The Royal Thai Embassy in Abu Dhabi is one of two Thai missions in the United Arab Emirates. It serves the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The Royal Thai Consulate-General in Dubai covers Dubai and the northern emirates. Most people who apply here are not Emirati: they are residents of the capital holding other passports, and the embassy's e-Visa rules are written with them in mind.
The rule that trips people up is residence. The embassy only considers applications from people who are in the UAE and can prove it with a UAE residence visa or Emirates ID. If you submit while you are in Thailand or any other country, the application is rejected and the fee is not refunded. A transit passenger or short-term visitor to Abu Dhabi has nothing to upload for that requirement.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Official name | Royal Thai Embassy, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
| Address | Villa No. 137, Saeed Bin Saif Al Falahi Street, Al Nahyan Area, Abu Dhabi |
| Phone | +971 2 557 6551 |
| [email protected] | |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 09:00-12:30 and 14:00-17:00 |
| Consular section | Visa matters 09:00-12:30; Thai ID, Thai passport and attestation 14:00-17:00, by advance booking |
| Closed | Weekends plus Thai and UAE holidays on the embassy's list |
| Area covered | The emirate of Abu Dhabi (see below) |
| How to apply | Online only, at thaievisa.go.th; no in-person submission at either UAE mission |
| Stated processing time | Up to 3-10 working days, excluding the day of submission and payment; no express service |
| Fees (AED, from 15 July 2024) | Tourist 400 single / 1,000 multiple; Non-Immigrant 800 single; DTV 1,500 (read 16 Sep 2026) |
Which Areas This Mission Covers
Thailand divides the UAE between two career missions:
| Mission | Covers | Stated processing |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Thai Embassy, Abu Dhabi | The emirate of Abu Dhabi | Up to 3-10 working days |
| Royal Thai Consulate-General, Dubai | Dubai and the northern emirates: six of the UAE's seven emirates, by the consulate's own count | Up to 5-20 days |
The embassy's website does not state its jurisdiction. The split comes from the Dubai consulate, which describes its consular district as the emirate of Dubai and the northern emirates, and in an August 2026 report called Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah "two of the six emirates" in its jurisdiction. The UAE has seven emirates, so the embassy's share is the emirate of Abu Dhabi, which takes in Al Ain. If you live in one emirate and work in another, email the embassy before you choose a mission on the portal.
Both missions ask for the same proof of UAE residence and charge the same dirham fees. The stated processing times are what differ.
Do You Need a Visa?
UAE passport holders are on Thailand's 30-day visa-exemption list from 15 September 2026. The Dubai consulate's updated exemption page says they may stay up to 30 days for tourism and short-term business. The Tourism Authority of Thailand describes the new exemption as being for tourism, so business visitors should confirm with the embassy before relying on it. You can extend once by up to 30 days at a Thai immigration office for 1,900 THB (form TM.7). Officers can ask for 20,000 THB per person (40,000 THB per family) and an onward ticket inside the 30 days, and the TDAC arrival card must be filed within three days before arrival. The Abu Dhabi embassy's own exemption page still links the July 2024 lists, which gave 60 days. Those lists stopped applying on 15 September 2026. Read our visa exemption guide and 30-day exemption news.
UAE passport holders without nationality do not qualify for the exemption and need a visa. The embassy publishes special portal settings for them:
- Set "Country/Territory of Passport/TD" to United Arab Emirates.
- Set "Nationality" to "Person of Unspecified Nationality (XXX)".
- Set "Nationality at birth" to the nationality given to you at birth.
Residents with other passports follow the rules for their own nationality, not for the UAE. Our Dubai consulate page sets out what that means for the largest expat groups.
You need the embassy for a Tourist Visa, a Non-Immigrant visa (business, education, family, O-A retirement), the DTV, or attestation.
How to Apply
- Be in the UAE. Applications made from Thailand or a third country are rejected.
- Create an account at thaievisa.go.th and select the Royal Thai Embassy in Abu Dhabi.
- Upload the embassy's core documents:
- Passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry
- Recent photo meeting the portal's specifications
- Proof of current stay in the UAE: a valid UAE residence visa (work, study, or family member of a UAE citizen) or a valid Emirates ID
- Confirmed round-trip flight booking
- Proof of accommodation in Thailand that matches your flight dates
- The category documents listed under "Visa Category" on the portal
- Pay online through the portal only. E-visas are non-refundable and non-transferable, and the embassy cannot edit an application after submission.
- Watch your registered email. Requests for extra documents or an interview in Abu Dhabi come that way.
- Download and print the approval for the airline and Thai immigration.
Practical Notes
Plan around the 10 days. The embassy quotes up to 3-10 working days and offers no express service. UAE holidays such as Eid move with the moon, so check the embassy's holiday list close to your date.
Fee table. The dirham fees came into force on 15 July 2024 and apply at both the embassy and the Dubai consulate: transit AED 200 per entry, tourist AED 400 single or AED 1,000 multiple (within 6 months), Non-Immigrant AED 800 single or AED 1,500 multiple (within 1 year), 3-year business multiple AED 5,000, O-A AED 1,500, O-X AED 3,000, DTV AED 1,500, LTR AED 8,000.
DTV and UAE residence. The Thai embassy in Vientiane announced that from 31 August 2026, worldwide, DTV applicants must be nationals or permanent residents of the country where they apply and must add a criminal record clearance certificate. The Dubai consulate posted the same change: "proof of permanent residence" replaces the usual proof of current location. The Abu Dhabi embassy has not posted its own notice, and neither UAE mission says whether an ordinary employment residence visa counts as permanent residence. Ask the embassy before paying the non-refundable fee.
Employers hiring Thai staff use the embassy's labour affairs section, which attests employment contracts and publishes contract and guarantee-letter templates.
Holidays still ahead in 2026: 13 October, 23 October, 2 December (UAE National Day), 7 December and 31 December.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Thai mission covers Abu Dhabi, and which covers Dubai?
The Royal Thai Embassy in Abu Dhabi serves the emirate of Abu Dhabi. The Royal Thai Consulate-General in Dubai covers Dubai and the northern emirates, including Fujairah.
How long does a Thai visa take at the Abu Dhabi embassy?
The embassy states up to 3-10 working days, not counting the day you submit and pay. There is no express service.
Can I apply for a Thai visa in Abu Dhabi on a UAE tourist visa?
The embassy's required documents include a valid UAE residence visa or Emirates ID as proof of your stay in the UAE. Applications from people outside the UAE are rejected.
Do UAE citizens need a visa for Thailand?
Not for stays of up to 30 days. From 15 September 2026 UAE passport holders are on the 30-day exemption list. Holders of UAE passports without nationality still need a visa.
How much is a Thai tourist visa in the UAE?
AED 400 for single entry and AED 1,000 for multiple entry within 6 months, under the fee table in force since 15 July 2024 at both UAE missions.
Can I walk into the Thai embassy in Abu Dhabi to apply?
No. Since 1 January 2025 visa applications are not accepted in person at the embassy or the Dubai consulate. The counter handles Thai-national services and attestation by appointment.
Sources
- Royal Thai Embassy, Abu Dhabi: Thai e-Visa (eligibility, documents, processing time)
- Royal Thai Embassy, Abu Dhabi: Location and Contact Information
- Royal Thai Embassy, Abu Dhabi: Official Holidays 2026 (revised August 2026, with office hours)
- Royal Thai Embassy, Abu Dhabi: Visa Fee (announcement effective 15 July 2024)
- Royal Thai Embassy, Abu Dhabi: Guidelines for e-Visa Application for UAE Passport Holders Without Nationality
- Royal Thai Embassy, Abu Dhabi: Visa Exemption and Visa on Arrival (lists dated 15 July 2024)
- Royal Thai Consulate-General, Dubai: Visa Exemption / Visa on Arrival (revision effective 15 September 2026)
- Royal Thai Consulate-General, Dubai: Consul-General presents commission; consular district of Dubai and the northern emirates (Thai, 20 August 2026)
- Royal Thai Consulate-General, Dubai: Visit to Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah, "two of the six emirates" in the consulate's jurisdiction (Thai, August 2026)
- Royal Thai Consulate-General, Dubai: DTV supporting-document changes from 31 August 2026
- Royal Thai Embassy, Vientiane: Applying for a Visa (worldwide DTV requirements from 31 August 2026)
- TAT Newsroom: New 30-day and 15-day visa exemption rules from 15 September 2026