I am confused on the UAE Visa on Arrival as to how it works.

My understanding is the Visa on Arrival available to the citizens of the eligible countries is free. It is issued at the airport of entry, such as DXB or AUH, upon arrival. Is it correct? Does that mean the immigration officer would stamp the passport or you go to some window to get it done?

What I am not clear on how it works is, if you exit UAE to the neighboring countries, upon return, you would get a new Visa on Arrival, is it correct?

For that matter, does Qatar has similar set up? I am under the impression Qatar's Visa on Arrival is not free and actually rather expensive.

TIA for answering my questions.

Yes, as you come through immigration they put a visa stamp in your passport. No special windows.
Correct.

For the UAE, just join the line for an immigration officer and receive a free 30-day visa on arrival which is cancelled when you depart. Just get another each time you visit. Clearly, this applies only to those entitled; many nationalities require an advance visa.

Similiar in Qatar but there is a charge of QAR100 (~$27). Pay the immigration officer by credit card as you receive the visa stamp.

Depending on the nationality, entering Dubai with visa on arrival is either free or you have to actually buy a visa. If you have to buy a visa, you will do it from a currency exchange or kiosk in the back of the passport hall, and then go get in line to get processed. If you don't have to, you just get in line and present your passport.

For Qatar, last time I was there it was the same QR 100. You just get in the regular passport line, and when its your turn, they will collect the fee from you by credit card on the spot./

The UAE does not levy visa fees on any travelers - neither those eligible for visa-on-arrival nor those who require an advance visa.

Thanks for the info.

We hold passports from countries eligible for UAE's Visa on Arrival.

The Qatari visa is too expensive for a casual one day stay. I am glad to find this out. We would make sure we only transit at DOH and remain at the airport during the layover.

We plan to spend time in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. However DOH would be the airport of arrival at and departure from Middle East because QR is the airline to use (American Airlines award tickets, also want to try QR's A380).

What are your suggestions on the sequence of trip, i.e. DOH-AUH, then DXB-DOH, or vice versa? Does it matter?

One factor also needs to be consider is the arrival time at either AUH or DXB, if we fly in DOH from MIA, arriving at 17:35. Therefore either we arrive AUH or DXB late at night the same day, or have a very long overnight layover at DOH then take the first morning flight out. Need to look at the hotel situation at AUH and DXB to decide. There are a lot more flights DOH-DXB than DOH-AUH.

I'd fly straight out on the next convenient DOH-DXB flight. It's only a 40 minute flight anyway. The only disadvantage of arriving into DXB is, if you're unlucky, the queues at immigration can be gigantic.

If you're flying Qatar to Dubai, look at DWC or SHJ airports instead and avoid DXB 'zoo'.

If you have a long layover in DOH, the airport offers free city tours, but it depends on your timings, etc. Look at the airport's website: http://dohahamadairport.com/shop/qta-tours or in the QR forum here.

Unless something has changed in the last year, there are visa fees for various nationalities, and as indicated above, the procedure is to go and pay the fees at the window and return to the passport line with the visa stamp in your passport.

There is also available an evisa portal at https://www.gdrfa.ae/GCCIND/createVi...ccompany=false

Does the DWC also would grant the no fee Visa on Arrival like at DXB?

The layover at DOH is worthless as it would be an overnight - arriving at 17:35 and then leave the next morning with the only option is the transit hotel in the airport. Not going to work. (flying on award tickets with AA miles therefore NO transit hotel provided by QR - similar situation as in 2015 - a BRUTAL 12+ hrs layover for the DOH-JNB flight the next morning with the QR lounge worthless as it does not have any comfort place for napping.)
Therefore definitely would fly out but not sure if DWC working as there are far fewer flights to DWC while a ton to DXB. Hotels also another consideration. At the prelim research now. I need to book the flight HKG-US first before I would book the MIA-DOH outbound as the HKG-US award flights are much harder to find.

Fwiw, friends holding US passports had their trips this past Dec. Went straight thru immigration. No need to go to any window. With either US or HKSAR passparts we should enter with free Visa on Arrival as a stamp on the passport. Prefer to use HKSAR so to conserve the remaining 2 to 3 pages on the US ones until renewal time in 2018/19 time.