The United Arab Emirates expanded its visa-on-arrival programme on June 25, 2026, granting simplified entry to nationals of six new countries: the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Kenya, and South Africa. The announcement was confirmed by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and reported by Gulf News, The National, and the Philippine News Agency.
The move has immediate practical implications for companies operating in the UAE with multinational workforces drawn from these nationalities — a profile that covers a broad swath of employers in the region's technology, healthcare, construction, and hospitality sectors.
Who Qualifies — and What the Conditions Are
The new visa-on-arrival is not unconditional. Nationals of the six new countries must hold a valid visa, residence permit, or green card issued by one of 34 qualifying countries to be eligible. That list includes the United States, all European Union member states, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea, among others.
In practice, this programme is primarily designed for nationals of these countries who are already living, working, or studying in high-income countries and wish to travel to the UAE — for business meetings, family visits, or reconnection with colleagues based in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
Key details of the scheme:
- Entry fee: Starting from Dh100 (UAE Dirham) per person.
- Accompanying family members are also eligible under the same conditions.
- Effective date: June 25, 2026.
- Applicable at: UAE international airports and designated entry points.
Why This Is Relevant for HR and Global Mobility Teams
For multinational employers with staff distributed across different countries, this development has several practical benefits:
Easier short-term business travel. Filipino, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, Kenyan, or South African employees based in the US, UK, or EU who need to visit UAE offices for team meetings, client events, or site visits no longer face the same pre-arrival visa application burden — provided they hold a qualifying third-country residency document.
Reduced friction for candidate visits. Companies recruiting talent from these nationalities for UAE-based roles can now invite candidates for in-person interviews or orientation trips with greater ease.
Simplified family visits. Employees based in the UAE who have family members from these six countries living in qualifying third countries can facilitate easier temporary visits — reducing a personal pain point that influences employee satisfaction and retention.
Broader Context: UAE's Evolving Visa Framework
The UAE has been progressively liberalising its immigration and visa frameworks. The expansion of long-term Golden Visas, the introduction of multiple-entry tourist visas, the 2022 rollout of new work permit categories, and now this visa-on-arrival expansion all reflect a deliberate strategy to position the UAE as a global hub for talent, business, and investment.
For global mobility professionals, this signals that the UAE remains a priority destination for international workforce deployment. However, the visa-on-arrival expansion should not be confused with a general ease of work authorisation: the standard work permit and employment visa process for UAE-based roles remains unchanged, requiring employer sponsorship, Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE) approval, and relevant documentation.
Action Steps for HR and Mobility Teams
- Identify eligible employees. Cross-reference your workforce from the six eligible nationalities against qualifying third-country residency requirements to determine who benefits from this change.
- Update your UAE travel briefing materials. Employees travelling to the UAE on business should be informed of the new visa-on-arrival option and its qualifying conditions.
- Distinguish business visit rights from work authorisation. Visa-on-arrival covers short stays; any employee actually working in the UAE still requires a valid UAE work permit and residence visa.
- Leverage this for talent acquisition. If hiring for UAE roles and interviewing candidates from these nationalities based in the US, EU, or other qualifying countries, the reduced entry barrier can streamline your recruitment process.
xpath.global supports companies deploying talent into and across the Gulf region, with end-to-end work permit and visa advisory services as well as relocation and in-country support.
Get expert support on UAE work permits, residence visas, and Gulf mobility from xpath.global's in-country team.
Talk to a UAE specialistSources: UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (June 25, 2026); Gulf News; The National; Philippine News Agency.
xpath.global Editorial Team — June 2026
