How to obtain a UAE visa?

To enter in the United Arab Emirates you may need a visa, and this one can be obtained either upon your arrival at the airport or you may need to obtain it prior to your arrival, depending on your nationality. For example, some countries like Great Britain, Japan and Canada can obtain the visa upon arrival but others like Russia, Brazil and Mexico need to arrange it in advance. If your country falls in the second category then there are a few things you need to know:

Who arranges your visa?
-Your 'sponsor', which if you are a tourist means the hotel, or your tour operator or the airline.

Not all hotels are ready to help you with your visa arrangements, so I suggest contact them first and make sure they will help you, before you make any reservations with them. In the case of airlines, if you travel by Emirates Airlines they will help you with the arrangements, if you travel by Etihad Airways they won't help you. As with the hotels, check before you buy your ticket.

What is the process to apply for the visa?
-The hotel will send you via email a visa application form that you need to fill in and return with a color copy of the first four pages of your passport, a recent color photo 4.3cm x 5.5cm size and a copy of the front and back of your credit card.

Why they need a copy of the credit card?
-To pay for the visa which is about 500AED (fee is subject to change)

When should I start the visa application process?
-At least 2 weeks before your arrival in the UAE.

What happens next?
-Once the visa is ready, the hotel will send you a copy. It is important that you print this copy and bring it with you because you will need it. The original will be at the airport, so make sure they know where you will arrive (for example, we were staying in Dubai but arrived at Abu Dhabi airport).

Abu Dhabi International Airport

One last note: We contacted several hotels in Dubai regarding our visa arrangements but the one that replied to us the most promptly and accurately was the Raffles Hotel, we obtained our visa following the process mentioned above through this hotel. If you obtain your visa through an airline or tour operator the process may be slightly different, so check with them in advance.