Singapore, Malaysia and Bali Visas for UAE Residents: An Agent’s Guide
There is no single visa for UAE residents: the passport decides, not the Emirates ID. Emirati, other GCC, British and Filipino passports need no visa for Singapore or Malaysia, and Bali gives them a visa on arrival (Filipinos enter visa-free). Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Egyptian passports need a Singapore visa. Pakistani and Bangladeshi passports also need a Malaysian eVisa and an Indonesian visa before flying.
Two dates matter this season. Malaysia’s visa exemption for Indian passports ends on 31 December 2026, mid-way through the UAE winter break. And Bali’s airport closes for 24 hours on Nyepi, Monday 8 March 2027, just before the expected Eid al-Fitr.
A ten-person office trip from Dubai can easily involve five passports. Residence decides where a traveller applies. The passport decides whether they need to apply at all. This guide is for agents in the UAE quoting Singapore, Malaysia and Bali for the 2026-27 season, in the order we check a booking: passports, arrival forms, then dates.
Visa for UAE residents, passport by passport
The rules below are for ordinary passports on a holiday.
| Passport | Singapore | Malaysia | Bali |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emirati | No visa | No visa, up to 90 days | Visa on arrival or e-VoA |
| Saudi, Qatari, Kuwaiti, Bahraini, Omani | No visa | No visa | Visa on arrival or e-VoA |
| British | No visa | No visa, up to 3 months | Visa on arrival or e-VoA |
| Filipino | No visa | No visa for stays under a month | Visa-free for 30 days, no extension |
| Indian | Visa needed | No visa for arrivals up to 31 Dec 2026, stays up to 30 days. Arrivals from 1 Jan 2027: check with us | Visa on arrival or e-VoA |
| Egyptian | Visa needed, with a Letter of Introduction | No visa, up to 3 months | Visa on arrival or e-VoA |
| Pakistani | Visa needed, with a Letter of Introduction | eVisa before travel | Visa before travel. No visa on arrival |
| Bangladeshi | Visa needed, with a Letter of Introduction | eVisa before travel, stays up to 30 days | Visa before travel. No visa on arrival |
Singapore and Malaysia both ask for six months’ passport validity on arrival; treat it as the rule for Bali too. One odd case: ICA lists the UAE’s temporary passport among documents that need a Singapore visa.
India sits on Malaysia’s visa-required list with an exemption that ends on 31 December 2026, and no extension had been announced on 1 November. The UAE winter break runs from 14 December to 3 January, so Kuala Lumpur, Genting and Langkawi trips sit right on the line. Arrivals up to 31 December are covered. Quote January arrivals with an eVisa until Malaysia says otherwise.
Where UAE residents apply
Singapore. The Consulate-General in Dubai has outsourced visa applications to two authorised agents, VFS Global and Uranus Travel & Tours. ICA’s fee is S$30, charged in dirhams, plus the agent’s service fee. Processing takes three working days, and ICA advises applying within 30 days before arrival. Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Egyptian passports also need a Letter of Introduction (Form V39A) from a Singapore citizen or permanent resident aged 21 or over, or failing that from the traveller’s own embassy. Indian passports may be asked for one case by case. Line the letter up before you take a deposit: it is the document most likely to hold an application up.
Since 30 January 2026, ICA can also tell airlines not to board anyone who doesn’t meet Singapore’s entry rules, so a missing visa now surfaces at check-in at DXB or AUH. Our Singapore arrival rules for tour groups cover the rest.
Malaysia. Pakistani and Bangladeshi passport holders apply through Malaysia’s eVisa portal. The Malaysian High Commission in Dhaka says applications must be made from the country of residence, so a Bangladeshi living in Sharjah applies as a UAE resident. The mission in Islamabad quotes 2 to 10 working days. The Malaysian Embassy in Abu Dhabi also takes applications in person, with a copy of the Emirates ID.
Bali. A visa on arrival gives 30 days and can be extended once for another 30. Buy it online before departure as an e-VoA and skip the airport queue. In August 2026 Indonesia’s immigration chief proposed raising the fee from IDR 500,000 to IDR 750,000 online and IDR 1 million at the airport, with no start date announced, so check the fee on the portal when you quote. Pakistani and Bangladeshi passports are on neither the visa-on-arrival nor the visa-free list, so their visa has to be issued before travel. Settle that before quoting Bali.
Three arrival forms and a levy
None of these can be filed at booking. Put the dates in the document pack and remind the group lead three days out.
| Form | The rule | What the agent should do |
|---|---|---|
| SG Arrival Card (Singapore) | Within 3 days before arrival, counting the arrival day. Free on the ICA website and MyICA app, health declaration included | Send the ICA link: paid lookalike sites exist. The visit pass arrives by email, so every traveller needs a working address |
| MDAC (Malaysia) | Within 3 days before arrival. Mandatory for foreign visitors since 1 January 2024 | On a Singapore-first trip the window usually opens while the group is still in Singapore |
| All Indonesia (Bali) | Free, from 3 days before arrival. One form for immigration, customs, health and quarantine, required at Bali’s airport since 1 September 2025 | Save the QR code on each phone. It is shown at immigration and customs |
| Bali tourism levy | IDR 150,000 per foreign tourist, paid once per trip through Love Bali | Pay it before travel. Only about 43% of visitors paid from January to August 2026, and airlines agreed to announce it on Bali flights from late August |
On a combined trip by coach the forms overlap: the SG Arrival Card applies at Woodlands and Tuas as well as Changi. The Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand circuit page shows how we route those crossings.
Flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Emirates from Dubai and Etihad from Abu Dhabi fly non-stop to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bali, and Singapore Airlines flies Dubai to Singapore. Current schedules show about 7 to 7.5 hours to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur and 9 to 10 hours to Bali, with day and overnight departures. Overnight flights land in the morning or around midday, before check-in: book early check-in for the rooms that need it, or start with a city tour and keep the bags on the coach. In Singapore, small parties on a budget can use a SIC transfer if the landing time fits; after a night flight with children, private is worth the difference. In Kuala Lumpur and Bali we book private transfers.
The 2026-27 holiday calendar against the weather
The UAE Ministry of Education calendar fixes school breaks for public and most private schools, but not for private schools on Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi curricula. Ask expat families which calendar their children follow before you hold rooms. Islamic holiday dates for 2027 are expected dates from the UAE’s Astronomy Centre and depend on the moon sighting.
| UAE window | Dates | Singapore and Malaysia | Bali |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter break | 14 Dec 2026 to 3 Jan 2027 | Singapore’s wettest stretch is November to January. MetMalaysia expects 3 to 5 heavy-rain episodes from November to January and rough seas on the South China Sea | Rainy season, starting late this year because of El Niño. Heaviest rain expected January to February |
| Eid al-Fitr | Expected 9 or 10 Mar 2027, after Ramadan from about 8 Feb | Singapore’s driest phase, late January to early March. Hari Raya Puasa is a Singapore public holiday on 10 Mar | Nyepi on Mon 8 Mar: airport closed 24 hours. Indonesia’s Eid holidays and leave days run 9 to 15 Mar |
| Spring break | 5 to 11 Apr 2027 | Inter-monsoon in Singapore: afternoon and early-evening thunderstorms | Usually the change from wet to dry season. Check with us nearer the time |
| Eid al-Adha | Expected 16 or 17 May 2027 | Hari Raya Haji is a Singapore public holiday on 17 May | Indonesian holiday on 17 May, leave day on 18 May |
| Summer break | 3 Jul to 29 Aug 2027 | Southwest monsoon in Singapore: short afternoon showers | Dry season. BMKG put Bali’s 2026 dry-season peak in August |
Our view: the winter break works for Singapore if every day has a covered option, but keep Malaysia’s east-coast islands for another season. Summer is Bali’s best window.
Nyepi, Bali’s day of silence, falls on Monday 8 March 2027 in Indonesia’s official holiday decree. On Nyepi 2026 the airport stopped all regular commercial flights from 6am to 6am the next day, and Balinese Hindus observe 24 hours of no work, no fire, no travel and no entertainment. An overnight flight from the UAE on 7 March would land into the closure. Land by the 7th and treat Nyepi as a hotel day, or land from the 9th. Indonesia’s own Eid break then runs to 15 March, so hold rooms and transfers for that week early.
Halal food and prayer
Singapore and Malaysia are straightforward. In Singapore, MUIS (the Islamic Religious Council) certifies halal food and publishes a searchable list of certified places to eat, plus a mosque directory and Friday prayer arrangements. In Malaysia, look for JAKIM’s certificate. For groups, book halal-certified restaurants for included meals rather than leaving lunch to wherever the coach stops.
Bali needs planning. Most Balinese are Hindu, and halal food is available but not the default, especially on day tours to Ubud, Kintamani and the temples. Fix halal lunch stops when the tour is built, ask the hotel to label breakfast items and leave Friday midday free. During Ramadan, start tours early and have travellers back at the hotel before iftar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a UAE residence visa let an Indian or Pakistani passport holder into Singapore without a visa?
No. ICA decides by the travel document, and both countries are on its visa-required list. UAE residence decides where the application can be lodged, usually through the two agents authorised by the Singapore Consulate-General in Dubai.
Can a Pakistani or Bangladeshi resident of the UAE get a visa on arrival in Bali?
No. Neither country is on Indonesia’s visa-on-arrival or visa-free lists, so the visa has to be issued before the flight. Confirm the visa type and documents before you quote.
Will Indian passport holders still enter Malaysia visa-free in January 2027?
The exemption covers arrivals until 31 December 2026, for up to 30 days. No extension had been announced on 1 November 2026, so quote January arrivals with an eVisa until Malaysia confirms otherwise.
Is Bali’s airport open on Nyepi in 2027?
Nyepi is on Monday 8 March 2027. In 2026 the airport suspended regular commercial flights for 24 hours, 6am to 6am, and the same pattern is expected. Airlines retime flights around it, so confirm the schedule before ticketing.
Quoting Singapore, Malaysia or Bali for UAE clients?
We’re a Singapore-based DMC working only with the trade: airport transfers, hotels on contracted rates, tours and coaches in all three destinations, on net rates, with one operations contact for the trip.
- ICA, “Visa Guidelines”, updated 28 October 2026: ica.gov.sg
- ICA, visa guideline for Pakistan (the India, Bangladesh and Egypt pages follow the same format), updated 26 October 2026: ica.gov.sg
- Consulate-General of Singapore in Dubai, “Visa information”: mfa.gov.sg
- ICA, “SG Arrival Card with Electronic Health Declaration”, updated 28 October 2026: ica.gov.sg
- ICA, “ICA to Issue No-Boarding Directives from 30 January 2026”: ica.gov.sg
- Immigration Department of Malaysia, “Visa Requirement by Country”: imi.gov.my
- Embassy of Malaysia, Abu Dhabi, visa requirement for foreigners: kln.gov.my
- High Commission of Malaysia, New Delhi, visa waiver for Indian nationals: kln.gov.my
- High Commission of Malaysia, Dhaka, visa requirement and eVisa: kln.gov.my
- Embassy of Malaysia, Cairo, entry requirement table: kln.gov.my
- High Commission of Malaysia, London, entry requirement table: kln.gov.my
- Immigration Department of Malaysia, Malaysia Digital Arrival Card: imi.gov.my
- Indonesian Immigration, Singaraja (Bali) office, “Visa On Arrival dan Bebas Visa Kunjungan”: imigrasi.go.id
- Jakarta Globe, “Indonesia Plans to Double Visa on Arrival Fee to Rp1 Million”, 12 August 2026: jakartaglobe.id
- ANTARA, “Penumpang internasional wajib isi All Indonesia mulai 1 September”, 31 August 2025: antaranews.com
- ANTARA Bali, Bali tourism levy briefing, 23 September 2026: antaranews.com
- ANTARA Bali, levy collection January to August 2026, 14 August 2026: antaranews.com
- Sekretariat Negara, Indonesia’s national holidays and collective leave for 2027, 15 September 2026: setneg.go.id
- ANTARA Bali, Ngurah Rai airport closure for Nyepi 2026, 13 March 2026: antaranews.com
- UAE Ministry of Education, academic calendar for 2026-27 to 2028-29, 23 February 2026: moe.gov.ae
- Khaleej Times, likely 2027 dates of Ramadan and both Eids from the UAE Astronomy Centre, updated 1 September 2026: khaleejtimes.com
- Ministry of Manpower, Singapore, public holidays 2027: mom.gov.sg
- Meteorological Service Singapore, “Climate of Singapore”: weather.gov.sg
- The Star, “Start of Northeast Monsoon expected on Oct 27, MetMalaysia says”, 23 October 2026: thestar.com.my
- ANTARA Bali, “Kesiapan Bali hadapi ancaman di musim hujan”, 27 October 2026: antaranews.com
- BMKG, “Puncak Musim Kemarau Agustus 2026”, 10 June 2026: bmkg.go.id
- MUIS, Halal: muis.gov.sg
- JAKIM, Malaysia halal portal: halal.gov.my
- Header photo: Bussorah Street and Masjid Sultan, Singapore, by Josep M. Gracia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Travel DMC Group
Travel DMC Group is a B2B destination management company handling ground services — hotels, transfers, guided tours, MICE and group logistics — across Asia, the Middle East and the Caucasus. These guides are written by our in-house operations and product team from first-hand experience running group departures.
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