Dubai launches Access Club and online tourist visa option

Dubai has announced two new steps aimed at making the emirate easier and more rewarding to visit: a city-run membership programme for repeat visitors and an option to apply for a tourist visa through the Visit Dubai website. The measures were launched on Sunday 1 November 2026 by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, according to Gulf News and Arabian Business.

Dubai Access Club for repeat visitors

According to Arabian Business, the new Dubai Access Club is an invitation-only tourism membership for people who come back to the city. The outlet describes it as the first programme of its kind run at city level, designed to offer exclusive experiences, services and benefits. Gulf News describes it more broadly as a citywide loyalty programme. Neither report gave details on who can be invited, what the benefits are or when members will be able to join.

Tourist visas through Visit Dubai

Visitors will be able to apply for single-entry and multiple-entry tourist visas on Visit Dubai, the official tourism website, subject to eligibility and approval. Arabian Business reports that the service is due to start in November 2026 and that the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai will continue to assess applications and issue the visas. It added that more visa categories are planned but not yet specified.

The service is part of the Shared Digital Channels Initiative, which Sheikh Hamdan approved in February 2025 and which Digital Dubai leads. The initiative aims to bring government and private-sector services together on a small number of unified platforms. Gulf News says Visit Dubai will carry both tourism information and government services in one place.

Why it matters

Both measures support the Dubai Economic Agenda, known as D33, which sets the goal of placing Dubai among the world's top three destinations for business and leisure. Arabian Business quotes GDRFA Dubai's Director-General, Lieutenant General Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, as saying the visa option would simplify procedures while keeping security and efficiency, and DET Director-General Helal Saeed Almarri as saying the aim is to remove barriers and encourage repeat visits.

For residents, the likely effect is on friends and relatives who visit from abroad, who may get an additional online route to a visa. Hotels, attractions and tour operators may also see changes once the loyalty programme takes shape. Visa fees, validity periods, eligibility rules and launch dates for the club have not been published in the reports reviewed, so anyone planning a visit should wait for official guidance from GDRFA Dubai or Visit Dubai before relying on the new route.