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UAE visa for Lebanese citizens: which visas exist and where to apply
- What it is
- Getting a visa, on a Lebanese passport, to enter Dubai or another emirate: tourism, visiting a relative, 5-year visa, transit or work. The visa is required before departure and is applied for online, usually by a sponsor in the UAE.
- What it costs
- Visiting a relative, 30 days: about AED 310 in Dubai (GDRFA) or AED 320 excluding insurance in the other emirates (ICP), plus a refundable deposit of AED 1,000 (recorded on 23.10.2026). 5-year visa in Dubai: AED 3,713, including an AED 3,000 deposit.
- How long
- 48-hour processing announced by the GDRFA in Dubai, 2 days by ICP. Entry within 60 days of issue (ICP).
The steps
- before anything else
Check your passport
Valid for at least 6 months on entry, machine-readable. RL passport: it can no longer be used to leave Lebanon since 01.10.2026.
- 1 day
Choose the visa and the sponsor
Resident relative or friend, hotel, licensed agency, UAE-based airline, employer; or yourself for the 5-year visa and the eVisa for Gulf residents.
- a few days
Gather the documents
Photo, passport copy, health insurance valid in the UAE, return ticket; for a visit, proof of relationship and the sponsor's salary certificate.
- 1 day
Have the application submitted
Online: GDRFA for Dubai, ICP for the other emirates. The sponsor pays the fees and the deposit.
- 2 days
Receive the visa
By email, after the announced 48-hour processing. Print it.
- depends on the trip
Enter the UAE
Within 60 days of issue (ICP). Then claim the deposit back, on request, after leaving.
What it really costs
| Visit by a relative, Dubai, single entry 30 / 60 / 90 days (GDRFA) | AED 200 / 300 / 400 + 5% VAT |
| Visit by a relative, Dubai, multiple entries 30 / 60 / 90 days (GDRFA) | AED 300 / 500 / 700 + 5% VAT |
| Compulsory health insurance, Dubai (30 / 60 / 90 days) | AED 40 / 60 / 90 |
| Deposit fees, Dubai | AED 20 + AED 40 |
| Visit by a relative, other emirates (ICP): application + smart service | AED 100 + AED 100 |
| Visit by a relative, other emirates (ICP): issue fee per month, single / multiple entry | AED 100 / 200 |
| Refundable deposit, single / multiple entry | AED 1,000 / 2,000 |
| 5-year tourist visa, Dubai (GDRFA), including AED 3,000 deposit | AED 3,713 |
| eVisa for GCC residents, Dubai (GDRFA) | AED 252.50 |
| Visa arranged by a hotel, agency or airline | intermediary's rate |
| Overstay (ICP) | AED 50 per day |
| Observed total | About AED 310 for a 30-day visit to a relative in Dubai, plus an AED 1,000 refundable deposit |
Amounts recorded on 23.10.2026.
What most often gets stuck
- Passport valid for less than 6 months on the date of entry.
- Old non-biometric RL passport: it can no longer be used to leave Lebanon since 01.10.2026; a hand-extended passport is refused for online applications according to Emirates.
- Sponsor's salary below the ICP threshold: AED 4,000 a month (first-degree relative), AED 8,000 (second and third degrees), AED 15,000 (friend).
- Missing proof of relationship.
- Missing health insurance valid in the UAE.
- Applying in the wrong place: the UAE embassy does not issue tourist visas.
- Unlicensed intermediary: check the agency before paying or sending your documents.
- Gulf resident whose residence permit expires less than a year after arrival, or whose profession is not on the approved list.
UAE visa for Lebanese citizens: if you travel on a Lebanese passport only, you must get your visa before you leave. Lebanon is listed as “Visa Required” by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Lebanese passport qualifies neither for visa-free entry nor for a visa on arrival (checked on 23 October 2026). The visa is applied for online by a sponsor in the UAE (a resident relative, a hotel, a licensed travel agency, an airline, an employer), except the 5-year tourist visa, which you apply for yourself. Allow at least about AED 300 in official fees for one month, plus a refundable deposit of AED 1,000, and an announced processing time of 48 hours.
The electronic visa centre the UAE announced in Beirut for October 2026 had, on 23 October 2026, no opening date and no address published by an official source. See below.
Visa required, or visa on arrival?
The official UAE government portal distinguishes three cases: citizens of the Gulf countries (GCC) enter without a visa; some nationalities get a visa on arrival; all others must apply for a visa in advance. On the visa exemption list published by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, checked on 23 October 2026, the “Republic of Lebanon” is listed as “Visa Required”. The visa-on-arrival list published by the airline Emirates does not include Lebanon either.
In every case, your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry into the UAE. The official portal notes that the lists may change and advises checking before you travel.
The visas that exist
- Tourist visa (30, 60 or 90 days according to ICP): applied for on your behalf by a hotel, a travel agency licensed in the UAE or a UAE-based airline.
- Visit visa for a relative or friend (30, 60 or 90 days): applied for by a relative or friend who lives in the UAE.
- 5-year multiple-entry tourist visa: no sponsor needed, open to all nationalities according to the official portal, subject to financial conditions.
- Transit visa of 48 or 96 hours: if you want to leave the airport during a connection.
- Entry visa for work: applied for by the employer.
- eVisa for GCC residents: if you legally reside in a GCC country.
- Medical treatment and study visas: applied for by the healthcare or educational institution in the UAE.
UAE embassies do not issue tourist visas, the official portal points out. Visas are issued by the immigration authorities in the UAE, at the sponsor’s request.
Who applies: the sponsor’s role
Two authorities issue visas: the GDRFA (General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs) for Dubai, and ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security) for the other emirates. Each publishes its fees on the card for each service. Applications are made online, on their website or app; the sponsor logs in with their account, for example with the UAE digital identity, UAE Pass.
A resident relative or friend (ICP service card). The sponsor must earn at least AED 4,000 a month for a first-degree relative (father, mother, spouse, child), AED 8,000 for a second- or third-degree relative (siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, uncles, aunts, cousins) and AED 15,000 for a friend. They must prove the relationship. The visitor needs health insurance valid in the UAE, a passport valid for 6 months and a return ticket. They must enter within 60 days of issue. The stay can be extended, up to 120 days in total.
A resident relative or friend in Dubai (GDRFA service cards). The sponsor attaches proof of the relationship (marriage certificate, birth certificate) and a salary certificate or employment contract. A deposit is paid: AED 1,000 for a single entry, AED 2,000 for multiple entries.
A hotel, a travel agency or an airline. According to the official portal, licensed hotels and agencies in the UAE can obtain a tourist visa if you buy your ticket from them or book with them. Each UAE-based airline (the portal names Emirates, Etihad and flydubai) sets its own conditions, including flying with it. These intermediaries charge their own price, on top of the official fees.
An employer. The standard work visa is applied for by the employer. ICP requires, among other things, a contract or a letter from the employer, a medical fitness certificate and an attested certificate of good conduct, depending on the category.
Official fees recorded on 23 October 2026
Visit by a relative or friend, emirates other than Dubai (ICP):
- application fee: AED 100;
- issue fee: AED 100 per month for a single entry, AED 200 per month for multiple entries;
- smart service fee: AED 100;
- refundable deposit: AED 1,000 (single entry) or AED 2,000 (multiple entries), plus an AED 20 deposit fee.
Visit by a relative or friend in Dubai (GDRFA):
- single entry: AED 200 for 30 days, AED 300 for 60 days, AED 400 for 90 days;
- multiple entries: AED 300 for 30 days, AED 500 for 60 days, AED 700 for 90 days;
- plus 5% VAT, health insurance (AED 40, 60 or 90 depending on length), an AED 20 deposit fee and an AED 40 fee for collecting and refunding the deposit;
- refundable deposit: AED 1,000 (single entry) or AED 2,000 (multiple entries);
- if the visitor is already in the UAE: AED 520 extra.
The deposit is refunded on request after you leave the country or the visa is cancelled, provided there has been no residence violation. Each day of overstay costs AED 50 according to ICP. The GDRFA warns that the total may vary depending on the visitor’s situation. A hotel, agency or airline charges its own rate: compare it with these amounts.
The 5-year tourist visa
It allows multiple entries over 5 years, without a sponsor. The official portal says it is open to all nationalities. Published conditions:
- a bank balance of US$4,000, or the equivalent, over the last six months (6-month statement);
- health insurance valid in the UAE;
- a return or onward ticket;
- a passport valid for at least 6 months.
Stay: up to 90 days a year, extendable once by 90 days, with no more than 180 days a year. In Dubai, the GDRFA shows a total of AED 3,713, including an AED 3,000 deposit, and 48-hour processing. In case of a violation, the deposit is forfeited.
The transit visa
If you are not eligible for a visa on arrival and want to leave the airport during a stopover, you need a pre-arranged transit visa of 48 or 96 hours, single entry and non-extendable. You apply through the UAE-based airline you are flying with, a travel agency or an airport hotel. According to the official portal, this visa is only required if you leave the airport.
You live in a Gulf country, in Europe or in North America
Resident of a GCC country (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman): you apply yourself for an eVisa online before you travel. Your residence permit must be valid for at least one year from your arrival date and your passport for at least 6 months; your profession must be on the list of approved professions. The visa is valid for 30 days, extendable once by 30 days. In Dubai, the GDRFA shows AED 252.50 (AED 100 application, AED 100 issue, AED 52.50 service) and 48-hour processing.
Resident of France, Canada, the United States or the United Kingdom with a Lebanese passport only: we found no official rule specific to your case. The simplified pre-approved visa granted to holders of a residence permit or visa from these countries covers, according to the Emirates page, only certain nationalities (India, Indonesia, Kenya, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Vietnam), not Lebanon. You therefore need one of the visas above.
Dual nationals: the rules depend on the passport you travel on. On the UAE ministry’s list, French, Canadian, US, British and Brazilian passports are listed as “Visa Free”; the Nigerian passport is listed as “Visa Required”.
The electronic visa centre in Beirut
On 3 February 2026, ICP announced the upcoming opening of an electronic visa issuance centre in Beirut. According to its press release, the centre is to handle visit, medical treatment, study and work visas, check documents (passport, medical report, certificate of good conduct), take ten-finger prints, iris scans and facial images, and hold interviews for work visa applicants.
On 28 September 2026, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it would open “next month”, so in October 2026, so that applicants in Lebanon can complete the procedure without leaving the country. On 23 October 2026, no official source gave an opening date, address, opening hours or booking method. The centre does not remove the visa requirement: it adds a place to apply. Be wary of any “appointment” sold before an official announcement.
Rumours of a visa suspension
Lists of countries “targeted by restrictions” circulate regularly. In September 2025, one such list, which started on a private agency’s website, included Lebanon; the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had not been informed of any such decision (L’Orient Today, 26 September 2025). On 23 October 2026, the official UAE pages we read mention no suspension for Lebanese citizens. Before forwarding this kind of claim, see our five checks.
Your Lebanese passport
It must be valid for at least 6 months on entry. Emirates states, for its online applications, that the passport must be machine-readable and that handwritten passports are not accepted. If you are leaving Lebanon with an old non-biometric “RL” passport, it can no longer be used to leave Lebanon since 1 October 2026: see our alert on RL passports. If you already live in the UAE, see Lebanese passport renewal in Dubai.
You were asked for another document, or the fees have changed? Report it.
Sources
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Visa Exemptions For Non Citizen” (Lebanon: “Visa Required”), undated, accessed 23 October 2026.
- Official UAE government portal (u.ae), “Check if you need a visa to enter the UAE”, updated 13 July 2026, accessed 23 October 2026.
- u.ae, “Tourist visa” (5-year visa, intermediaries, eVisa for GCC residents), updated 1 October 2026, accessed 23 October 2026.
- u.ae, “Transit visa”, updated 28 July 2026, accessed 23 October 2026.
- u.ae, “Work visa”, updated 7 August 2026, accessed 23 October 2026.
- u.ae, “Visa fees and fines”, updated 13 July 2026, accessed 23 October 2026.
- ICP, service card “Issuance of a Visa” (conditions, fees, 2-day processing), accessed 23 October 2026.
- GDRFA Dubai, “Issuing a visit visa for a relative or friend for one entry”, accessed 23 October 2026.
- GDRFA Dubai, “Multi-Entry Visa for a relative or friend”, accessed 23 October 2026.
- GDRFA Dubai, “Issuing a multi-entry tourist visa (5 years)”, accessed 23 October 2026.
- GDRFA Dubai, entry visa for residents of the GCC countries, accessed 23 October 2026.
- ICP, press release on the electronic visa centre in Lebanon, 3 February 2026.
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, opening of the electronic visa centre in Lebanon “next month”, 28 September 2026.
- Khaleej Times (press), “UAE to open electronic visa centre in Lebanon next month”, 28 September 2026.
- Emirates (airline, secondary source), “UAE visa information” (visa on arrival, pre-approved visa for certain nationalities, passports), accessed 23 October 2026.
- L’Orient Today (press), “Has the UAE tightened visa restrictions for Lebanese citizens?”, 26 September 2025.
Checked on 23.10.2026.