United Arab Emirates: visa and entry rules

The UAE's borders: every crossing point

The UAE's land border crossings, neighbour by neighbour:

With Oman there are six crossings. Hatta - Al Wajajah: the main and busiest one, carrying the main road to Muscat and Nizwa. Mezyad - Hafit at Al Ain: for Al Buraimi and Ibri. Khatmat Malaha at Kalba: for the east coast. Al Dara in Musandam: for Khasab. The Dibba checkpoint in Musandam. Khatm Al Shikla at Al Ain: mostly freight.

With Saudi Arabia there is a single crossing - Al Ghuwaifat on the Emirati side, Al Batha on the Saudi side. It is open around the clock.

Waiting times at Al Ghuwaifat are unpredictable: from 45 minutes on a quiet day to four hours and more on public holidays and at weekends.

The most convenient way to drive into Oman is through Hatta - it is the best-developed road route of the six.

Bringing a car into the UAE

Land entry is possible: people drive in regularly through Al Ghuwaifat from Saudi Arabia and through all six crossings from Oman.

Check the temporary import rules with the customs service of the country you are entering. Reference sources disagree on how long a foreign-plated car is admitted for and on the procedure involved - it is better not to count on any specific figure.

Whether you need an International Driving Permit depends on where your licence was issued. The UAE accepts national licences from the GCC states and from about 25 more countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, France, Italy, the UK, the US and Canada; with any other licence — a Russian one, for example — you need an IDP alongside it. Some rental companies ask for one regardless, so check before you book.

Insurance is compulsory and is bought locally: policies issued outside the country are not valid here.

Travelling to the UAE with a pet

An import permit is compulsory. It is issued by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), the fee is 200 dirhams and the permit is valid for 30 days. You have to apply within a month of your flight, otherwise it will expire before the trip.

An international-standard microchip is compulsory, and its number must match the number on the veterinary certificate: the two are checked against each other during processing.

The rabies vaccination must be valid at the time of entry.

No more than two animals per person per year - two dogs, two cats, or a cat and a dog.

From countries with a high risk of rabies the animal must be at least 15 weeks old.

Fighting breeds will not be let in at all. Pit bull terriers, Staffordshire terriers and a number of others are banned from import, and no paperwork changes that.

In the customs clearance area the animal is examined by a MOCCAE vet.

Overstaying your visa in the UAE

50 dirhams for every day. From 11 February 2026 the federal ICP authority set a single rate - the same in all seven emirates and the same for tourist, visit and residence visas. You can work the amount out yourself: the number of days multiplied by fifty.

Tourists no longer have a grace period. The former ten-day buffer window has been abolished, and the fine starts accruing from the first day after your permitted stay ends.

Payment on departure. Until the fine is settled you will not fly out smoothly, and after a long overstay a separate exit permit is required.

Leaving of your own accord is cheaper than waiting for a document check inside the country: there, a removal procedure is added to the fine, and that in turn brings an entry ban.