Recently, the UAE has been reported to have further extended the period of visa-free stay for Chinese citizens. In mid-April, the Chinese Embassy and the Consulate General of Dubai jointly announced that the Gulf country will be adjusting the visa waiver policy for Chinese nationals.
The adjusted policy allows anyone with an ordinary Chinese passport that is valid for 6 months or more to enter the UAE visa-free. They will be allowed to stay in the country for 90 days every 180 days. The 180 days start from the first day of entrance, and the 90 days include non-continuous stays. If the visitor overstays the 90-day visa-free period, they will be fined 60 AED (13.61 USD) for each day of overstay.
This was an extension of the existing visa-free arrangement. Previously, Chinese nationals could enjoy a visa-free stay in the UAE for 30 days if they travelled for the purpose of tourism, business, visiting (including friends and family) or transit. This was a reciprocal arrangement; hence, UAE citizens can enjoy the same policy when visiting China.
On the Chinese lifestyle platform Rednote, the topic “UAE” (#阿联酋) has a whopping 371.8 million views and 852,300 posts, while “UAE travel” (#阿联酋旅行) has 31.1 million views and 123,400 posts. The UAE, especially Dubai, has been a popular destination for travel, investment and business. On 21 April, Dubai signed an agreement with Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxi business to start a trial of self-driving cars, aiming to launch in 2026. It looks like the China-UAE ties are deepening against the backdrop of the global trade upheaval.
Need to boost your China strategy? Dao Pro delivers bespoke insights on marketing, innovation, and digital trends, direct from Chinese sources. Find out more from our Dao Strategy Team here.
