Dubai Information

Visa for Canadians to the UAE

Up until last year, Canada was one of the 30 countries whose nationals did not require a visa to enter the UAE. This was a privilege that Canada enjoyed alongside countries like the US, Japan, France, and Germany among others. However, Canadians will now be required to apply for a UAE visa at least three weeks before flying as of January 2, 2011.

Diplomatic Row

Canada and the UAE have been in a diplomatic standoff since last year. The standoff revolves around matters airspace and the two countries’ air carriers. Canada had been entangled in a dispute with the UAE over landing rights at the local airports. The Canadian Federal government is reported to have denied UAE carriers Etihad Airways and the Emirates more landing opportunities at Canadian airports. As a result, the UAE government ordered the closure of Camp Mirage, the secret Canadian military supply base in the UAE.

Canada had been using Camp Mirage as a supply hub for its military mission in Afghanistan. Last year, the UAE government ordered for the evacuation of all Canadian military personnels on the base. This pull-out costs the Canadian government $300 million dollars.

New Visa Directives

In addition, the UAE now makes it compulsory for Canadians wishing to travel to this nation in the Gulf to obtain a visa in order to do so. The UAE Embassy in Canada released and posted its new rates and directives on its website in November 2010. It requires Canadian nationals to pay up to C$1,000(US$998) to obtain entry visas into the UAE.

The new visa rates released by the UAE Embassy are as follows:

• Short-term (30 days), non-renewable visa will cost $249(C$250)
• Long term(3 months), non-renewable visa will go for 499(C$500)
• 6-month multiple entry visa will fetch $998(C$1,000). This visa permits a maximum stay in the UAE of up to 14 days per visit.

The Embassy emphasized that the visa costs are non-refundable in the event that a visa is denied to the applicant. It, however, stated that the requirements are subjected to change in the future.

Kindly note: Visa rules are subject to sudden change without warning. The UAE Embassy in your country or the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD), the relevant authority in the UAE, is the only source of information that can be relied upon. The validity period for a free visit visa on arrival change often.