By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 7 min read
Where is the Hatta border, and how far is it from Dubai?
Hatta is a town in the Hajar Mountains that belongs to Dubai, though it sits well east of the city. The border post is on the far side of the town. On OpenStreetMap, the UAE’s Hatta Border Post and Oman’s Wajajah Border Post stand a few hundred metres apart on the same road.
| From | To the Hatta border post | Without traffic |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Dubai | about 114 km | 1 h 27 min |
| Dubai International (DXB) | about 114 km | 1 h 44 min |
| Dubai Marina | about 132 km | 1 h 42 min |
| Sharjah city | about 125 km | 1 h 28 min |
| Abu Dhabi city | about 237 km | 2 h 27 min |
Road figures are OSRM results on OpenStreetMap data from 17 October 2026, with no traffic or queues allowed for.
From Downtown, the route takes the E44 out along Ras Al Khor Road and Al Awir Road, then the Dubai to Hatta road through Al Madam. After about 70 km, roughly 20 km of the road runs on the Omani-numbered N7 before the E44 picks up again into Hatta. That stretch is part of the normal road to Hatta, and the border formalities happen only at the posts beyond the town.
A day out at the dam or the heritage village does not go through the border at all. Our Hatta day tour and the Hatta Dam guide cover the town itself.
Is the Hatta border open to tourists and expats?
Yes, for anyone whose passport allows entry to Oman. On 2 March 2026, with UAE airspace closed, the German Embassy in Abu Dhabi listed Hatta and Al Wajajah as a road route into Oman for German citizens. It said the crossing was open around the clock.
Three rules from that notice apply to everyone:
- The crossing is for vehicles only. Nobody walks between the two posts.
- A rental car needs a certificate from the rental company and extra insurance for Oman.
- Visas on arrival were being issued at the border, but the embassy advised applying for the Oman eVisa first.
Who needs a visa is set by the Oman Ministry of Foreign Affairs. GCC citizens need none. Citizens of more than 100 countries get 14 days visa free, with conditions. UAE residents should not assume their Emirates ID is enough: in 2022 a Royal Oman Police spokesman said GCC residents still need visas. Our Oman visa guide for UAE residents covers the profession rules.
Step by step: UAE exit at Hatta, then Oman entry at Al Wajajah
The German Embassy put the whole passage at about 3 km, including both border and customs stations. In order:
- UAE exit at Hatta. Every passport is checked and stamped out. This is where the UAE exit fee is paid.
- The drive between the posts. You stay in the vehicle for the short run to the Omani post.
- Oman immigration at Al Wajajah. Each passenger shows a passport plus an eVisa, a visa bought at the counter or proof of visa-free entry.
- Insurance. A UAE car without Oman cover buys it here. Gulf News describes self-service kiosks selling the Orange Card.
- Customs. Officers may inspect the car and the bags, then you drive on into Oman.
Gulf News gives the same order in its road-trip explainer: pay the exit fee, park, clear immigration, arrange insurance, then a short customs check. Al Wajajah appears under that name in Royal Oman Police Decision 195/2022, Oman’s official list of land ports.
What do you pay at the Hatta border?
| Item | Reported amount | Who pays it | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| UAE exit fee | AED 35 | Everyone leaving by road, at the UAE post | Gulf News, 2026 |
| Oman visa on arrival | OMR 5, for 28 days | UAE residents in approved professions | Gulf News, July 2026 |
| 14-day visa exemption | No visa needed | Listed nationalities meeting the conditions | Oman Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
| Orange Card car insurance | From about AED 106, minimum 5 days | Cars without Oman cover on their UAE policy | Gulf News, May 2026 |
We could not find the exit fee on an ICP or u.ae page on 17 October 2026, so treat it as reported, not official. Gulf News said in 2023 that both the exit fee and the visa were paid by credit or debit card at the posts. Carry a card that works abroad.
The 14-day exemption carries its own conditions: a passport valid for 6 months, a return ticket, a confirmed hotel booking, health insurance and enough money for the stay. Print them or keep them on your phone, ready for the officer.
On a chauffeur trip, the car’s side is not your cost to arrange. We confirm Oman cover, the registration papers and the permits for carrying passengers before the booking is final.
Opening hours and how long the crossing takes
The German Embassy reported Hatta and Al Wajajah open around the clock in March 2026. It listed two other Oman crossings as open around the clock at the same time: Mezyad and Hafeet from Abu Dhabi, and Khatmat Malaha from Fujairah. We have no later official statement of the hours.
How long the crossing takes depends on the queue at each post. Queues build when many UAE residents drive to Oman at once, as on Eid holidays. The dates to avoid are listed in our guide to border queues on UAE holidays.
Two things save time at the window:
- An Oman eVisa approved before the trip. Gulf News puts the GCC resident eVisa at 4 to 5 working days, so apply a week ahead.
- Oman cover already on the car’s policy, so there is no stop at the insurance kiosk.
Fuel, cash and SIM cards before you cross
Fuel. OpenStreetMap shows ENOC and Emarat stations in Hatta town, about 9 km and 7 minutes before the border post. There are also ADNOC stations on the approach roads around Hatta. Just past Al Wajajah, the map shows Al Maha and Shell stations on the Omani side.
Cash. Oman’s currency is the Omani rial (OMR). The border fees were reported as card payments, but a little cash helps at small shops and cafés on the Batinah coast.
Phone. Check roaming with your UAE network before you leave. Download offline maps for the mountain road below Al Wajajah, and keep your eVisa saved on the phone, not only in an email.
Documents. Our UAE land border checklist collects every paper to pack for any road crossing.
Coming back: re-entering the UAE at Hatta
The order reverses on the way home. Omani exit is cleared at Al Wajajah, and UAE entry follows at Hatta.
- UAE residents re-enter on their residence visa and Emirates ID. Check that the residence is valid on the return date.
- GCC citizens do not need a UAE visa (UAE government portal).
- Visitors on a single-entry UAE visa. GDRFA Dubai describes its single-entry tourist visa as a visa for one visit, so leaving at Hatta ends it. You need a multiple-entry visa, a new visa, or a passport that gets a UAE visa on arrival.
- Every passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the day you re-enter the UAE.
Your Oman stay matters too. The 14-day exemption cannot be extended, so plan the return before day 14.
Crossing at Hatta with a chauffeur
Oman trips are possible on request, and we confirm each one separately. For your date we check Oman insurance for the car, its registration papers and the permission to carry paying passengers across the border. The answer comes back on WhatsApp with the quote.
Sohar is about 89 km past Al Wajajah and central Muscat about 292 km, so the crossing sits early in the day on both trips. See the Dubai to Muscat private transfer, or every Oman city we serve on our Oman transfers page. Trips that stay inside the UAE run as intercity transfers.
If Hatta is not the right post for your route, the guide to every UAE and Oman crossing compares Khatmat Malaha, Mezyad and the two Musandam posts. For coaches through Hatta, read the Dubai to Muscat bus guide.
Photos in this guide
Hatta town in its valley, ringed by the Hajar Mountains, seen from a ridge aboveSan Naing Kaung / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The turquoise lake behind Hatta Dam, below bare rock ridges of the Hajar MountainsAlobeci / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
The Omani border post building at Al Wajajah, with a no-photography sign beside the entrance pathBjoertvedt / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
