A US visit visa, called a tourist visa in the UAE, is officially the B1/B2 visitor visa. B1 is for short business trips and B2 for tourism, visiting family or friends and medical visits. It is not a work visa. Unlike most visit visas, it is decided at an interview.
Which US visa do you need?
For tourism, visiting family or friends or a short business trip, the visa is the B1/B2 visitor visa, and it is usually issued as a single visa covering both. Whether you need a visa at all depends on your passport, and a few nationalities can travel under a visa waiver programme instead. Check the State Department’s information for your passport before you plan.
This guide is for UAE residents who need a visa and apply in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
Documents required for a US visit visa
These are the classic documents for your interview, in the order you will use them:
- Passport. Valid for your trip. We ask for at least 6 months of validity beyond your intended stay. Bring any previous passports too.
- UAE residence visa and Emirates ID. They show where you live and work, and your link to the UAE.
- DS-160 confirmation page. The online form DS-160 gives you a confirmation page with a barcode. Bring that page, not the full form. Every answer on the form must match your documents.
- Photo. A recent photo that meets the DS-160 photo specifications. You upload it with the form.
- Visa fee receipt. The visa fee is USD 185 (about AED 680) per person, non-refundable. Keep the receipt.
- Appointment confirmation. Your interview appointment confirmation, with the date, time and location of your interview.
None of the following is a mandatory list. According to the State Department, the consular officer may ask for additional documents that show the purpose of your trip, your intent to leave the US after your visit and/or your ability to pay the costs of the trip, and evidence of your employment and/or your family ties may be enough to show the purpose of your trip and your intent to return. We prepare these documents to support your answers:
- Proof of your job. An employer letter on company letterhead with your role, salary and length of employment, or your trade licence if you run a business.
- Bank statements. Recent personal statements, usually the last 3 to 6 months, to show you can pay for the trip. If someone else pays, their evidence can be shown instead.
- Proof of your ties to the UAE. Whatever applies to you: your job, family here, property, a business, children in school.
Additional documents depend on your profile: see the next section. The officer may not ask for the supporting papers, but the file behind your answers must be ready.
What changes with your profile
Open the situation that matches yours.
Employed in the UAE
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Bring an employer letter with your role, salary and approved leave dates. The salary should match what you say at the interview and the deposits in your statements.
Self-employed or business owner
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Bring your trade licence and recent statements that show real activity. Be ready to explain what your business does in a few clear sentences.
Someone else pays for your trip
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Be ready to say who pays and why. If a family member pays, bring their statements and a short letter confirming what they cover, and a document that shows your relationship. A letter of invitation or an affidavit of support is not needed to apply for a visitor visa.
Visiting family or friends in the US
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Your host’s details help explain the purpose of the trip, but the visa is decided on your own residence and ties abroad, not on assurances from family or friends in the US.
Travelling with children
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Each child has their own DS-160. If a child travels with only one parent, bring a consent letter from the other parent and proof of the relationship.
Previously refused, or with an earlier US visa
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Answer every question about previous refusals and previous US visas honestly on the DS-160. A refusal from another country should also be declared where the form asks.
Ties, funds and the interview
- There is no fixed minimum amount for a visitor visa, and no official list of financial documents. The officer decides from your answers and what you can show.
- The question behind the interview is whether you will return to the UAE at the end of your stay. A strong file answers it with a stable job or business, family here, property and a clear, realistic reason for the trip.
- Your answers must be consistent with your DS-160, your documents and your travel history. Keep your statements consistent with the income you declare, and be ready to explain any large deposit.
- Do not book flights or non-refundable travel before the visa is issued.
How to apply for a US visit visa from Dubai or Abu Dhabi
- Step 1. Prepare and check your information and documents.
- Step 2. Complete the online form DS-160 and keep the confirmation page.
- Step 3. Pay the visa fee and keep the receipt.
- Step 4. Book your interview appointment.
- Step 5. Attend your interview with your passport, your DS-160 confirmation page and your appointment confirmation. The consular officer decides on your answers.
The interview is the part that decides the application, so it is worth preparing your answers and your file together.
US visit visa cost from Dubai and Abu Dhabi
The US government visa fee is USD 185 per person, about AED 680 at current rates. It is mandatory and non-refundable, and it stays valid for one year from the date of payment for booking your appointment.
Our service fee is separate: AED 450 (Standard, launch price until 31 December 2026), AED 2,450 (Express, appointment within 40 days from your completed DS-160 and paid visa fee, or a full refund of our fee) or AED 360 per person from 3 applicants (Family). See the pages for our US visit visa service and the full cost.
How long it takes, and how long the visa lasts
The wait that matters is the interview appointment. The first available appointment has recently been around 2 to 3 months away, based on our recent clients: this is not an official figure and it changes. Express commits to an appointment within 40 days.
The validity of the visa and the length of each stay are decided by the authorities, so plan your trip around the visa you actually receive.
Common mistakes that lead to a refusal
- Weak evidence of ties: the officer is not convinced you will return to the UAE.
- Answers at the interview that do not match the DS-160 or the documents.
- A DS-160 with errors, or a photo that does not meet the specifications.
- Not declaring a previous refusal or an earlier US visa.
- Relying on a letter of invitation or on promises from people in the US.
- Booking non-refundable travel before the visa is issued.
A refusal means paying the visa fee again and waiting for a new appointment. Visa approval always remains at the discretion of the US authorities.
Want us to check your file?
The official guidance is generic. We prepare your DS-160, check which documents your own profile needs, and prepare you for the interview questions so that your answers and your file tell the same story. See our US visit visa service for the packages.
Official sources
Rules and fees can change, so check the official pages before you apply: