Abu Dhabi Transit Visa or UAE Visa on Arrival: A Guide for Indians Flying between USA and India via Abu Dhabi

Usually, Indians with a Green Card or valid US visa like H1B, don’t need a transit visa for Abu Dhabi. Even if your US visa has expired, you can book Etihad flight tickets from USA to India and spend a reasonable layover at Abu Dhabi without requiring any UAE visa. This is a great convenience of flying through the Middle East vs Europe. However, an Abu Dhabi transit visa may help you out during unprecedented events like a long transit layover.

When the Middle East conflict was escalating in and after mid-June, multi-country airspace closure caused international departure delays and connecting flight cancellations. Thousands of transit passengers, including Indians from the US and other countries, got stuck at Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Doha airports for unusually long hours. The situation became worse especially on 23 June. Etihad Airways could provide accommodation at its partner hotels outside the terminal only to the passengers having a transit visa.

Among the passengers of Etihad Airways flights from Chicago to Mumbai, New York to Kochi, and Boston to Chennai, were an Indian family with two kids. Their onward flight to Abu Dhabi was actually on 18 June, but it was rescheduled on 20 June, and the layover at Zayed International Airport extended to 8 hours from the actual 3 hours.

At Chicago ORD Airport, they were informed that they would get complimentary accommodation during the long layover. But at Abu Dhabi Airport, they learned that only those having a UAE tourist visa or transit visa could exit the terminal and access the hotel. While a UAE tourist visa must be arranged in advance, an Abu Dhabi transit visa (or UAE visa on arrival) can be obtained in real time for a fee of AED 100 (approx. $27) per person.

As they were a group of four travelers, the visa on arrival would additionally incur them a little more than $100 in total. The situation was so overwhelming that they chose to keep away from serpentine lines for the visa on arrival at Abu Dhabi Airport. They received vouchers for an economy lounge which was no way better than a waiting area. They just walked away and got into a business class lounge at their own expense.

This brings into light the importance of having a transit visa even for Abu Dhabi or Dubai in the Middle East. Precisely, having a transit visa is like “better safe than sorry”.

UAE Visa on Arrival vs Abu Dhabi Transit Visa for Indian Nationals

When a scheduled layover becomes longer than usual, Etihad Airways like other airlines provides accommodation at Zayed International Airport. However, when accommodation options get exhausted within the airport, transit passengers get access to the airline’s hotel partners outside the airport. This is where a UAE visa on arrival and/or an Abu Dhabi transit visa works for Indian nationals. The entry visa on arrival in UAE costs AED 100 and is valid for 14 days. Indians holding a valid visa or residence permit of USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand are eligible for it.

In the UAE, both the visa on arrival and a transit visa help international travelers to exit the airport during a layover and for a stopover. The UAE transit visas come for 48 hours and 96 hours. You should apply for either of the two in advance, as processing typically takes 3 to 5 working days.