Visiting the United Arab Emirates is a dream for many Indians. It has all the makings of a Bollywood movie – sparkling city lights, luxury fashion and glamour that will enchant you for days.
Dubai has well-established
itself as a tourist destination for Indians. With a larger Indian migrant community, it makes for a great first international vacation with its somewhat familiar surroundings and food options too.
And while Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE and the city has a lot to offer in terms of tourism, it is only just establishing itself as a tourist spot. To further entice tourists from India to visit this emirate, the Abu Dhabi government has introduced a new scheme. However, it is a limited-time offer.
Read on to find out more.
The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has announced a new programme where they will cover the visa costs of Indian tourists. Indians with Indian passports, who are travelling from India, can get their UAE entry visa free of charge. The catch is that they have to book an Abu Dhabi holiday of at least three nights under this new tourism initiative. This scheme will run from August 1 to October 31, 2026, and will initially cover up to 20,000 visas.
Who is eligible?
The programme is open to Indian passport holders departing from India. To qualify, travellers must:
- Book through a participating travel partner or online travel agency
- Stay for at least three consecutive nights at a hotel in Abu Dhabi
- Have a return flight from India
How the free visa scheme works
The free-visa offer is available through participating travel partners and online travel agencies.
- Participating travel companies can use one of two arrangements to process visas.
- They can work through a Destination Management Company appointed by DCT Abu Dhabi, in which case the department will cover the visa cost directly.
- Alternatively, travel partners can continue working with their existing destination management companies. Under this option, DCT Abu Dhabi will reimburse Dh285 for each visa issued.
Khaleej Times reported that the DCT Abu Dhabi said the programme is part of its continued engagement with the Indian market and follows initiatives to strengthen air connectivity, expand travel trade partnerships and create new opportunities for Indian visitors to experience Abu Dhabi.
“India continues to be one of our most important international markets, and we remain committed to working closely with our travel partners to make Abu Dhabi even more accessible for Indian travellers,” said Abdulla Yousuf, Director of International Operations at DCT Abu Dhabi.
He added, “By covering the cost of UAE entry visas, we are making it simpler for Indian travellers to choose Abu Dhabi while giving our travel partners another compelling reason to recommend the destination.”
