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Embassies · United Arab Emirates

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates Embassy & Application Centre

Submission process, processing times, document requirements, and flight reservation guidance for United Arab Emirates visa applications.

Where to apply

Issuing authority: ICA

Embassy/consulate location: Pretoria

Application route: Airline-sponsored (Emirates/Etihad/flydubai)

Processing time: 3-5 business days

Government fee: US$110 (approximate, varies by visa type)

Most visas sponsored by airlines or hotels — apply through them, not direct.

Submission checklist

Whether you submit at the Pretoria embassy directly, via Airline-sponsored (Emirates/Etihad/flydubai), or online, the file you assemble follows a similar pattern:

  1. Passport with 6+ months validity — bio page copy and any prior visas.
  2. Completed application form — typed, signed, with recent passport-size photo attached.
  3. Flight reservation — verifiable PNR showing entry to United Arab Emirates on a real airline route, with return/onward dates aligned to your stated visit length.
  4. Accommodation proof — hotel bookings, host invitation, or rental agreement for the full stay.
  5. Financial documents — bank statements for the last 3-6 months showing sufficient funds.
  6. Travel insurance — most embassies require coverage for the full duration.
  7. Day-by-day itinerary — what you plan to do, especially for tourist applications.
  8. Letter of employment or proof of ties — to demonstrate you'll return.

Flight reservation requirements specific to United Arab Emirates

The ICA requires every visa applicant to submit proof of onward and return travel. A flight reservation generated through an airline GDS (with a real PNR) is accepted. PDF "tickets" produced by free generators are routinely rejected because they cannot be verified.

For your United Arab Emirates application, our recommendation:

  • Use a 14-day validity reservation if your appointment is within 2 weeks.
  • Choose carriers operating DXB arrivals: DXB, AUH, SHJ.
  • If the embassy explicitly accepts dummy tickets (most do not, but a reservation is different), have a real PNR ready.