# American with one way ticket to Dubai?



## challwre (Apr 9, 2013)

Keep hearing two different answers on this one. 

Can a US passport holder enter Dubai with only a visit visa(that I will be getting on arrival), and a one way ticket???
Planning to get a one way, secure a job once I get there, and do not want to waste money on a return flight if not needed.

Called Emirates Airlines, they say you have to have an outgoing flight/return flight, but many people in other forums say they got through no problem on a one way. (Although, these answers were given 2+ years or more ago.

Anyone been able to get through recently (6 months or less) with one way flight??


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## challwre (Apr 9, 2013)

Well I was able to answer my own question. And here is the link.

Just visit the UAE embassy site, click visas, then your citizenship (not allowed to post the actual URL due to being a newbie)

Many others have claimed to enter with a one way, so maybe this rule is not enforced, or has been recently added. 

Hope this helps.


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## TallyHo (Aug 21, 2011)

You're better off buying a round trip ticket, which is only marginally more expensive than a one-way ticket. One way tickets are rarely, if every, simply half the price of a round trip ticket.

You can easily postpone the return sum to a later date for a small fee. 

Why you should buy a return ticket:

1. What happens if you don't find a job in Dubai as you aren't clear if you have a job lined up or not? 

2. Even with a job, at some point you'll want to return to the US for holidays. Tickets that originate outside Dubai are cheaper than tickets that originate in Dubai. It's cheaper to use that ticket's return leg to return to the US and buy a new ticket starting in the US for your return flight back to Dubai, and so on. Substantially cheaper. That's what I do for trips to the UK as tickets originating in the UK range from 1/2 to 2/3 the price of tickets originating in Dubai. 

Dubai is treated as a captive market when it comes to plane tickets, unfortunately.


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## challwre (Apr 9, 2013)

Will the airlines allow me to postpone up to a year or more??? Don't plan on returning to the states for awhile. 

If I am unable to get a job, I will go travel other parts of middle east. Its about $300 cheaper to get a one way from Seattle to Dubai, then another one way to Oman. Only about an extra $50 from Oman back to Dubai.

Just did a search on kayak, and a round trip from Seattle to Dubai is MORE expensive than round trip FROM Dubai to Seattle. Yet only by about $150.


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## Jynxgirl (Nov 27, 2009)

Tickets to and from the usa, are quite different then the situation for the uk people. It is just expensive in general for us  

What type of job are you going to be looking for? That would probly also be a consideration. Some jobs are just going to be easier to secure. 

At immigration, they probly will not even ask you that much. I think certain airlines appear to be more strict about the return ticket our of the uae (emirates/etihad) but others appear to just get you from point a to point b. I flew on qatar when I came and said was coming for a job. They stamped and let me through on my one way ticket. When my company changed sponsors and I left on vacation and returned with no visa, so got a visa on arrival, again, no issues. People come and do visa runs all the time. Lots of people come with one way tickets.


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## Jinx (Jul 2, 2010)

I think, typically.. airlines will only rebook a ticket for up to one year from the time it was purchased. (I could be wrong and it's from the time you originally book... but I worked for an airline in the US and it was from time of purchase). And if you rebook there will generally be fees (a fee to make a change, and then any difference in price). If you purchase an open ticket, it will be more expensive but you won't be paying any fees. A restricted ticket (i.e. a cheapest price available online) will most likely be the type to incur fees.


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## challwre (Apr 9, 2013)

Ok so after playing with many different scenarios, this is the conclusion I have come to that seems to be the cheapest. 

I can get a one way from Seattle to Dubai, for about $900. From Dubai to Muscat Oman 30 days later yet purchased same time as to show I have a way out of Dubai, $75. I can then purchase a return ticket from Muscat to Dubai for only $50. 

I really don't plan on returning to the states for some time, so if things don't work out in Dubai as far as landing a job, ill continue with my one way tickets to other nearby countries. 

I'll update this post once all is said and done around mid may. Thank you all for your advice


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## Ms.Jones (Sep 17, 2013)

challwre said:


> Ok so after playing with many different scenarios, this is the conclusion I have come to that seems to be the cheapest.
> 
> I can get a one way from Seattle to Dubai, for about $900. From Dubai to Muscat Oman 30 days later yet purchased same time as to show I have a way out of Dubai, $75. I can then purchase a return ticket from Muscat to Dubai for only $50.
> 
> ...


Hi, Just wondering if you have any more info about this? 

I have a job secured, but my employment visa is still being processed, so I will be entering on a tourist visa. My plane ticket is a one-way. Is it customs in Dubai who check (and care) about my tourist status, or Emirates? (I'm flying on Emirates.)

Thank you!


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi,
If you have a US passport - UAE immigration will give you a 30 day visit visa on entry - without asking or checking whether you have a return ticket.
Cheers
Steve


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