Do UK citizens need a visa for Turkey or the UAE?
Neither trip needs a visa application before you fly if you hold a British citizen passport and the trip is a visit within the published limits. The details differ, and other British passport types are not covered here.
Turkey
The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs says ordinary British citizen passport holders are exempt from a visa for tourism for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. GOV.UK states the same 90-in-180 limit and says it covers business or tourism. If your trip is business rather than tourism, check the Turkish Embassy, because the ministry’s sentence is about touristic travel.
Your passport must expire at least 150 days after the day you arrive and have a blank page. Diplomatic and service passports, and British National (Overseas), British Subject, and British Protected Person passports, are not in this exemption. The ministry says those holders need a visa from a Turkish mission.
There is nothing to buy online for a standard tourist stay. A website selling a “Turkey e-Visa” to a British citizen tourist is not the exemption. Work, study, and medical treatment need a visa. The full page is the Turkey guide.
A day trip from the Turkish coast to a Greek island is a separate Schengen entry, with EES checks. Use the Schengen guide.
United Arab Emirates
GOV.UK says you can get a visitor or tourist visa free of charge when you arrive. You do not apply in advance. The stamp is valid for up to 90 days over a 180-day period, starting from the first entry, whether you stay once or split the days.
The passport must expire at least 6 months after arrival. A transit that does not pass immigration needs 3 months. Overstay fines can accumulate by the day. To extend, GOV.UK points you to GDRFA in Dubai and to the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship in the rest of the UAE.
The UAE government portal says visa-on-arrival lists can change and that you should check the UAE embassy if you are unsure. Do not pay a third-party site for a visa you have not been told to pre-arrange. Working on a visit visa is a different, and serious, rule: GOV.UK warns of a fine, prison, or deportation. The full page is the UAE guide.
Side by side
| Turkey | United Arab Emirates | |
|---|---|---|
| Apply before travel? | No, for tourism | No, for this visitor stay |
| Charge | None for the exemption | None, according to GOV.UK |
| Stay | 90 days in any 180 | 90 days in a 180-day period from first entry |
| Passport | At least 150 days after arrival, plus a blank page | At least 6 months after arrival |
Last verified: 2026-10-16. Sources: GOV.UK Turkey, the Turkish MFA, GOV.UK UAE, and the UAE government portal.
FAQ
Do I need a visa for Turkey?
Not for tourism on a British citizen passport, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The passport must expire at least 150 days after you arrive.
Do I need a visa for Dubai or Abu Dhabi?
GOV.UK says you do not apply in advance. A visitor visa is stamped free on arrival, for up to 90 days in a 180-day period. The passport must expire at least 6 months after you arrive.
Can I work on either stay?
No. Turkey requires a visa for employment. GOV.UK says working in the UAE on a visit visa can lead to a fine, prison, or deportation.
UK passport destination guides · All explainers
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