If you hold a Turkish passport and you're planning a Dubai trip, the first question is which colour your passport is — because for Türkiye, the colour decides the visa rule. Here's how it works in 2026.
Ordinary (bordo) passports: visa before travel
Turkish ordinary passport holders — the maroon "bordo" passport most travellers carry — need a UAE visa arranged before flying. Don't wait until the airport; airlines check this at departure and you won't be boarded without the right document. A 30-day single-entry tourist visa (our assisted fee is AED 470) covers the classic Dubai holiday.
Green (hususi) passports: visa-exempt
Holders of Turkish special — "hususi", commonly called green — passports are visa-exempt for short visits to the UAE of up to 90 days, according to Türkiye's official travel guidance and UAE visa policy. The same exemption generally applies to service (grey) and diplomatic (black) passport holders. This is the single most important distinction for Turkish travellers: bordo needs a visa in advance, green generally doesn't.
Always confirm with your airline
Rules are applied at check-in by airline staff following their briefing systems, so even when you're confident about your passport type, confirm with your airline before the travel day. A five-minute check beats a missed flight. If anything in your situation is unusual — dual nationality, a recently renewed passport, a name change — check twice.
Green passport holders still need the basics
Visa-exempt doesn't mean document-free. Your passport should be valid for at least six months, carry proof of your onward or return travel and your accommodation, and be ready to show them. Immigration can ask any traveller for these, exemption or not.
How long can you stay?
The visa exemption for green, service, and diplomatic passport holders covers visits of up to 90 days. If your plans run longer than that — or you're unsure which category your trip falls into — talk to us before booking anything non-refundable.
Not sure which passport you have?
The cover colour tells you: maroon is ordinary, green is special (hususi), grey is service, black is diplomatic. When in doubt, send us a photo of the cover on WhatsApp at +971 56 655 6645 and we'll point you the right way — honestly, and before you spend anything.
Holding an ordinary (bordo) passport? Your options
Most Turkish holidaymakers travel on the bordo passport, and the route is straightforward: arrange your UAE visa before departure. A 30-day single-entry tourist visa covers the standard one-or-two-week Dubai trip; longer stays have 60-day options, and multiple-entry versions exist if your itinerary leaves and re-enters the UAE. Our assisted 30-day single-entry fee is AED 470, and we check your documents before anything is filed — which matters, because a small error on a pre-travel visa is fixable at home and a nightmare at the airport.
Common questions we hear
Does the green exemption cover work or residence? No — it covers short visits. Anything beyond tourism, like employment or long-term residence, follows completely different rules. What about children with green passports? Each child still needs their own travel document and the same entry basis as an adult traveller — the exemption is per passport, not per family. Can the rules change? They can, and that's exactly why we say: confirm with your airline before you fly, and message us if your situation has any wrinkle at all. A two-minute question now is worth more than any article — including this one.
The bottom line
For Turkish travellers, Dubai entry in 2026 comes down to one question: which passport are you holding? Maroon means arranging a visa before you fly; green, grey, or black generally means visa-exempt short visits of up to 90 days. Know your colour, keep your passport valid six months out, carry proof of your onward plans, and confirm with your airline. Do that, and the only thing left to decide is which beach to visit first.