If your final destination on the cruise is UAW. You will need a visa, even if you are just going from cruise port to the airport and go staright home. We found out the hard way in Brazil.

Here is the information for UAS visa.

Passport required.
- Passport or passport replacing documents of visitors must be
valid for:
- at least 3 months from the date of entry, for visits of up
to 3 months; or
- at least 6 months from the date of entry, for visits
exceeding 3 months.

Visa required.

Visa Issuance:
- E-visas for Dubai (DXB) can be applied for, prior to
departure, through the internet at www.ednrd.ae .

Additional Information:
- Valid visas in expired passports are accepted provided
accompanied by new passport.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Eschew. Tried the website but it seems to be under construction or at least I am unable to navigate my my around it. Sounds like there is a required security deposit besides the visa requirement.

Has anyone else had trouble with this site?

Rivet,

I haven't had to use the site so can't help. Does the cruise line offer any guidance?

I checked the site and got no where. It seems its for people who are applying to wprk and/or live there and you have to register 1st.

Maybe this website will be of some assistance.

http://www.emirates.com/english/plan_book/essential_information/visa_passport_information/uae_visas.aspx

Sorry, my bad. That was old information I have. Below is the updated link.

http://dubai.ae/en/Lists/Articles/DispForm.aspx?ID=134&event=Planning

I have been told there is a list of 33 countries that passport holders can get free visa upon arrival at the airport. Canada is on the list. Note it said airport. The UAE 96-hour tourist visas (or 96-hour transit visa or 96-hour visit visa) is new for 2012.

Embassy of United arab Emirates in Canada
125 Boteler St. Ottawa , ON K1N 0A4
Phone: (613) 565-7272
Website: http://www.uae-embassy.com
Email: safara@uae-embassy.com

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and links. This is not easily settled , but I'll give an update. One of the issues seems to be that my folks are arriving via the cruise terminal.

As well there is some confusion about the types of visas - Transit, Tourist ( also called Visit) or Long Term.

I have contacted 2 hotels in Dubai, Shangri-la and the Fairmont and both hotels are willing to help with the visa. The Shangi-la insists that the Transit visa and the Tourist visa are the same visa, but from what I have read, they are not. There is a significant price difference between the two, the Tourist visa being about $250 US and valid for 30 days.

The Transit visa, which has been quoted different amounts seems to be available for a period of up to 96 hours, which would be fine, but I am not 100% certain% that Canadians qualify. It seemed earlier on that the Transit visa is unique to entering UAE via the airport, not the cruise terminals. Emirates Air and some hotels can help facilitate this visa but the Celebrity Cruises, despite many calls, has been no help. We will remember that as we plan a Family Cruise next year for 22 of us.

My contact at the Fairmont has checked twice and believes that the Transit visa is available to people coming in through the cruise terminal. There is nothing written about this, but I am hopeful this is correct.

Eschew, your link has been most helpful and is now updated to:

www.uae-embassy.ae/ca

If anyone is especially good at diciphering the embassy code and has some time to please have a look at the site and give me your thoughts as to whether you think my folks can come in from Barcelona via the cruise then leave through Dubai on this transit visa.

The Canadian Embassy does not offer Transit Visa.... it's only available from hotels and Emirates Air ( traveling Emirates, and at the airport). The hotels apply for the visa 10 days before arrival , which is fine for most people but my parents dont use email easily. Another worry would be that they would be refused , though I don't anticipate that at all.

More updates:

Shangri-la will only facilitate a visa to guests arriving by AIR.

Fairmont will arrange the Tourist visa, 500AED, with a 10000AED guarantee to be refunded upon proof of leaving the country. 500 AED =134CAD, 10000 AED = 2700CAD

WOW!

The Ministry of Interior's Dubai Naturalization and Residency Department (DNRD) is the sole administrative authority responsible for issuing visas. Their home page is still www.ednrd.ae but the other link is the updated visa information page. If you apply for a visa via "ednrd" (the "e" is for e-commerce of the DNRD), you have to set up an account. You can track your visa application progress and visa status on line. The uae-embassy link is not the same place.

You may also want to try Marhaba Service and see if they have services available at the Dubai cruise terminal. Marhaba Services are available at the Dubai airport terminals.
E-mail : marhaba@marhabaservices.com

What airline you flew out from msy also makes a difference. If you flew with Emirates or Etihad, they can get visas for you cheaper. You should try them anyway and ask questions. They have offices in Toronto. Below is a link to Canadian visa information and application for Etihad. http://www.ttsuaevisas.com/Home/Index.aspx?CountryID=26

We were looking at a cruise with Dubai being one of the many ports. We have been told (by RCL) that we can stay on the ship and not disembark, or get our own visas so we can get off the boat. (RCL was useless for UAE visa info, different calls yielded different answers, RCL also owns Celebrity). They offered this stunning info: tour comapnies can assit in obtaining visas, just not through the cruise line. Brilliant! The ship's name was Brilliance of the Sea - no pun intedned.

For stops in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, we actually needed multi-visit visas. For whatever time we may have in port, not sure if it is worth spending all that $$$. We decided to look elsewhere but here is the tour company info: http://www.viadubaitravels.ae/visa_info.htm

As an aside, Dubai is very expensive. Their confusing visa requirement beats Russian Visa requirements hands down. We will follow this thread and see how it all worked out in the end.

Brilliance of the Sea. LOL!

Marhaba Services will not assist when arriving via the Dubai cruise terminal. Confirmed with email.

Departing Dubai with Emirates will not entitle customers to get their visa. Need to be flying In and OUT. Confirmed on their website.

The best solution to this tangled UAE visa is to stay in a 4 or 5 star hotel and they can assist with the 30 day Tourist visa for 500 AED ( currently $ 134 CAD). We have chosen the Fairmont, thanks to a F and F rate through our friend, John. Over the moon about that rate!

If Canadian travelers choose not to stay in Dubai at all, and only pass through on the way to the airport, they are still accountable for arranging the 30 day Tourist visa, which seems a real shame.

$250 for a quick drive by?

IMO, you might as well stay a night in a posh hotel and get the visa for a reduced rate as otherwise the Canadian Embassy charges a flat rate of $250 CAD. Nice.

There is some concern, by our Cruisers, that all will not work out well in the end.... The hotel applies for the visa 10 days ahead of arrival and the Cruisers are already worried about HOW they will prove that they have a Tourist visa. I imagine the visas will be scanned in an email and expect the Fairmont will assist in getting the papers to my folks so they can take the Dubai tour offered by the cruise line as they disembark.

Will report back after the cruise. Mid November.

Hi there.

We are also in the process of finding out about a Visa for Dubai. My husband and I are both Canadian citizens and will be cruising both in (at 6am) and out ( at 6pm) of Dubai on the same day in May 2013 on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

This has been very confusing and any help on what type of Visa and how to obtail it, would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Hi Vikmik,

The visa process for Canadians is both confusing and costly.

From what I have been able to find out, you have 2 choices:

1. Stay on the ship during the time in Dubai.

2. Purchase a Tourist Visa for the 12 hours in Dubai.

Considering the cost of the visa to Canadians, you might consider staying onboard the ship - treat yourself to a spa day. Really a person could endulge in a few treatments for a similar price of what a day in Dubai will be.

The cruise that my parents are taking ends in Dubai, so there was no question of whether they would GET the Tourist Visa ....more a matter of the METHOD of getting it.

A Tourist Visa is required to enter the UAE - even if the the only line of travel is from the cruise terminal to the airport. That's the rule. Period. There is no Visa-on-arrival. It was suggested in various correspondence that a visa application can not be approved in a single day and that the visa office is closed Friday and Saturday. Emirates AIr has a discounted visa but not for people arriving by ship, only by air, and only is the carrier is Emirates. Obviously.

My folks are spending 2 days in Dubai, which enables them to apply for the visa through their hotel. Not every hotel is willing to do this. It's mainly the 4*, 5* hotels but luckily the cruisers have reservations at the Fairmont. The visa is approximately $135, four pages to fill out, photos and passport copies. The hotel applies for the visa 10 days in advance of arrival and emails the documentation. If the reservation is cancelled, there is a small processing fee.

The other way to get the visa is through the Canadian Embassy, which passes on a hefty processing fee so the visa charge escalates to $250. You read that correctly.

Either Tourist Visa is valid for 30 days from the entry date.

Hope this helps.

Thanks rivet for your response....

Would love to stay on the ship, but upon calling Royal Caribbean today they have advised that we cannot board unless we have Visa in hand. I explained that we didn't want to get off, but she claimed it doesn't matter. Oh boy it looks like we are going to have an expensive day!

I also contacted the Dubai visa service via email advising of the situation and they said it was too soon to discuss with them and to contact them in April 2013 and they would know then if any other type of visa is available for cruise ship passengers for the day . Well this is just too late as we actually leave in April 2013 from the first port, and we don't want to cut it that short ..we have too much invested in the cruise to,play this game!

I will keep trying to get more info at least we don't sail until April 2013.

Thanks agin for yor help. Very frustrating for sure.... Guess I had better start saving!

If you stay in Dubai airport less than 8 hours you don't need to get a visa. If more than 8 hours in airport then you need to get a visa. As i know you cannot get visa on the airport.

visit www.dubaivisacanada.ca processing visa 24h to 28h .