A Belgian passport makes the entry side of a Dubai trip simple. Belgians don't apply for a UAE visa in advance. Instead, they receive a free entry stamp on arrival, valid for 90 days within any 180 days. For a holiday, the Dubai visa for Belgium citizens is therefore sorted at the airport. The real preparation comes earlier: picking a school break that avoids the worst heat, checking your bank card, getting approval for certain medicines and knowing where to turn for help.
Travelling with family on other passports
The free stamp is tied to your passport, not your household. Moroccan, Turkish and Congolese passports, for example, don't qualify for a UAE visa on arrival, so relatives who travel on them need a Dubai visa from Belgium before they fly. A few nationalities, including Indian citizens, can get a visa on arrival with an EU residence permit valid for at least six months, such as a Belgian residence card. For everyone else, our step-by-step Dubai visa application guide explains what to do.
Flying from Belgium to Dubai
Brussels Airport has one non-stop link to Dubai: Emirates, with two departures a day and a flight time of around seven hours. Dubai is three hours ahead of Belgium in winter and two hours ahead during summer time.
In 2026, regional hostilities closed Gulf airspace and led several European carriers to halt flights to Dubai for months. Check the FPS Foreign Affairs travel advice for the UAE and your flight status when you book, and again just before you leave.
Choosing a Belgian school holiday
Dubai's coolest month is about as warm as a Brussels July: average highs reach 24°C in January, against about 23.5°C in Brussels in July. By July and August, Dubai's highs average 41°C. Here is how the school breaks compare:
- Autumn break (late October for French-speaking schools, early November for Flemish schools): the heat is easing, with average highs of about 35°C in October and 30°C in November.
- Christmas holidays: Dubai's mildest weather, with highs around 24–26°C.
- Carnival or krokus break (February to early March): still comfortable, with highs of about 25–28°C.
- Spring: the Flemish Easter holiday (late March to mid-April) brings highs near 30°C. The French-speaking spring break (late April to early May) is noticeably hotter, at 33–38°C.
- Summer holidays (July and August): the hottest months of the year, so plan mostly indoor days.
Cash, insurance and hospital bills
Dubai Customs requires a declaration if you arrive with more than AED 60,000 in cash or its equivalent. The European Health Insurance Card is valid only in the EU, the EEA, Switzerland and the UK, so it won't cover treatment in Dubai. The FPS Foreign Affairs lists travel insurance as mandatory for the UAE, including medical care, legal assistance and repatriation. It also warns that hospitals ask for payment upfront. Check what your health fund's travel assistance and your card insurance really cover.
Consular contacts for Belgians
The UAE's embassy in Brussels also covers Luxembourg and the EU institutions. In the UAE, Belgium's embassy in Abu Dhabi (Al Masaood Tower, Hamdan Street; +971 2 631 9449) receives visitors by appointment only. Registering your trip on Travellers Online lets the FPS Foreign Affairs reach and support you in an emergency.
We are a private visa service: Dubai Visitor Visa does not represent either government and cannot give consular help.
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