As of January 2, 2011, Canadian passport holders are required by law to obtain a visa to enter the UAE. These changes came into effect during the UASE Canada flight dispute. Whether this was in retaliation or not, the directive remains in effect. Before you travel from Canada to Dubai, you should make sure you know what is required of you. A Dubai/UAE visit visa can be obtained on arrival. This is the visit visa whose duration of validity is between 30 and 60 days. For Canadians, no prior arrangements are needed for a traveler to obtain a visa.
The visa stamp is free and that makes it cheaper for Canadians to get a UAE/Dubai visit visa. This is free for visitors arriving in the country via Abu Dhabi Airport, Dubai International Airport, or any other UAE airport. If you are arriving by land, you may be required to pay a stamp fee of Dh20-30 at the border point. Upon visa expiration, a Canadian citizen can easily renew their visa.
If you prefer to leave Canada on your visa, you can obtain one at the UAE Embassy in Ottawa. In order to obtain the Ottawa visa, you must meet the minimum application requirements.
UAE visa requirements for Canadians
1. Complete the Visa application form correctly along with the file attached in the form.
2. A recently taken clear passport size photo.
3. A copy of your passport; the passport must be valid for at least six months from the day of arrival in the UAE.
4. Payment of the visa fee, which can be made by money order, money order check or certified check. This must have the correct Canadian dollar amount made out to the UAE Embassy in Ottawa.
5. The completed visa application form along with the money order and a prepaid return envelope, duly addressed, must be sent to the embassy 15 business days before the scheduled date of departure. These must be sent by mail to the Embassy addressed to the Visa Section.
You should be aware that if your visa application is rejected, you will not get a refund of the money you sent to the embassy.
Due to heightened security, the Dubai immigration authorities conduct random eye checks on visitors. This is a purely random exercise; if you are asked to go for one, you must cooperate. For the evaluation, you will need to present a printed copy of your visa or a printed version of the page on which the visa number is stamped. However, if you do not have a copy, one can be produced for you for a fee of 30 dirham.
Unfortunately, if you have been to Israel, your visa application will be automatically rejected upon realizing this fact. If he does not disclose this and UAE immigration personnel find out that he has been to Israel in the past, he will be deported.