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🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates is no. 14 in our list of the 50 most visited destinations, with 28.1 million international arrivals in 2023. Below: visa rules for every passport, cash limits at customs and the tourist traps official travel advice warns about.

Rank 14 of 50 by international arrivals (28.1 million, 2023) · Source: UN Tourism

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Visa rules for your passport ↓

Explore United Arab Emirates: things to do, shopping, food and getting around

Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Every item links to its source: Experience Abu Dhabi, RTA, the Grand Mosque Centre, the UAE government portal and the venues. visitdubai.com blocks automated reading, so it wasn't used.

Things to do

  • Cross Dubai Creek by abra

    Dubai

    RTA abras link Dubai Old Souq, Al Fahidi, Deira Old Souq, Al Seef and Baniyas for AED 2 a trip, from early morning to late evening.

    Source: RTA Dubai – Dubai Creek abra

  • Global Village

    Dubai

    Seasonal open-air park of country pavilions, shows and food, open 14 Oct 2026 – May 2027 from 4 pm (until midnight Sun–Wed, 1 am Thu–Sat).

    Source: Global Village – Plan your visit

Places to visit

Shopping

Cheap ways to get around

  • Get a nol card

    Dubai

    Dubai is divided into 7 fare zones. With a nol Silver card a ride costs AED 3 within one zone, AED 5 across two and AED 7.50 for more; paper Red Tickets cost more (AED 4 / 6 / 8.50). Transfers between bus and metro are included.

    Source: RTA Dubai – nol fares

  • Bus to Global Village

    Dubai

    In season, buses 102, 103, 104 and 106 run from metro and bus stations to Global Village, usually 3:15–11:15 pm.

    Source: Global Village – Plan your visit

Nightlife

Food

General tips

Summarised in our own words from the linked pages, official tourism boards and transport authorities first; items marked "Not official" come from other guides. Prices and opening times change, so check the source before you go. Last checked 23 Oct 2026.

Common tourist traps and how to avoid them

Scams and risky spots named in official travel advice for United Arab Emirates, plus a few reported in public visitor reviews (labelled), in our own words.

  1. Drink spiking

    How it works: Criminals spike drinks to assault or rob.

    How to avoid it: Do not accept drinks from strangers or leave yours unattended.

  2. Unpaid hotel bills = crime

    How it works: Fraud or not paying bills (including hotel bills) can mean prison, frozen accounts and no bail for non-residents.

    How to avoid it: Pay all bills and resolve disputes before you leave.

  3. Photos of people and secure sites

    How it works: Photographing government or military sites, or people without permission, has led to arrests.

    How to avoid it: Ask before photographing people and avoid photos near secure sites and airports.

  4. Unlicensed taxis

    How it works: Unofficial drivers operate at airports and malls.

    How to avoid it: Use licensed taxis (Dubai: cream with coloured roof; Abu Dhabi: silver) or apps such as Careem or Uber.

  5. Property-buying scams

    How it works: Foreigners buying property have been targeted.

    How to avoid it: Get independent legal advice before paying anything.

  6. "Copy watch, copy bag?" touts

    How it works: In Deira's souks and Karama, touts approach visitors offering fake designer goods and lead them to hidden shops or back rooms; visitors and local press describe pressure selling of counterfeit items.

    How to avoid it: Say no and keep walking; don't follow anyone to a hidden shop. Counterfeit goods are illegal to sell in the UAE. Buy from licensed shops with clear prices.

    From visitor reviews, not official Deira souks and Karama, Dubai. Sources: reddit.com · reddit.com · gulfnews.com. Researched 23 Oct 2026; there is no official page to re-check, so this date is not updated automatically.

Areas flagged in official advice

  • Areas near military and security facilities (risk of further Iranian retaliatory attacks in the region)

Official advice: FCDO: no areas advised against; regional attack risk.

Emergency numbers in United Arab Emirates

Other traps paraphrased from official travel advice: FCDO travel advice – Safety and security · FCDO travel advice – Warnings and insurance · FCDO travel advice – Getting help (emergency numbers) · FCDO page updated 24 Jul 2026 · Last checked 4 Oct 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Cash you can bring in and take out

Customs rules for banknotes and other cash when you enter or leave United Arab Emirates.

ICP cash declaration (CBUAE Rulebook 2.3.1.1)

Bringing cash in
Declare more than AED 60,000 (or equivalent) in cash, financial instruments, precious metals or valuable stones when entering.
Taking cash out
Same declaration when leaving the UAE.
Local currency (AED) in
No limit (declaration only).
Local currency (AED) out
No limit (declaration only).
Foreign currency
No limit (declaration only).
  • Declare through the ICP website or the Afseh app.
  • Amounts carried by under-18s count towards the accompanying parent/guardian.

Official source: u.ae · rulebook.centralbank.ae · icp.gov.ae · Last checked 4 Oct 2026

United Arab Emirates visa rules by passport

The general rule for each passport, from official sources. Open a passport to see conditions and options that depend on where you live.

Visa-free93 passports
eVisa105 passports

Verified rules for United Arab Emirates: 194 of 198 passports; awaiting verification: 4; not yet covered: 0. A rule that is awaiting verification or not yet covered is not a negative visa decision: it only means we haven't confirmed it on an official source yet.

⚠ Unofficial sources: 4 rules for United Arab Emirates are not from an official United Arab Emirates government source (based on other governments' travel advice or secondary research). They are labelled on each page, are not counted as verified above, and should be confirmed with the embassy before travel.

Requirements for all visitors to United Arab Emirates

These apply on top of the visa rules above, whatever your passport, unless an item says otherwise.

  • HealthYellow fever certificate if arriving from a WHO yellow-fever risk country

    Applies to: travellers aged 9 months or over arriving from a country WHO lists as a yellow-fever risk country; also after an airport transit of more than 12 hours in such a country.

    Official source: cdn.who.int · Also checked: wwwnc.cdc.govNot official · Last checked 25 Oct 2026

Nearby destinations

Official travel advice

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Plan your trip to United Arab Emirates

Verify with the embassy before you book. Visa rules change without notice. We link every rule to its official source and last checked it on 23 Oct 2026, but the embassy, official e-visa portal and your airline have the final say. MyVisaPort is not a visa agent and is not affiliated with any government.