Is It Safe to Travel to the United Arab Emirates?Advisories checked 9 November 2026. Check the official advisory on the day you travel: governments change them often, sometimes weekly.
The US rates the United Arab Emirates Level 3 (Reconsider travel). The UK does not advise against travel to the United Arab Emirates. Canada advises a high degree of caution, with stricter advisories for some regions.
The governments disagree: the strictest advice comes from the US (level 3), the mildest from the UK (level 1). Some regions carry stricter warnings than the rest of the country.
The three advisories side by side
US Department of State
3Level 3“Reconsider travel”
“Reconsider travel to the United Arab Emirates due to terrorism and armed conflict. U.S. government employee travel restrictions U.S. government employees working in the UAE need special authorization to travel to military bases and critical energy infrastructure sites due to UAE government restrictions and potential security risks.”
UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
1Level 1“No FCDO advice against travel”
“The context in the Middle East remains deeply unpredictable and the risk of sudden escalation is high. Since conflict began in early 2026, Iran has stated its intention to target locations associated with the US and Israel, including, but not limited to, organisations, businesses, facilities, and institutions.”
Government of Canada
2Level 2“Exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories)”
“Risk level section – Exercise a high degree of caution in the United Arab Emirates, avoid non-essential travel to Al Minhad Air Base and surroundings; Safety and security section – updated information on tensions in the Middle East”
Why the advice differs
Each government uses its own scale. The US and Canada each have four levels for the whole country. The UK only states whether it advises against travel to the whole country or to parts of it. We place all three on a common 1 to 4 scale (see below); the scales are not identical, so the same level can mean slightly different things.
Specific areas with stricter advice are named by: Canada. A country-wide level can stay low while one region carries a stricter warning.
The advisories were last updated on different dates: US 22 October 2026, UK 27 October 2026, Canada 14 October 2026. An older advisory may not reflect recent events.
Regions with stricter warnings
Canada also gives regional advisories for the United Arab Emirates on its official page (updated 14 October 2026). Read the Canadian advisory
What the levels mean
TravelDecl places each government’s advice on a common 1 to 4 scale so the three can be compared. The wording in each column is the government’s own.
| Level | Meaning | US | UK | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Level 1 | Normal precautions | Level 1: Exercise normal precautions | No advice against travel | Exercise normal security precautions |
| 2Level 2 | Increased caution | Level 2: Exercise increased caution | Advises against travel to parts of the country | Exercise a high degree of caution |
| 3Level 3 | Reconsider or avoid non-essential travel | Level 3: Reconsider travel | Advises against all but essential travel to the whole country | Avoid non-essential travel |
| 4Level 4 | Do not travel | Level 4: Do not travel | Advises against all travel to the whole country | Avoid all travel |
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- Travel advisories for every country
Questions
What level is the United Arab Emirates travel advisory?
The US rates the United Arab Emirates Level 3 (Reconsider travel). US advisory updated 22 October 2026. The UK does not advise against travel to the United Arab Emirates. UK advisory updated 27 October 2026. Canada advises a high degree of caution, with stricter advisories for some regions. Canadian advisory updated 14 October 2026.
Does the UK advise against travel to the United Arab Emirates?
No. The UK does not advise against travel to the United Arab Emirates. UK advisory updated 27 October 2026.
Is the United Arab Emirates safe for tourists?
TravelDecl does not give its own verdict. Here is what the governments say: The US rates the United Arab Emirates Level 3 (Reconsider travel). The UK does not advise against travel to the United Arab Emirates. Canada advises a high degree of caution, with stricter advisories for some regions. Advisories checked 9 November 2026. Check the official advisory on the day you travel.
Check the official advisory on the day you travel. Each card above links to it.
Sources and methodology
- US Department of State: travel advice for the United Arab Emirates, updated 22 October 2026. US Department of State: public domain (US Government work).
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office: travel advice for the United Arab Emirates, updated 27 October 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- Government of Canada: travel advice for the United Arab Emirates, updated 14 October 2026. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Levels on the common 1 to 4 scale are mapped from each government’s own rating: US levels 1 to 4 as published; UK: no advice against travel = 1, against travel to parts = 2, against all but essential travel to the whole country = 3, against all travel to the whole country = 4; Canada: its four risk levels in order. We do not combine them into a single score.
Advisories checked 9 November 2026. This page has not yet been checked by hand.