Moving to the UAE from Pakistan: visas, attestation and the routes that apply

The most important thing to know is what is not true. No official channel we checked states a visa on arrival for a Pakistani passport. Pakistan is not in the 30-day, 90-day or 180-day visa-on-arrival tiers published by Emirates and flydubai, and it is not among the nationalities in ICP's Entry Visa for Nationals of Certain Countries (India, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Thailand, the Philippines, Kenya and South Africa). flydubai states plainly that "passport holders of all other countries need to have pre-arranged visas". If a website tells you Pakistanis get a visa on arrival, treat it as wrong until an official UAE page says so.

What Pakistani nationals do use is a pre-arranged, sponsored route. The choice depends on why you are coming.

Pakistani applicants are named on a UAE documentary rule that most nationalities are not. GDRFA Dubai's tourist and visit cards require an "identity card for the country of origin" for Iraq, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan; Emirates lists "Pakistan | National ID Card" as an additional required document; and MOHRE requires workers from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran to provide a clear copy of both sides of a valid national ID card. In practice: carry a valid CNIC or NICOP copy for any UAE visa or work-permit application. The Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai also publishes visitor guidance — passport valid for six months, a valid visa, a hotel booking, at least AED 3,000 in cash or a valid credit card, the sponsor's contact details where applicable, and a return ticket dated before the visa expires.

Pakistani certificates are not accepted in the UAE until they are attested. Pakistan joined the Hague Apostille Convention in 2023, but the UAE is not a party, so a Pakistani apostille alone is not enough — the UAE embassy and UAE MOFA steps still apply. The chain has a Pakistan side (which body attests the certificate, then MOFA Pakistan) and a UAE side. The UAE Embassy in Islamabad and the Consulate General in Karachi run a digital attestation that, in one application, also delivers the UAE MOFA attestation inside the UAE.

The Consulate General of Pakistan in Dubai publishes some fees for counter-attesting MOFA Pakistan-attested documents. In most cases the applicant must attend in person with the originals.

There is no Pakistan-specific Golden Visa or company-formation rule on ICP, the UAE Government portal, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, the Commercial Companies Law or the free-zone pages. Pakistani nationals apply under the general rules — see the Golden Visa hub and company setup from Pakistan. Driving-licence exchange in Dubai is also not confirmed: Pakistan is not on RTA's 20 exception-country list, and the wider nationals-only list did not render as readable names, so expect to open a traffic file and take the tests unless RTA's selector shows Pakistan.

For a trip, start with the visa guide for Pakistani citizens. For a move, read UAE residence visa and get your Pakistani certificates into the attestation chain early — the HEC and IBCC steps take time. Ask for a review below if you want a person to check the sequence.