Dubai visa guide for Latin American passport holders

This is probably the first thing any Latin American traveler needs to know before booking a flight to Dubai: do you need a visa or not? The short answer is “it depends on your passport,” so this guide pulls together what news outlets and official sources report on the topic, with the disclaimer that needs repeating every time: entry rules change over time, and what follows is a reference point, not a confirmed procedure. Before traveling, check the official portal of the UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP), or the nearest UAE embassy or consulate.

Countries with visa-free entry for up to 90 days

According to a Khaleej Times report from June 2026 and an Arabian Business report citing the UAE’s official list, the following Latin American countries are in the group that can enter the UAE without applying for a visa in advance, getting an entry stamp that allows a stay of up to 90 days:

• Argentina
• Brazil
• Chile
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• El Salvador
• Honduras
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Uruguay

This benefit is usually granted for ordinary passports and covers tourism and, according to the report, short-term business trips as well. One of the sources notes that total days within a 180-day window shouldn’t exceed 90, which is worth confirming directly with the official source before planning a long or repeated stay.

Mexico: up to 180 days

The Arabian Business report places Mexico in a separate group, with a visa on arrival valid for up to 180 days — notably longer than the rest of the region. As with anything visa-related, it’s worth confirming this benefit is still in force before traveling.

Ecuador: a bilateral visa-exemption agreement

Ecuador didn’t appear on every “visa on arrival” list we reviewed, but the Ecuadorian government and the UAE signed a visa-exemption agreement in December 2024 covering ordinary, official and diplomatic passports, with a maximum stay of 90 days, as reported by the Ecuadorian outlet Primicias. The agreement covers tourism, business and short-term academic exchanges. The report doesn’t give the exact date the agreement took effect, so an Ecuadorian passport holder should confirm the current status of the agreement before buying a ticket.

Countries that, based on what we found, need a visa arranged in advance

Not every Latin American passport falls into the groups above. Two documented examples:

• Bolivia: according to a visa-processing portal checked in 2026, Bolivia isn’t on the exemption or visa-on-arrival list, so an eVisa needs to be arranged before traveling. Typical options range from 48- or 96-hour transit visas to 30- or 60-day tourist visas, with costs that, per the same source, run roughly from AED 130 to AED 720 depending on type and length.
• Venezuela: a visa-requirements comparison tool, checked in October 2026, says a Venezuelan passport needs a visa arranged before travel (there’s no visa on arrival for a regular tourist stay), with a reference cost of around US$90 and a 60-day validity from issuance for a single entry. The only visa available on arrival is a 96-hour transit visa at Dubai airport, meant exclusively for travelers connecting to a third country, with extra requirements such as an onward ticket and a hotel package.

For the rest of the Latin American passports not mentioned in the sources checked here (Panama, Guatemala, the Dominican Republic or Nicaragua, for instance), the right move is to assume nothing and confirm the specific case on the official portal or with the airline, since UAE entry policy varies country by country and changes year to year.

How it works if you want to stay longer

For 30-day entry visas, several sources mention an additional 10-day grace period before overstay fines kick in. Beyond that margin, anyone who wants to stay longer than their entry stamp allows can generally apply for an extension or a status change through the digital channels of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) or Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), paying an extra fee. The exact conditions — how many times you can extend and for how long — depend on the type of entry visa and can change, so it’s worth checking them at the time, not months in advance.

Where to confirm the official information

• The portal of the UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP).
• The website of the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFA), which lists diplomatic missions by country.
• The nearest UAE embassy or consulate to your country of residence.
• The airline you’re flying with, which usually verifies entry requirements before check-in.

In short

• Visa-free entry for up to 90 days: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay (per 2023-2026 sources).
• Mexico: up to 180 days.
• Ecuador: a bilateral exemption agreement signed in December 2024, up to 90 days, pending confirmation of its current status.
• Bolivia and Venezuela: need a visa arranged before traveling.
• For any other Latin American country not mentioned here: assume nothing, confirm with an official source.
• Every visa rule can change without notice: final verification is always the traveler’s responsibility, close to the flight date.

To keep planning your trip, you can browse the rest of the guides on PuroDubai.