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United Arab Emirates

Nationality · visas, permits and migration

Moved to OECD countries, 2023
2,571
Top destination, 2023
Australia
U.S. non-immigrant visas, FY2025
14,773
UK visas issued, 2025
499
Schengen visa refusal rate, 2024
23.7%
NationalityAEISO 3166
Year by year
Data as at 2025
NA<AEUNITED<ARAB<EMIRATES<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
AE2<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<4

Visa requirements for a short visit

Whether citizens of the United Arab Emirates need a visa for a short tourist or business visit, according to the legal lists. Rules change; check the official source before travelling.

DestinationShort visitLegal basis
Schengen areaNo visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day periodRegulation (EU) 2018/1806 (consolidated 30.12.2025)
United KingdomNo visa; electronic travel authorisation (ETA) requiredImmigration Rules, Appendix Visitor / ETA National List
CanadaNo visa; electronic travel authorization (eTA) needed to flyIRPR s. 190, Schedule 1.1
Hong KongNo visa for visits of up to 30 daysImmigration Department (HKSAR), visit visa requirements, 31.12.2025
Source: Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (consolidated 30 Dec 2025); UK Immigration Rules, Appendix Visitor and ETA National List; Canada IRPR s. 190 and Schedule 1.1; Immigration Department (HKSAR), visit visa requirements as at 31 Dec 2025Data as at Oct 2026

Where people from the United Arab Emirates move

Inflows of foreign nationals by country of nationality, as recorded by each destination (OECD).

Inflows to OECD countries, 2023
  1. Australia1,062
  2. Germany746
  3. South Korea386
  4. Türkiye130
  5. Japan67
  6. United States50
  7. Canada25
  8. New Zealand21
  9. Israel16
  10. France12
  11. Switzerland11
  12. Austria9
  13. Netherlands9
  14. Belgium9
  15. Italy7

Inflows to all OECD countries by year

2,5525,104200020032006200920122015201820212023
2,5525,1042000200420082012201620202023
Data table
20003,593
20015,019
20025,104
2003882
20041,309
20051,902
20062,112
20071,574
2008742
20091,041
2010997
2011806
20122,097
20131,849
20144,504
20153,935
20162,660
20172,461
20181,939
20192,025
2020768
20211,456
20222,371
20232,571
Share going to the top destination
41.3%
Destinations recording arrivals
15
Source: OECD, International Migration Database (OECD.ELS.IMD), accessed 24 Oct 2026Data as at 2023

Living abroad

People born in the United Arab Emirates who live in another country: mid-year estimates of the international migrant stock (UN DESA). Where a destination records citizenship rather than country of birth, its foreign citizens are counted.

Largest destinations, 2024
  1. Canada36,578
  2. Kuwait28,593
  3. India19,941
  4. Australia17,673
  5. Palestine14,071
  6. Türkiye12,928
  7. Qatar10,034
  8. Bahrain7,139
  9. Mali3,990
  10. Libya3,130
  11. New Zealand2,976
  12. Sri Lanka1,707

Living abroad by year

83k166k19901995200020052010201520202024
83k166k19902000201020202024
Data table
199061,137
199574,060
200093,827
200586,261
2010108,381
2015121,499
2020142,981
2024166,074
Living abroad, 2024
166,074
Change since 2000
+77.0%
Share living in the largest destination, 2024
22.0%
Source: United Nations, DESA Population Division, International Migrant Stock 2024 (CC BY 3.0 IGO)Data as at 2024

United States

Visas issued to citizens of the United Arab Emirates by U.S. consulates (fiscal years, October–September) and certified PERM labor certifications.

Non-immigrant visas by class, FY2025
  1. B1/B211,990
  2. A21,748
  3. F1596
  4. D183
  5. J153
  6. A146
  7. G240
  8. G134
  9. F231
  10. B214

Non-immigrant visas by fiscal year

9,92720k201720182019202020212022202320242025
9,92720k20172019202120232025
Data table
20179,874
201817,708
201917,866
20206,351
20217,816
202215,672
202319,854
202419,765
202514,773
Immigrant visas by class, FY2025
  1. E3395
  2. IR1149
  3. IR298
  4. F393
  5. F475
  6. SQ337
  7. EW31
  8. CR128
Immigrant visas, FY2025
1,069
Certified PERM labor certifications, FY2024 (latest year with citizenship)
5
Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, monthly visa issuances (public domain); U.S. Department of Labor, OFLC PERM disclosure data (public domain)Data as at FY2025

Green cards and U.S. citizenship

People born in the United Arab Emirates who became U.S. lawful permanent residents (green cards) or U.S. citizens, and admissions of citizens of the United Arab Emirates with an I-94 record (DHS, fiscal years).

Green cards by fiscal year

9801,9602015201620172018201920202021202220232024
9801,960201520172019202120232024
Data table
20151,190
20161,370
20171,310
20181,380
20191,590
20201,250
20211,330
20221,960
20231,840
20241,590
Green cards by class of admission, FY2024
  1. Employment-based preferences610
  2. Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens470
  3. Family-sponsored preferences200
  4. Refugees and asylees140
  5. Diversity visa lottery110
  6. Other classes50
Temporary worker admissions (I-94), FY2024
  1. Intracompany transferees (L-1)70
  2. Extraordinary ability (O-1, O-2)20
  3. Specialty occupations (H-1B)10
  4. Athletes, artists and entertainers (P)10
  5. Spouses and children10
Green cards, FY2024 (born in the United Arab Emirates)
1,590
Naturalizations, FY2024 (born in the United Arab Emirates)
840
I-94 admissions, FY2024 (citizenship)
30,700
Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Homeland Security Statistics, Yearbook of Immigration Statistics 2024 (public domain)Data as at FY2024

United Kingdom

Entry clearance visas issued to nationals of the United Arab Emirates (Home Office) and students with a permanent address in the United Arab Emirates (HESA).

Visas issued by group, 2025
  1. Study265
  2. Visitor174
  3. Other37
  4. Work22
  5. Family1

Visas issued by year

20k41k201020122014201620182020202220242025
20k41k201020132016201920222025
Data table
201024,826
201128,394
201229,893
201340,602
20148,944
20158,780
20167,571
20176,432
20185,674
20194,945
20201,747
20212,281
20222,623
20232,235
2024779
2025499
Students at UK universities, 2024/25
8,850
Source: Home Office, Immigration system statistics (year ending June 2026), Open Government Licence v3.0Data as at 2025

Canada

Permits and invitations for citizens of the United Arab Emirates, by year the permit took effect (IRCC).

YearTFWP workIMP workStudyPermanent residentsExpress Entry invitations
202506515500
20240559050
2023070180100
202208550100
20210352000
20200201000
201903025150
20180202050
20170102050
2016052500
20150103000
Source: IRCC, monthly open data (rounded to the nearest 5). Open Government Licence – CanadaData as at 2025

Australia

Temporary skilled visas (subclass 457 to 2018, then 482) granted to primary applicants who are citizens of the United Arab Emirates, by financial year ending 30 June (Home Affairs).

Primary visas granted by financial year

5102005–062009–102011–122013–142015–162017–182019–202023–242024–25
5102005–062010–112013–142016–172019–202024–25
Data table
2005–061
2007–083
2009–102
2010–114
2011–125
2012–136
2013–1410
2014–159
2015–1610
2016–172
2017–184
2018–191
2019–201
2020–211
2023–242
2024–251
Granted, 2025–26
0
Share of all Australian grants, 2025–26
0.0%
Source: Department of Home Affairs (Australia), BP0014 Temporary Resident (skilled) visas granted, data locked at 30 Sep 2026 (data.gov.au, CC BY)Data as at 2025–26

Japan

Citizens of the United Arab Emirates living in Japan at the end of each December, by status of residence (Immigration Services Agency of Japan). 2020 and 2021 were published only as database tables.

Foreign residents in Japan

621242012201420162018202220242025
621242012201420162018202220242025
Data table
201257
201369
201480
201598
201687
201775
2018115
2019124
202283
202379
202475
202578
By status of residence, December 2025
  1. Student54
  2. Designated Activities12
  3. Cultural Activities2
  4. Permanent Resident2
  5. Spouse or Child of Japanese National2
  6. Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International Services2
  7. Dependent2
  8. Intra-company Transferee1
  9. Highly Skilled Professional1
Residents, December 2025
78
In work-related statuses
4
Share in work-related statuses
5.1%
Students
54
Source: Immigration Services Agency of Japan, Statistics on Foreign Residents (在留外国人統計), Table 1, end of December (e-Stat; Government of Japan Standard Terms of Use 2.0)Data as at Dec 2025

Schengen visas in the United Arab Emirates

Short-stay (C) visa applications at Schengen consulates located in the United Arab Emirates, 2024. Applicants are mostly, but not only, its citizens.

Schengen stateApplicationsIssuedNot issuedRefusal rate
Germany32,95623,3998,77826.6%
Netherlands29,47322,4275,93920.2%
France28,77823,0935,39918.8%
Switzerland27,14821,2515,78821.3%
Spain24,79919,4204,48218.1%
Italy23,24019,5273,70115.9%
Greece17,97414,6953,06217.0%
Denmark12,8467,9276,39149.8%
Norway12,0078,6993,30827.6%
Hungary9,7176,4633,25433.5%
Czechia9,0156,5312,38026.4%
Belgium6,5885,3671,18017.9%
Sweden4,6932,7011,91440.8%
Austria4,3783,2181,10125.1%
Poland2,3111,91938516.7%

Applications by year

130k260k2009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
130k260k200920122015201820212024
Data table
2009133,067
2010158,423
2011165,821
2012189,653
2013210,480
2014253,765
2015224,202
2016201,995
2017206,232
2018217,433
2019226,811
202042,091
202176,275
2022187,196
2023233,932
2024260,229
Refusal rate, 2024
23.7%
Refusal rate, 2019
18.6%
Source: European Commission, DG Migration and Home Affairs, visa statistics for consulates (CC BY 4.0)Data as at 2024

Residence permits in Europe

First residence permits issued to citizens of the United Arab Emirates in EU and EFTA countries, 2025 (Eurostat).

First permits by reason
  1. Other reasons381
  2. Education129
  3. Work47
  4. Family19
First permits by country
  1. Greece323
  2. Spain61
  3. France52
  4. Germany41
  5. Italy20
  6. Switzerland18
  7. Ireland11
  8. Netherlands10
  9. Poland8
  10. Portugal6
  11. Serbia6
  12. Sweden5
Work permits by type, 2025
  1. Highly skilled workers (national schemes)16
  2. Researchers6
  3. Other paid activities25
EU Blue Cards granted, 2024
4
Citizenships acquired in the EU, 2024
50
Students in EU/EFTA tertiary education, 2024
3,888
Refused entry at EU external borders, 2025
25
Valid residence permits, 31 Dec 2025
1,501
Long-term residence permits issued, 2025
25
Intra-corporate transferee permits, 2025
4
Source: Eurostat (migr_resfirst, migr_resbc11, migr_acq, educ_uoe_mobs02, migr_eirfs, migr_pop1ctz), CC BY 4.0Data as at 2024–2025

National statistics in Europe

Citizens of the United Arab Emirates in the figures of national statistics offices: residence permits granted in Denmark, immigrations by grounds for settlement in Sweden and immigrants with a non-EU/EFTA nationality by migration motive in the Netherlands; Finland and Austria publish immigration and emigration by citizenship only.

CountryYearImmigrationEmigrationNet migration
Finland2025101
Austria202518153
Source: Danmarks Statistik, Statistikbanken VAN66 and VAN77M (CC BY 4.0); SCB (Statistics Sweden), Statistikdatabasen TAB1614 and TAB6670 (CC0); CBS (Statistics Netherlands), StatLine 84809NED (CC BY 4.0); Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus), StatFin 11a8 (CC BY 4.0); Statistik Austria, OGD_bevwan020_AUSSENWAND_100 (CC BY 4.0)Data as at 2025

Foreign embassies and consulates in the United Arab Emirates

Countries with an embassy or consulate in the United Arab Emirates, as recorded in Wikidata.

CountryEmbassiesConsulates-generalConsulates
Afghanistan1——
Albania1——
Algeria1——
Angola1——
Argentina1——
Australia1——
Austria1——
Azerbaijan1——
Bahamas1——
Bahrain1——
Bangladesh1——
Belarus1——
Belgium1——
Bosnia and Herzegovina1——
Brazil1——
Canada1——
Chad1——
Chile1——
China11—
Colombia1——
Costa Rica1——
Cyprus1——
Czechia1——
Egypt1——
Estonia1——
Eswatini1——
Finland1——
France11—
Gambia1——
Georgia1——
Germany11—
Ghana1——
Greece1——
Guinea1——
India1——
Indonesia11—
Iran1——
Iraq1——
Ireland1——
Israel1——
Italy1——
Japan11—
Jordan1——
Kosovo1——
Latvia1——
Lithuania1——
Luxembourg1——
Malaysia11—
Maldives1——
Malta1——
Mexico1——
Moldova1——
Montenegro1——
Morocco11—
Mozambique1——
Nepal1——
Netherlands1——
New Zealand1——
Nigeria1——
North Macedonia1——
Norway1——
Pakistan11—
Palestine11—
Panama1——
Poland1——
Portugal1——
Romania1——
Russia1——
Saudi Arabia1——
Serbia1——
Seychelles1——
Singapore1——
Slovakia1——
Slovenia1——
South Africa1——
South Korea1——
Spain1——
Sweden1——
Switzerland1——
Syria1——
Tunisia1——
Türkiye11—
Ukraine1——
United Kingdom2——
United States—1—
Uruguay1——
Countries
86
Missions
97
Source: Wikidata (CC0)Data as at Oct 2026

All corridors from the United Arab Emirates

Destinations with a dedicated page for citizens of this country.

  • United Arab Emirates → Germany
  • United Arab Emirates → Netherlands
  • United Arab Emirates → France
  • United Arab Emirates → Switzerland
  • United Arab Emirates → Spain
  • United Arab Emirates → Italy
  • United Arab Emirates → Greece
  • United Arab Emirates → United States
  • United Arab Emirates → Denmark
  • United Arab Emirates → Norway
  • United Arab Emirates → Hungary
  • United Arab Emirates → Czechia
  • United Arab Emirates → Belgium
  • United Arab Emirates → Australia
Source: OECD, International Migration Database (OECD.ELS.IMD), accessed 24 Oct 2026Data as at 2023

Official data, not advice. Visa Atlas publishes figures from government registers and statistics. It does not assess eligibility or give immigration advice; for advice, consult a regulated adviser. Read more