your bills there.
• I used my Vodafone’s postpaid connection to stay connected back with my friends and family. It gave me roaming facility with unlimited data, incoming and outgoing calls for 7 days.
• There are a lot of people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan in Dubai. So you will find a lot of people understand and speak Hindi. So language will not be a problem.
• Do not enter beaches in underwear, get a proper swimsuit for the purpose.
• For Desert Safari, chose evening or night Desert Safari.
• For Burj Khalifa, prefer evening time. Capturing photographs around 4.00 pm will give you better results.
• Don’t forget to visit Gould Souk (Gold Market) if you have interest in gold. But the ‘making charges’ on gold ornaments are bit high.
• Electronic products are cheap in comparison to India. But if you buy any electronic item be ready to pay customs at airports in India. You can bring a laptop in your bag after unboxing.
• Indian food is readily available but a higher price.
• Use Google maps to find directions and check reviews. You can also get to see pictures posted by the ‘local guides’ on Google maps.
• Dubai is one of the safest places on Earth. So enjoy and explore the place without any fear.

Hotels in Dubai


Booking.com