Getting from Stanley to Dubai takes planning, but the visa side is usually simple. Most islanders are full British citizens, so the Dubai visa for Falkland Islands citizens travelling on a UK passport is a free stamp, which covers both an airside connection and a walk through immigration. The answer changes for anyone carrying a different passport.
Dubai Visa for UK Passport Holders From the Islands
The Dubai visa for UK passport holders is free, lasting six months with repeat entries permitted and an upper limit on days. Since British citizenship was extended to islanders, most Falklanders hold the standard UK passport, which should have six months left when you land.
Dubai Visa for Falkland Islanders on a BOTC Passport
Some islanders also hold, or only hold, the British Overseas Territories Citizen passport with the islands' name on the cover. The Dubai visa for Falkland Islanders on that document must be arranged in advance, unless it carries a UK right of abode certificate. Anyone holding both should travel on the UK passport from booking to departure.
A St Helenian Contractor and the Dubai Visa for St Helena Passport Holders
Many workers on the islands come from St Helena. Picture a builder from Jamestown, based in Stanley, flying home via London with three nights in Dubai. If he travels on a St Helena BOTC passport, the Dubai visa for St Helena passport holders must be approved before departure. If he also holds a UK passport, that one gives him the free stamp, and many Saints who became British citizens find it worth applying for one before a long trip. Chilean colleagues have it easier, since Chile is on the free-entry list too. For trips arranged at short notice, express processing from Stanley is available.
London to Dubai: Getting Off the Islands First
Islanders usually leave on the air bridge to RAF Brize Norton or the weekly LATAM service through Chile, then fly London to Dubai or connect elsewhere in Europe. Because flights off the islands run on fixed days and are few, build a buffer of a day or two before any long-haul departure, since missing one can cost a week.
Dubai Transit Visa for Falkland Islands Residents
In Dubai, one ticket keeps you airside. A Dubai transit visa for Falkland Islands residents matters only for passports without free entry, and a Dubai transit visa of either length covers a single entry with no extension.
Three Nights on a 96 Hour Dubai Transit Visa
The builder's three nights call for the 96-hour Dubai transit visa via our four-night transit option; one night suits the 48-hour Falklands layover permit.
The airline's own Emirates transit visa service covers Emirates bookings only, as our article on Emirates-sponsored transit visas explains, whereas we can file for any airline.
Apply now for a BOTC or St Helena passport, or contact us to work out which document makes the journey from Stanley simplest.
