Which passport are you travelling on?
Bermudians can hold two kinds of British passport, and the UAE treats them differently. A UK-issued British citizen passport gets a free visa on arrival, valid for up to 90 days within 180 days. A Bermuda-issued passport showing British Overseas Territories Citizen status doesn't qualify the same way, so arrange a UAE visa before you fly.
The difference comes from nationality status. Since 2002, most British Overseas Territories citizens have also been British citizens, so many Bermudians can hold a UK-issued British citizen passport alongside the Bermuda one. UK government travel advice describes the free visa on arrival for people travelling on a full British citizen passport. Holders of other British nationality statuses are told to check with the UAE Embassy in London. Published visa listings for British Overseas Territories citizens show a visa on arrival only when the passport carries a certificate of entitlement to the UK right of abode.
If you only hold the Bermuda passport, you can apply for your Dubai visitor visa online, step by step. For a worked example of the same pre-arranged route from start to finish.
Consular help comes from the British embassies
As British nationals, Bermudians receive consular help from UK embassies, whichever British passport they carry. UK government guidance lists British Overseas Territories citizens among the British nationals it supports abroad. In the UAE, that means the British Embassy Dubai on Al Seef Road in Bur Dubai, which sees visitors by appointment, or the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. Emergency travel documents are among the Dubai embassy's services.
For questions about UAE entry rules on a non-British-citizen passport, UK advice suggests contacting the UAE Embassy in London. Dubai Visitor Visa handles visa applications only; consular matters stay with the embassies.
Getting from L.F. Wade to Dubai
Bermuda has no non-stop service to the Gulf. L.F. Wade International Airport's routes include British Airways to London Heathrow, American Airlines and Delta to New York JFK, and Air Canada Rouge and BermudAir to Toronto. Emirates flies to Dubai from all three cities.
US-bound passengers clear US immigration before departure, through preclearance at L.F. Wade, and that affects your passport choice. A Bermuda passport with Bermudian status is exempt from US visas and cannot be used for an ESTA. A British citizen passport, by contrast, needs an approved ESTA to connect in the US.
Some airlines, British Airways among them, paused Dubai flights during the 2026 regional tensions, so check your onward leg before booking. Planning a short-notice trip on the Bermuda passport? Our urgent Dubai express visa service handles tight deadlines. The UAE immigration authority still decides the outcome and timing. You can then check your visa status using your Application ID.
Change your Bermudian dollars before you leave
Bermudian dollars are not traded internationally, so you can't change them in Dubai. Only banks in Bermuda can exchange them into other currencies, and a foreign currency purchase tax applies. Buy US dollars at your bank before the trip. The maths is easy. The Bermudian dollar is pegged one-to-one to the US dollar, and the UAE dirham is pegged at AED 3.6725 per US dollar. BMD 1 therefore buys about AED 3.67 before exchange margins.
PRESS 
