Visa services from Dubai
A visit visa is decided by the consulate, not by an agent — so the only thing that changes the answer is the file you hand in. We prepare that file: the right country to apply to, the documents each mission actually asks for, the appointment, and an honest read on whether the application is worth making yet.
United States, updated September 2026: the US Mission to the UAE has suspended routine visa services since 1 March 2026. The Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate General in Dubai remain open, but routine visa processing is not available in the UAE at this time, and no resumption date has been published.
Nonimmigrant visa applicants are directed to schedule at the US Embassy or Consulate in their country of residence or nationality. For a UAE resident holding another passport, that in practice means the country of nationality. We check your nationality, the current appointment position and Presidential Proclamation 10998 before you pay anything.
Every other desk on this page — Schengen, the UK, Canada and the residency routes — is unaffected.
The visa desks
Four visit-visa destinations and two residency desks. Each page lists who the route is for, the documents required, how the process runs and what it does not cover.
How a visit visa from the UAE works
Every short-stay application answers the same four questions, whichever country you are applying to: why you are travelling, where you will stay, how the trip is paid for, and what brings you back. For the Schengen area those four are written into law — Article 14 of the EU Visa Code lists them — and the UK, US and Canadian forms ask for the same things in their own words.
For a UAE resident the fourth question is usually where the application is won or lost, and it is also where your Emirates residence works for you: a residence visa with time left on it, an employment contract, a tenancy, family here and a salary paid here all answer it. A file that leaves that question open is the one that comes back refused.
You do not choose the Schengen consulate. The country that decides your application is your sole destination, or — on a multi-country trip — the main destination by number of nights or by purpose, and only if neither settles it, the country whose external border you cross first. Applying to the wrong mission is a refusal that has nothing to do with your circumstances.
- Eligibility first. We look at your passport, your UAE residence, your travel history and the purpose of the trip, and say plainly whether to apply now or fix something first. This part is free and it is sometimes the whole answer.
- The document list for your mission. Not a generic checklist. The list the consulate or visa application centre you are applying to publishes, plus the evidence your own situation needs.
- Forms and appointment. Application form completed and checked, fee paid on the official channel, biometrics appointment booked at the centre that serves your emirate.
- File review before submission. Every page read once more against the list, dates and names cross-checked, and anything thin flagged to you before it is handed over rather than after.
- Submission and follow-up. Lodged, tracked, and you are told what the status means. If it is refused we read the refusal notice with you and say whether a fresh application has anything new to say.
The four visit-visa desks at a glance
Government fees only. Visa application centres charge their own service fee on top, and none of these figures includes anything AL HUDHUD charges — our fee is quoted per file, in writing, before any work starts.
| Destination | Government fee | Published decision time | Applied for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schengen area (29 countries) | EUR 90 adult · EUR 45 child aged 6 to under 12 · free under 6 | 15 calendar days, extendable to 45 | At the visa application centre for the deciding country, in Dubai or Abu Dhabi |
| United Kingdom — Standard Visitor | GBP 135 for a visit of up to 6 months | 3 weeks, for applications made outside the UK | Online on GOV.UK, then biometrics at a visa application centre |
| United States — B1/B2 | USD 185 application fee | No published standard — appointment and processing times are per post | Form DS-160 online, then an interview at the consulate |
| Canada — visitor visa (TRV) | CAD 100 per person, plus CAD 85 biometrics (CAD 170 per family) | No published standard — IRCC publishes an estimate per country | Online with IRCC, then biometrics at a collection point |
Sources: EU Visa Code (Articles 16 and 23); Home Office fee table and GOV.UK visa waiting times; US Department of State visa fees; IRCC fee list. Read as published on the review date at the foot of this page.
What we do, and what we do not
What we do
- Tell you whether the application is worth making now, before you pay anything.
- Work to the document list the deciding mission publishes, not a generic one.
- Complete and check the form, pay the fee on the official channel, book the appointment.
- Quote our fee in writing, itemised, before work begins.
- Read a refusal notice with you and say honestly whether to reapply.
What we do not do
- Promise a visa, a grant rate or a decision date. The consulate decides; we cannot.
- Submit a document we have not seen, or a statement we cannot support.
- Offer "guaranteed" or "urgent" approval routes. There are none.
- Give legal or immigration advice — we prepare and clear documents.
More on both: How it works and Why AL HUDHUD.
Guides for this desk
Written from the rules themselves, with every requirement linked to the authority that sets it.
- Schengen Visa from Dubai: Document Checklist for UAE Residents
- Common Schengen Visa Refusal Reasons and How to Avoid Them
- UK Standard Visitor Visa from Dubai: Documents and Processing Time
- UK Standard Visitor Visa: What It Allows and What It Does Not
- US B1/B2 Visa Interview Preparation from the UAE
- Canada Visitor Visa from Dubai: Documents and Fees
- The Schengen 90/180 Rule Explained: How to Count Your Days
- Ten Visit Visa Application Mistakes, and How to Avoid Them
- How to Organise the Documents for a Visa Application
- Applying for a Schengen Visa as a Family from the UAE
- Keeping Your Travel History Consistent Across Visa Applications
Common questions
How much is a Schengen visa from Dubai in 2026?
EUR 90 for an adult and EUR 45 for a child aged six to under twelve, set by Article 16 of the EU Visa Code; children under six are exempt, as are several study and research categories. The visa application centre charges a separate service fee, and our fee is quoted per file.
Which Schengen country do I apply to?
The one that is your sole destination. On a multi-country trip, the main destination measured by nights or by purpose. If neither settles it, the country whose external border you cross first. The form asks for both your main destination and your first country of entry, so a mismatch is visible immediately.
Do I need ETIAS as well?
No. The European Commission states that ETIAS is not in operation and that no applications are being collected; it is scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2026, with the date to be announced. When it does start it applies to travellers who are visa-free, not to people who hold a Schengen visa. Commission note on EES and ETIAS
What is the Entry/Exit System, and does it affect me?
It affects you at the border rather than in the application. The Commission states the Entry/Exit System has been fully operational since 10 April 2026: it registers your travel document, your biometrics and each entry and exit, which is how your ninety days in any one-hundred-and-eighty are now counted.
How long does a UK Standard Visitor visa take?
GOV.UK publishes three weeks for applications made outside the UK, and notes that the count follows the UK working week and includes UK public holidays. Busy seasons run longer, so book travel around the decision, not the other way round. GOV.UK visa waiting times
What is the DS-160?
The online nonimmigrant visa application form every US visitor-visa applicant completes before the interview. The Department of State publishes it as Form DS-160, and the visitor visa application fee is USD 185. US visitor visa page
Is there a new USD 250 "visa integrity fee" on US visas?
Not on the published schedule. A visa integrity fee was created by section 100007 of the 2025 reconciliation act, but the Department of Homeland Security’s July 2025 fee notice states that it “requires cross-agency coordination before implementing” and that “the fee will be implemented in a future publication” DHS fee notice, July 2025. The Department of State’s own fee page lists USD 185 for a visitor visa and no integrity fee, checked on the review date at the foot of this page. Budget for the published fee, and read the fee page before you pay anything.
Can you guarantee my visa?
No, and neither can anyone else. The consulate decides. What we can do is make sure the file answers every question it will be judged on, and tell you before you spend money if it does not.
What does it cost?
Quote on request. Government and centre fees are published and shown above; our fee depends on the route and the file, and is agreed in writing before work starts.
Last reviewed 28 September 2026 against the official sources linked above. Government fees, forms and timelines change. Figures here are the published ones on the date above; always read the authority’s own page before you rely on a number. AL HUDHUD prepares and submits files - the authority decides them, and no agent can promise an outcome.
Enquire about a visa
Tell us where you are going and an advisor calls you back with an honest read on eligibility, the document list for your mission, and an itemised quote. Free, no obligation.