Destination Dubai

In 2019, in the glorious pre-pandemic times, Dubai was one of the top tourist destinations in the world. In 2019 16.73 million people applied for the Dubai Visa! Out of these Dubai Visa for Indians accounted for almost 12% of the total visas. Thus a whopping 1.97 million Indian tourists visited Dubai. With the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine globally, Dubai tourism has got an immense boost. A record number of tourists are flying into Dubai to celebrate Christmas and New Year after a virtually travel-less year due to the pandemic. In fact the travel rebound started from October 2020 onwards to Dubai which has been further aided by the good news of the Covid-19 vaccine. The year 2021 shows even more potential with an anticipation of getting close to pre-covid levels of tourists into the emirate by the winter season on 2021.

Covid-19 Travel Plans?

Dubai is open to tourists once again. The UAE has started accepting Visa applications for Tourist Visas for tourists travelling from India. It is however mandatory to get a Travel Insurance and Covid-19 certification prior to entering the country. Please check for the latest information about COVID-19 travel and testing requirements prior to travelling to, from or connecting through Dubai.

At the time of writing this section (Dec 2020) tourists must take two COVID 19 PCR tests; one prior to departure from their home country with a validity of 96 hours from the date of the test, and a second test upon arrival in Dubai. The certificate must be for a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Other test certificates including antibody tests and home testing kits are not accepted in Dubai. Travellers must bring an official, printed certificate in English or Arabic to check in – SMS and digital certificates are not accepted.

Dubai - a popular tourist destination for Indians

What makes Dubai one of the favourite destinations for Indian tourists is the short journey, multiple low cost flights and an easy process to get a Dubai tourist visa specially with the Dubai Visa on arrival for Indian tourists. Dubai has also started an easy process to apply for Dubai Visa Online. Dubai offers something for everyone. From the tallest buildings in the world, to dune bashing, there is a plethora of things to do in Dubai. It is also easy to visit Abu Dhabi which is the financial capital of the UAE. The drive from Dubai to Abu Dhabi is only about 170km. There are multiple modes of travelling from flights which are typically 45 minutes to driving (by taxi or bus) which takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Something for everyone

There is something for people of all age groups to do in Dubai. For children there are amazing theme parks, aquariums and safaris. For teenagers there are numerous amazing malls, dune bashing, indoor skiing, visiting the souks of Diera etc. Then there are the evergreen favourites such as a visit to the Burj Khalifa, Dhow Cruise, a short visit to Abu Dhabi, hiking etc. Given your age, you may end up deciding on getting a Dubai student visa or a Dubai work visa to be able spend an extended period of time in this wonderful emirate.

Visa, Flights and Accommodation

Today it is possible to get a holiday package or travel on your own to Dubai for virtually any budget. First step is to apply for Dubai visa under an appropriate visa class such as - Dubai working visa, Dubai visitor visa, Dubai business visa etc. Visa2Fly’s service of Dubai visa application online submission makes getting the visa a hassle free and effortless task. Then comes booking a flight ticket - there is a flight to Dubai from all metro cities and also from many tier-2 cities. There are many budget airlines to Dubai or to Sharjah along with plenty of legacy airlines. Accommodation is also aplenty in Dubai. From hostels to hotels one can choose their living quarters as per their preference. Beware though that in peak season, availability of all types of accommodation becomes scarce and prices can increase exponentially.