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South African passport holders need a Dubai visa issued before they travel; the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists South Africa as visa required. For a holiday from South Africa, a Dubai tourism establishment applies for a GDRFA tourist visa costing AED 210 for 30 days. South Africans who live in the UK, the EU, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan, South Korea or Singapore have had a separate ICP route since .
Flying from South Africa
Your airline will not board you without the e-visa, so it comes first. You do not apply to GDRFA yourself; an accredited Dubai travel agency, hotel or the airline's holiday arm does it. The choices are:
| Stay | Single entry | Multiple entry |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days | AED 210 | AED 315 |
| 60 days | AED 315 | AED 525 |
GDRFA fees including VAT, checked . Agencies add their own fee on top, so a 30-day visa sold online is usually about AED 336 to AED 350.
What you send: passport scan with 6 months of validity or more, a photo, the return ticket and travel insurance that is valid in the UAE. GDRFA works to 48 hours. Leave a week before your flight if you can; a blurry passport scan is the most common reason for a resubmission.
Living abroad: the ICP route
When ICP widened its visa for nationals residing abroad, South Africa joined India and five others. The point is simple. A South African in London or Sydney already passed another country's checks, so the UAE accepts that.
- What qualifies. A valid visa or residence permit from the US, an EU state or the UK, or a residence permit from Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada, Singapore or New Zealand.
- 14-day visa. AED 100 in ICP's announcement, extendable once while you are in the UAE.
- 60-day visa. AED 250 issuance plus AED 100 smart services. Single entry, not extendable, used within 30 days of issue. ICP states 2 days.
- Your family. Accompanying family members can use it too, if they meet the same nationality and residence conditions.
Source: ICP announcement and ICP service page, checked . A UK visitor visa is listed as qualifying on the ICP service page, but the announcement speaks of residence permits only, so confirm with ICP or your airline if all you hold is a visit visa.
Visiting family in the UAE
If a relative lives in the UAE, they can sponsor an ICP visit visa of 30, 60 or 90 days instead. Parents and children of the sponsor need the sponsor to earn AED 4,000 a month; siblings and cousins need AED 8,000. The sponsor also lodges a refundable guarantee. See Dubai visit visa for the full fee table.
Frequent visitors
Business travellers who fly up several times a year should look at ICP's 5-year multiple-entry tourist visa. It totals AED 3,720, of which AED 3,000 is a refundable guarantee. You need USD 4,000 in the bank for the last 6 months, and each stay is capped at 90 days with 180 days a year.
After you arrive
Track the visa with the GDRFA tool on visa status check. Keep an eye on the exit date, because the overstay fine is AED 50 for each extra day (overstay fine in Dubai). If you are coming to look for work, the job seeker visa UAE is designed for that.
Neighbouring countries: Zimbabwe, Kenya and the full Dubai visa by nationality list.
Our part
Tell us where the traveller lives, because that decides the route. A South African resident in Europe may be better on the ICP 60-day visa than a standard tourist visa; someone flying from Durban needs the GDRFA one. The partner team prepares and files the application, uploads the documents in the accepted format, and sends the e-visa when it is issued. You agree one total price first, with the government fee and service charge shown on separate lines. WhatsApp us or use the form on this page.
