# Do you need a visa for an Abu Dhabi layover?

You need no visa to change planes at Zayed International Airport without leaving it. To step out, UK, US, Canadian, Australian and most EU passport holders get a visa on arrival, and passports that don't need an Etihad transit visa or a visa arranged before they fly.

- Web page: https://abudhabilayover.com/visa-and-transit/
- Guide: [Abu Dhabi Layover](https://abudhabilayover.com/), an independent layover guide to Zayed International Airport (AUH), part of City Layover
- Updated 7 November 2026; facts checked 7 November 2026

## Short answer

To stay airside at Abu Dhabi airport, you need no visa. To leave, UK, US, Canadian, Australian and most EU passports get a 90-day visa on arrival (Irish passports get 30 days). Passports not on the list, including Indian, need an Etihad transit visa (AED 55 for 48 hours, AED 216 for 96 hours) or a visa arranged before travel. Your passport needs 6 months' validity to enter.

## At a glance

- **Airside**: No visa needed, no stated time limit
- **UK, US, EU, Canadian, Australian passports**: Visa on arrival, 90 days (Irish: 30 days)
- **Etihad transit visa**: AED 55 (48 hours) or AED 216 (96 hours)
- **Transit visa decision**: About four business days
- **Passport validity**: 6 months from entry

## If you stay airside

Most connections at Zayed International Airport (AUH) never touch UAE immigration. After you land, follow the purple **Transfer** signs, not Arrivals or Baggage Claim, and go through security screening.

- **Any passport**: you need no visa to stay airside. The US State Department says "transit passengers only require a visa if exiting the airport", and Etihad says you only need a visa "if you're planning on leaving the airport to explore Abu Dhabi".
- **Passport validity**: the UK FCDO asks for an expiry date at least 3 months after the day you transit if you don't pass immigration.
- **Time limit**: no page from the airport or Etihad states how long you may stay airside.
- **Connecting flights**: on a single ticket your bags are normally moved between aircraft for you. If you don't hold a boarding pass for your onward flight, use the Transfer Desk just after the security screening. Etihad's shortest connection is 45 minutes, and 85 minutes for flights to the United States.

## If you want to leave the airport

You're entering the UAE, so you need permission to do so.

| Passport | What you need to leave Abu Dhabi airport |
| --- | --- |
| UK | Visa on arrival, free, valid up to 90 days in 180 (FCDO) |
| US | Visa on arrival, up to 90 days in 180 (State Department) |
| Canada | Visa on arrival, free, 90 days within 180 (Government of Canada) |
| Australia | Tourist visa on arrival (Smartraveller); 90 days on Emirates' list |
| EU, except Ireland | Visa on arrival, 90 days, multiple entry, on Emirates' list |
| Ireland | Visa on arrival, free, 30 days, on Emirates' list |
| India | Not on the visa-on-arrival list: Etihad transit visa, or a visa arranged before you fly |

The airport's own list names these countries without saying how long each may stay, and "is provided for general guidance and is subject to change without notice". The UAE government's portal doesn't print a list, so the stay lengths above come from each country's government where it says, and otherwise from the visa page of Emirates, the Dubai airline. Check your own country's page before you fly. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date you enter, machine-readable and in good condition.

### Etihad's transit visa

For passports that can't get a visa on arrival and want to leave the airport. Etihad sells two lengths: **AED 55 for 48 hours** and **AED 216 for 96 hours**, single entry and not extendable, valid for entry within 30 days.

- **Apply through Etihad.** Etihad says "you can currently only apply for a transit visa with Etihad Airways". It takes around four business days, so apply well ahead.
- **You need a confirmed ticket** to Abu Dhabi and onward to a third destination, and a passport valid for six months.
- **Where it works.** Visas requested through etihad.com can only be used to enter through Zayed International Airport.
- **Minimum layover.** Etihad sets none. Visit Abu Dhabi says that with "more than four hours before your next flight, you can apply for a transit visa". This guide plans on at least 5 hours.

### The 14 and 60-day visas for Indian passport holders

The UAE's Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) offers Indian ordinary-passport holders a **14-day visa for AED 100**, extendable once, or a **60-day visa for AED 250**, single entry, if they hold a valid visa, residence permit or US Green Card from the US, an EU country or the UK, or a residence permit from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea or Singapore. Since 25 June 2026 the same visas are open to Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, Philippine, Kenyan and South African passport holders.

You apply online on the ICP's Smart Services site, which says each visa takes 2 days and adds a AED 100 smart services fee, and you then have 30 days to enter. Neither the ICP's service page nor its announcement mentions issuing the visa at the airport, so arrange it before you fly.

## If you're on separate tickets

Abu Dhabi doesn't move your bags between flights on separate tickets: the airport says bags are transferred automatically only on a single ticket or with partner airlines. So you collect your bags, which means passing immigration, and you need permission to enter the UAE even if you plan to stay at the airport.

## At the border

The airport's Smart Gates are for "a UAE resident or eligible national", and the airport doesn't name tourists, so expect the staffed desks. No source publishes immigration queue times, so this guide allows about an hour from landing to the taxi. See [getting into the city](https://abudhabilayover.com/getting-to-the-city/).

## Before you go landside

- Check whether your bags are checked through to your final destination.
- Plan to be back at the airport 90 minutes before departure, with your onward boarding pass, or earlier if you still need to check in or drop a bag. Etihad's check-in closes 60 minutes before departure in Economy.
- Flying to the United States? Etihad says to arrive at least four hours before your flight, and pre-clearance is mandatory for US-bound passengers.
- See [getting into the city](https://abudhabilayover.com/getting-to-the-city/) for rides and timing.

## Questions people ask

### Do I need a visa to change planes at Abu Dhabi?

Not if you stay airside. Etihad says you only need a visa if you plan to leave the airport, and the airport's transfer guide sends connecting passengers to the Transfer signs and security screening, not to immigration. Your passport still needs at least 3 months' validity, says the UK FCDO.

### Do UK and US citizens need a visa for an Abu Dhabi layover?

They get one on arrival. UK passport holders receive a free visa valid up to 90 days in 180, says the FCDO, and US passport holders a non-renewable visa for up to 90 days in 180, says the State Department. You need at least 6 months' validity on your passport.

### Do EU, Canadian and Australian citizens need a visa for an Abu Dhabi layover?

They get one on arrival. Canada's government says Canadians get a free visa on arrival for 90 days within 180, and Australia's says Australians are eligible for a tourist visa on arrival. Emirates' UAE visa page lists Australia, Canada and every EU country but Ireland for a 90-day visa on arrival, and Ireland for a free 30-day one.

### Do Indian citizens need a visa for an Abu Dhabi layover?

Not to stay airside. India is not on the airport's visa-on-arrival list, so leaving needs a visa arranged before you fly: an Etihad transit visa, or, if you hold a valid US, UK or EU visa or residence permit, or a residence permit from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea or Singapore, a 14-day visa (AED 100) or 60-day visa (AED 250) from the UAE's identity authority, applied for online.

### How much is the Etihad transit visa and how long does it take?

AED 55 for 48 hours or AED 216 for 96 hours, for entry within 30 days. Etihad says processing takes around four business days, and you need a confirmed ticket to Abu Dhabi and onward to a third destination. It can only be used to enter through Zayed International Airport.

### How long a layover do I need to get a transit visa?

Etihad sets no minimum. Visit Abu Dhabi says that with more than four hours before your next flight you can apply for a transit visa to explore the city. This guide plans on at least 5 hours between flights.

### Do I need a visa if I'm on separate tickets through Abu Dhabi?

You need permission to enter the UAE. The airport says bags move automatically only on a single ticket or with partner airlines, so on separate tickets you collect your bags, which means passing immigration.

## Sources (checked 7 November 2026)

- [Zayed International Airport: transfer guide (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.zayedinternationalairport.ae/en/flights-and-check-in/connecting-at-auh/transfer-guide)
- [Zayed International Airport: visa, passports and customs (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.zayedinternationalairport.ae/en/plan-and-prepare/before-you-travel/visa-passports-and-customs)
- [Zayed International Airport: baggage transfer](https://www.zayedinternationalairport.ae/en/flights-and-check-in/connecting-at-auh/baggage-transfer)
- [Zayed International Airport: terminal guides (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.zayedinternationalairport.ae/en/plan-and-prepare/at-the-airport/terminal-guides)
- [u.ae: check if you need a visa to enter the UAE (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/visa-and-emirates-id/Visa-information/do-you-need-an-entry-permit-or-a-visa-to-enter-the-UAE)
- [u.ae: transit visa (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/visa-and-emirates-id/Types-of-visas/transit-visa)
- [Etihad: UAE visa information (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.etihad.com/en/plan/travel-essentials/visa)
- [Etihad: help, plan your trip (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.etihad.com/en/help/faq/plan-your-trip)
- [UK FCDO: UAE entry requirements (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/united-arab-emirates/entry-requirements)
- [US State Department: UAE country information (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/UnitedArabEmirates.html)
- [Government of Canada: UAE entry and exit requirements (updated 14 Oct 2026, checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://travel.gc.ca/destinations/united-arab-emirates)
- [Australian Government Smartraveller: UAE visas (updated 8 Oct 2026, checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/middle-east/united-arab-emirates)
- [Emirates: UAE visa information, visa on arrival lists (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://www.emirates.com/us/english/before-you-fly/visa-passport-information/uae-visa-information/)
- [UAE Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship: 14-day visa (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://icp.gov.ae/en/services-details/?serviceid=68e3532c5ae59b0011738404)
- [UAE Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship: 60-day visa (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://icp.gov.ae/en/services-details/?serviceid=68f5bcdb8c587a0011cb16d5)
- [UAE Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship: eligibility widened for the 14 and 60-day visas (25 Jun 2026)](https://icp.gov.ae/en/media-center/icp-expands-eligibility-for-uae-entry-visa-for-nationals-of-certain-countries/)
- [Visit Abu Dhabi: transit guide (checked 7 Nov 2026)](https://visitabudhabi.ae/en/plan-your-trip/travelling-to-abu-dhabi/transit-stopover)