UAE Visa for Indonesian Citizens: 2026 Entry Guide

Indonesian passport holders became eligible for a conditional visa-on-arrival as part of the UAE's June 2026 expansion, joining Kenya, South Africa, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines in a newer second tier of visa-on-arrival nationalities that works differently from the original, unconditional visa-on-arrival list many travelers are more familiar with.

The key condition Indonesian travelers need to understand is that this visa-on-arrival eligibility isn't based on passport alone: to qualify, an Indonesian national generally also needs to hold a valid visa or residence permit from one of a specific set of approved countries, commonly cited examples include the US, UK, EU member states, Canada, Australia, Japan, Singapore, or South Korea, alongside their Indonesian passport. Without one of these qualifying documents, an Indonesian traveler generally still needs to apply for a standard UAE eVisa in advance, through the ICP portal, an airline, or an authorized travel agent, rather than assuming the June 2026 update covers every Indonesian passport holder unconditionally.

For Indonesian nationals traveling for employment rather than tourism, a meaningful and growing category given the UAE's expanding trade and labour ties with Indonesia, the relevant process is the standard employment visa sequence, an employer-secured MOHRE work permit, entry permit, mandatory medical fitness test, Emirates ID registration, and residence visa stamping, entirely separate from either the conditional visa-on-arrival or the standard eVisa route used for tourism.

Because this conditional visa-on-arrival category is still relatively new and its exact terms have already been refined since introduction, Indonesian travelers should verify their specific eligibility and the current list of qualifying countries directly through ICP or GDRFA shortly before departure, and should carry documentation of the qualifying visa or residence permit when traveling, rather than assuming border staff will process an on-arrival entry without it.