Dubai Visa

Hi all,

I’m an Indonesian passport holder currently residing in Australia, and I’m a bit stuck with my UAE transit visa application. My itinerary is:

  • Rome to Dubai (arrive 14 May, 11:30 PM)
  • Dubai to Sydney (depart 16 May, 9:40 PM) So I’ll be in Dubai for less than 3 days and planning to apply for a 96-hour transit visa.

I’m flying with Emirates, but my flights are under two different booking reference numbers (PNRs).

When I try to apply via Emirates’ visa portal, I get this message:

"Please note: Online visa application is unavailable for some parts of your itinerary. This may be because: Your transit time in Dubai is less than 8 hours or more than 60 days ; Your departure date is in less than four working days ;Your departure date is in more than 58 days; Your transit time in Dubai may qualify for the 48 hours visa however this can only be applied 30 days before departure or less."

I think the first three aren't the issues as my flight is 37 days away.

So, I’m confused about what’s causing this:

  • Is it because my booking is split into two PNRs, so the system can’t recognise my onward flight?
  • Or is it because the system thinks I qualify for a 48-hour visa, even though my stay is closer to ~48 hours and I actually need flexibility (so prefer 96-hour)?
  • Also, I don’t even see an option to apply for 96-hours visa, 14-days visa or 30-day tourist visa through Emirates.

Has anyone experienced this before?

Also, if Emirates doesn’t work in this case, what are the most trusted online agents to apply for a UAE transit visa? I’ve seen a few websites but not sure which ones are legit.

Would really appreciate any advice or similar experiences.

Posted Apr 7, 2026, 11:29 AM UTC

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