Last verified: September 2, 2026 - checked against flydubai's own policy page and GDRFA
If you are connecting through Dubai on flydubai and want to leave the airport, you need a UAE transit visa in the same way any other traveller does. The airline-specific question is whether flydubai will sponsor it for you, and the answer depends on your ticket rather than on the airline.
Does flydubai Sponsor Transit Visas?
Yes. flydubai currently facilitates 48-hour and 96-hour UAE transit visas through selected flydubai Travel Shops. Passengers travelling to Dubai with flydubai can contact a participating Travel Shop to check whether they can assist with the visa application. Visa acceptance remains subject to immigration approval. flydubai does not currently publish a specific fare-type restriction for transit-visa sponsorship on its UAE visa page.
The pattern that generally applies across UAE carriers is worth understanding regardless:
- Sponsorship availability depends on the airline's current visa-service eligibility and the passenger's itinerary.
- Do not assume that a separate-ticket itinerary automatically makes you ineligible for flydubai's visa service.
- Do not assume that a particular fare type automatically qualifies for or excludes transit-visa sponsorship unless flydubai confirms it for your booking.
If flydubai cannot facilitate the visa for your particular itinerary, you can check other available UAE visa application channel
Terminal 2 and Terminal 3: Why Your Flight Number Matters
This is the flydubai-specific detail most travellers miss.
flydubai operates from more than one terminal at Dubai International, and which one you use changes your connection significantly.
flydubai currently operates flights from Terminal 2, with selected flights operating from Terminal 3 at Dubai International (DXB). The current Terminal 3 list includes Aleppo, Almaty, Astana, Bangkok, Basel, Basra, Belgrade, Benghazi, Bishkek, Bucharest, Budapest, Catania, Colombo, Corfu, Dar es Salaam, Kathmandu, Krabi, Krakow, Ljubljana, Maldives, Milan-Bergamo, Minsk, Mombasa, Mykonos, Nairobi, Naples, Olbia, Pisa, Pokhara, Prague, Riga, Salzburg, Santorini, Sofia, Tashkent, Tel Aviv, Vilnius, Warsaw, Zagreb and Zanzibar. Colombo and Kathmandu are noted as operating from both Terminal 2 and Terminal 3. Terminal assignments can change, so passengers should check their booking confirmation for the specific terminal. The current flydubai guidance does not indicate that terminal allocation varies simply by time of day or season, although operational changes can occur.
Why It Matters
- A connection within the same terminal can often be made airside, needing no visa.
- A connection between Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 may take you landside, which means clearing immigration, which means you need a visa whether or not you intended to leave the airport.
- The transfer itself takes time. flydubai currently states a minimum connection time of 120 minutes for transfers between Terminal 2 and Terminal 3.
So a flydubai passenger with a two-hour connection can find themselves needing a visa for a stop they never planned to make. Check your terminals before you assume you are transiting airside.
Our guide to getting around Dubai International covers the terminal layout in more detail.
Codeshare Flights with Emirates
flydubai and Emirates operate an extensive codeshare partnership, so it is important to distinguish between the airline that markets the flight and the airline that operates it.
For visa purposes, check the actual booking and the applicable airline visa conditions rather than relying only on the flight number. Emirates states that its transit visas are available for eligible Emirates tickets outbound from Dubai, while flydubai separately facilitates 48-hour and 96-hour transit visas through selected flydubai Travel Shops.
If your booking is an Emirates ticket that includes a flydubai-operated sector, Emirates confirms that such connections can be handled through its Emirates–flydubai partnership, including baggage and terminal transfers. However, the codeshare itself should not be treated as automatic confirmation of visa sponsorship. Check the visa eligibility and application channel for your specific booking before travelling.
If you need an Emirates-sponsored transit visa, check the Emirates visa requirements. If your itinerary is being handled through flydubai, contact a participating flydubai Travel Shop to confirm whether they can facilitate your transit visa.
Which Visa You Need
The same two options apply as for any traveller, chosen on layover length rather than airline.
| Your stop | Visa |
|---|---|
| Under 8 hours, same terminal | None. Stay airside. |
| Under 8 hours, terminal change landside | Visa needed. Check your terminals. |
| 8 to 48 hours | 48-hour transit visa |
| 48 to 96 hours | 96-hour transit visa |
Documents flydubai Passengers Are Asked For
For a Dubai transit visa, the standard documents currently listed by GDRFA Dubai are:
- Passport bio page and cover, with the passport or travel document valid for at least six months.
- Recent colour passport-sized photograph with a white background.
- Confirmed onward flight ticket showing that you will continue your journey from Dubai.
- Your flydubai booking or itinerary, if requested by the airline or visa-processing channel.
The current GDRFA transit-visa service does not list separate terminal details as a standard visa document. However, keep your complete itinerary available because your terminal and connection arrangements may affect how you transfer at Dubai International Airport.
Cost, and Whether the Airline or an Agent Is Cheaper
The cost depends on the application channel and any service or processing charges added by the visa provider.
- Government transit-visa fees: GDRFA Dubai currently lists the 48/96-hour transit visa service with a AED 50 fee, plus fees charged by the airline or other authorised mediator. The 48-hour visa itself has no government issuance fee listed, while additional mediator charges may apply.
- flydubai route: flydubai currently facilitates 48-hour and 96-hour transit visas through selected flydubai Travel Shops, but its published visa information does not state a fixed public sponsorship/service fee for these transit visas.
- Agent route: An authorised visa agent may charge its own service or processing fee in addition to the applicable government charges. The final price therefore varies by provider.
- Processing time: GDRFA lists an expected completion time of 48 hours for the transit-visa service. The submission channel can add its own processing or document-handling time, so do not assume that an airline application and an agent application will always take exactly the same time.
If flydubai confirms that it can facilitate your visa through one of its participating Travel Shops, compare its quoted total with the price from an authorised agent. Choose the channel based on your eligibility, itinerary and total cost rather than assuming that one route is always cheaper.
When to Apply on a flydubai Itinerary
flydubai currently states that UAE visa applications arranged through its visa service require a minimum of 5 working days from submission, provided all required documents are correct. The government transit-visa service itself lists an expected completion time of 48 hours, but airline or visa-channel processing can add time before the application reaches the government system.
Apply as soon as your itinerary is confirmed. As a practical guide, allow at least 5 working days for a flydubai-arranged visa and more time if your documents need correction, your application requires additional checks, or weekends and public holidays fall within the processing period.
Do not wait until the day before departure. A 48-hour government processing target should not be treated as a guarantee that a flydubai visa will be issued within 48 hours.
Self-Transfer Between flydubai and Another Airline
This is the situation that causes the most trouble.
If you have booked flydubai on one ticket and another carrier on a second ticket, you are self-transferring. That means:
- No airline is responsible for your connection.
- No airline will sponsor your transit visa.
- You will very likely need to collect your checked bag and re-check it, which requires entering the country, which requires a visa.
- If your first flight is late, the missed second flight is your cost.
Self-transfer itineraries are often the cheapest on paper and they carry the risk that the price does not show. If you are doing it, build in a long connection and get the visa sorted early.
Baggage on a flydubai Transit
Baggage handling depends on how the flights are booked and whether the airlines have an eligible codeshare or interline arrangement.
- Single-ticket eligible itinerary: Your baggage may be checked through to the final destination. flydubai confirms through-checking on eligible Emirates codeshare and interline itineraries.
- Separate tickets: Do not assume that your baggage will be transferred automatically. You may need to collect your bags and check them in again for the onward flight.
- If you must collect your baggage: This may require you to leave the secure transit area and pass through UAE immigration. If you need to enter the UAE to collect and re-check your baggage, you must have the appropriate UAE entry permission or visa.
The safest approach is to confirm at the first check-in desk whether your baggage is tagged through to the final destination. Do not rely on the fact that both flights appear on the same booking search or that the airlines have a partnership.
Ready to Apply
If flydubai will not sponsor you, or your itinerary is split across carriers, you can apply for your transit visa directly. Check your terminals first, and apply as soon as your flights are confirmed rather than as your departure approaches.
