UAE: Is travel insurance mandatory for 5-year tourist visa holder every time they fly to UAE?

[Editor's Note: This story was originally published in December 2022. It is being promoted again after officials made a clarification regarding this visa.]

Question: I hold a five-year multiple-entry tourist visa. Is it mandatory to have travel insurance every time I fly to UAE?

Answer: In the UAE, a five-year multiple-entry tourist visa has been introduced by the Cabinet Decision No. 65 of 2022.

Article 15 of the Cabinet Decision sets forth the conditions and qualifications to obtain the five-year multiple-entry tourist visa.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

Under UAE law, the authority may issue a multi-visit visa for the purpose of tourism that is valid for five years without requiring a guarantor. The applicant is required to provide evidence of a bank balance of $4,000 or its equivalent in foreign currencies during the last six months preceding the submission of the application.

The multiple-entry tourist visa allows the beneficiary to stay in the country for a continuous period not exceeding 90 days; the Authority may extend it for a similar period, provided that the full period of stay does not exceed 180 days in one year.

The period of stay may be extended for a period of more than 180 days per year in exceptional cases to be determined by a decision of the President.