Dubai Launches New Tourist Program with 5-Year Visas and Bonuses

Dubai plans a five-year multiple-entry visa, AED 2,000 credit and a free SIM for invited tourists, plus easier visa applications. Who qualifies?

Health insurance from Visit World – your reliable companion when traveling abroad!

GET

The United Arab Emirates is preparing a package of new tourism measures for Dubai, scheduled for implementation in November 2026. The centrepiece is the Dubai Access Club, a new invitation-only membership programme that combines a five-year multiple-entry tourist visa with AED 2,000 in spending credit and a free SIM card. Alongside it, Dubai plans a simpler route to tourist visa applications and a single digital platform for key travel services.

According to Travel And Tour World, the measures are meant to attract more international visitors, encourage repeat trips and improve the visitor experience. They form part of the emirate's goal of becoming one of the world's three leading tourism destinations. The changes matter most to frequent holidaymakers, business visitors and anyone who returns to Dubai regularly.

Planning repeated stays of up to 90 days in Dubai? Who will pay if you fall ill there?

A five-year visa makes regular trips easier, but it does not cover medical bills. Health insurance on Visit World helps cover the cost of treatment abroad, so every visit to the emirate stays protected. Get your Health insurance policy online before your next trip to Dubai.

What is changing for tourists in Dubai?

Dubai is introducing three initiatives aimed at visitors. Travel And Tour World describes them as follows:

• Dubai Access Club — an invitation-only membership programme with a five-year multiple-entry tourist visa, AED 2,000 in spending credit and a complimentary du SIM card;
• easier access to single-entry and multiple-entry tourist visa applications through the official Visit Dubai website;
• an integrated digital platform, built under the Shared Digital Channels Initiative, that brings government services, visa information and attraction bookings into one place.

Together, the measures are designed to reduce travel-related difficulties and cover the whole visitor journey, from planning a holiday to exploring attractions after arrival. By combining digital services with travel incentives, Dubai aims to strengthen its position in a competitive international tourism market.

When will the new Dubai tourism measures start?

The implementation of the initiatives is planned for November 2026. The published announcement does not specify which of the three services are already available to tourists and which are still awaiting launch, so travellers should check the official Visit Dubai channels before relying on any of them.

What is the Dubai Access Club and who can join it?

The Dubai Access Club is presented as a world-first initiative. It is a membership programme for selected international visitors that offers exclusive travel experiences, services and benefits to eligible members.

The main aim of the programme is to bring tourists back to Dubai by giving them extra value on each visit. Unlike standard tourist services, the Dubai Access Club combines several travel benefits within one programme.

Membership will not be open to every tourist. Access depends on receiving an invitation and meeting the programme's eligibility conditions. The published announcement does not yet explain how invitations will be issued, who receives them, what the eligibility criteria are or which documents are needed to join.

How much does Dubai Access Club membership cost?

Membership in the Dubai Access Club costs AED 4,032.50. The announcement does not list any additional fees, so invited travellers should check the final membership terms for possible extra charges before paying.

How does the five-year multiple-entry tourist visa work?

A five-year multiple-entry tourist visa already existed in the UAE before this announcement. The Dubai Access Club is a new programme that packages this type of visa with additional privileges, such as spending credit and a free SIM card. Under the announced arrangement, the key conditions are:

• the visa is valid for five years;
• eligible members can enter Dubai multiple times during that period, subject to applicable immigration requirements;
• each stay can last up to 90 days at a time within a one-year period, subject to the programme's conditions;
• within the Dubai Access Club, the visa is offered as a membership benefit together with the other perks.

The five-year validity does not allow a tourist to stay in Dubai continuously for the whole period. It is a long-term entry permission with limits on the length of each stay.

For frequent holidaymakers, business visitors and travellers who return to the emirate regularly, the longer validity may reduce the need to apply for a new visa before every trip.

About the simplified medical visa for foreign patients in Dubai — read more at the link.

What can the AED 2,000 spending credit be used for?

Dubai Access Club members will also receive AED 2,000 in spending credit. According to the announcement, it can be used at selected hotels, tourist attractions and retail outlets across Dubai.

The credit is intended to encourage visitors to make more use of the city's hotels, shopping centres, family attractions and entertainment, while supporting tourism-related businesses.

The announcement does not list the full redemption conditions or the participating businesses. Travellers who receive an invitation will need to check the final membership terms to see where and how the credit can be spent.

Visit World services for tourists, migrants, and expats: Insurance | Guides | Legal advice

What does the free du SIM card include?

Another membership benefit is a complimentary SIM card from the UAE operator du. Visitors rely on their phones for maps, hotel bookings, transport information and tourist services, and the free SIM card is meant to make communication easier from the moment of arrival.

The benefit is likely to be most useful to tourists arriving from overseas who need mobile access soon after landing. However, the announcement does not specify the data allowance or the conditions of use.

How will tourist visa applications to Dubai change?

The second initiative concerns all eligible travellers, not only members of the club. Single-entry and multiple-entry tourist visa applications will become accessible through the official Visit Dubai website, with the aim of making the process more convenient and less complicated.

The decision-making process itself stays the same:

• visa approvals will still be handled by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs;
• applications remain subject to immigration rules and eligibility requirements;
• every visa still requires official approval.

The change affects how tourists reach the application, not the rules for getting a visa. It does not mean that visas will be approved automatically or issued to travellers who do not meet the existing requirements.

Those who plan longer stays rather than holidays may also be interested in the changes to the two-year investor visa in Dubai and the conditions of the UAE remote working visa.

What is the Shared Digital Channels Initiative?

The third measure is an integrated visitor platform that Dubai is developing under the Shared Digital Channels Initiative. It will bring together in one digital location:

• key government services;
• tourist visa information;
• bookings for attractions.

The idea is that visitors will no longer need to move between several websites and apps to plan a trip. The platform is expected to make planning easier both before departure and during the stay, and it also supports Dubai's wider digital transformation by linking tourism information with government services.

Why is Dubai introducing these measures?

All three initiatives serve Dubai's ambition to rank among the world's top three tourism destinations. The strategy rests on better services, more repeat visits and stronger international appeal.

Membership rewards are aimed at frequent travellers, simpler visa applications at easier holiday planning, and the digital platform at better access to information and bookings. As Travel And Tour World notes, the long-term effect will depend on how the measures are implemented, what the eligibility conditions turn out to be and how easily tourists can actually use the benefits.

What this means for travellers planning a trip to Dubai

The new measures do not change the current entry rules, and their implementation is planned for November 2026. Travellers should keep the following in mind:

• the Dubai Access Club is available by invitation only, and membership costs AED 4,032.50;
• the club's perks — the five-year multiple-entry visa, the AED 2,000 credit and the free du SIM card — should not be confused with general tourist visa entitlements;
• the simpler application route through the Visit Dubai website is meant for a wider range of travellers, but approval still rests with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs;
• even with a five-year visa, a single stay is limited to 90 days within a one-year period;
• eligibility rules, possible additional fees, redemption conditions and the status of each service should be checked in official announcements before planning a trip around them.

Returning to Dubai several times a year means several stays when a medical emergency can happen. Arrange Health insurance on Visit World to cover treatment costs during your trips to the UAE. Get your Health insurance policy online today.

We remind you! In our previous article, we explained how to obtain a residence permit in the UAE for those who want to stay in the Emirates for longer than a tourist visa allows.

Products from Visit World for a comfortable trip:

Travel guide for 200 countries;

Legal advice from a local specialist on visa and migration issues;

Travel insurance around the world (please select the country of interest and citizenship to receive services);

Medical insurance all over the world.

We monitor the accuracy and relevance of our information, so if you notice any errors or inconsistencies, please contact our hotline.

© 2018-2026, Visit World. Use, copying or reprinting of materials on this site is permitted only with a link (hyperlink for online publications) to Visit World. All rights reserved.