Change US Visa Interview Location: Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Another Country

Inside the UAE, the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the US Consulate General in Dubai sit in the same scheduling system and the same fee country, so one UAE fee receipt can be used for either city. Moving your interview to another country is different: the fee paid in the UAE does not transfer, and you buy a new one in the country where you want to apply.

Key facts

• Two UAE posts: US Embassy Abu Dhabi and US Consulate General Dubai, both booked through ustraveldocs.com/ae and usvisascheduling.com.
• Fee validity: “within one year from the date of payment”, or as per any fee validity extension guidance in effect.
• Fee for B1/B2 and F1/F2: USD 185, non-refundable, and valid only for appointments in the country where it was paid.
• Weekly releases: every Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., except US and UAE holidays.
• Reschedules: limited, but no number is published for the UAE.
• Support: support-uae@usvisascheduling.com, +971 4 205 5981, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. UAE time.

Visa Doctor is a private agency. We are not affiliated with the US government, the US Embassy, ustraveldocs.com or usvisascheduling.com. Always check service news yourself on ae.usembassy.gov.

Can I change my US visa appointment from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, or back?

In principle, yes, because both posts belong to your UAE account. When you start an application, the system asks you to “choose your Embassy/Consulate/OFC”, and the US Mission says applicants with existing appointments “can log into their accounts to schedule an earlier appointment, if one is available, at any time.”

What is not published is how to move a booked slot from one city to the other. The official pages do not say whether the reschedule screen lets you pick the other post directly, or whether you must cancel and start a new application, which would cost a scheduling opportunity. Check in your account first. If the other city is not offered when you reschedule, ask the support centre before you cancel anything, because “a cancelled appointment cannot be restored.”

Before you switch, compare the two posts on our page about the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the US Consulate in Dubai, including their addresses and how to get there.

Does my DS-160 need to show the new city?

For UAE appointments, yes. ustraveldocs.com/ae states: “The interview post you select at the beginning of the DS-160 form must be the same post where you schedule your interview appointment.” A DS-160 cannot be edited after submission, so a city change can mean a new DS-160 and an update of the confirmation number on your booking.

travel.state.gov gives an example where a consulate accepts a DS-160 listing a different post, so the rule may be applied with some flexibility. For the UAE, the safe course is to follow the local rule and keep the two matching. Our guide to changing the DS-160 confirmation number sets out the official eight steps.

Can I move my US visa interview to another country?

You can apply elsewhere, but your UAE fee stays in the UAE. The terms on ustraveldocs.com/ae say payments “are valid only for appointments scheduled in the country where the payment was made. Visa application fees cannot be transferred to a U.S. Embassy/Consulate outside of the country where the payment was made. In such cases, the applicant will need to purchase a new Consular fee in the country where he/she wishes to apply.”

The embassy page puts it briefly: “Visa application fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.” For a move abroad, the FAQ asks you to “share your passport number, UID or email address so that we can retrieve and verify if we are able to assist you”. Contact the support centre with those details before you set up anything in the other country, so that you know what will happen to your UAE profile and appointment.

The embassy also tells applicants to schedule in their country of residence or nationality. Check the rules of the new country’s US embassy before paying there.

How long is the US visa fee, or MRV fee receipt, valid in the UAE?

The visa application fee is often called the MRV fee. The payment page on ustraveldocs.com/ae says: “Consular fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, this fee may be used for scheduling an appointment within one year from the date of payment or as per the Visa Fee Validity Extension guidance in effect as a result of the suspension of routine visa services.”

Note the wording: one year from the date of payment, not a count of days. The extension guidance it mentions has no published dates or length that we could find, so check the validity shown in your account or ask the support centre. Allow up to one business day for a new receipt to activate. If a receipt does not show, wait or contact support, and do not pay a second time: the site warns “DO NOT PAY THE FEE A SECOND TIME AS IT WILL NOT BE REFUNDED.”

How many times can I reschedule a US visa appointment?

There is a limit, but no number is published for the UAE. Step 4 on ustraveldocs.com/ae says: “Applicants are limited to the number of times they can reschedule their appointments. Please plan accordingly so that you are not required to pay another visa application fee.” The terms add that after “the set number of times reschedule, a new visa application fee payment must be made.”

Treat any figure you read online as unconfirmed for the UAE. For the full process, see our guide on how to reschedule a US visa appointment in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.

When are new appointments released in Dubai and Abu Dhabi?

The embassy states that both posts “release appointments for nonimmigrant visa interviews every Friday morning between 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., with the exception of U.S. and UAE holidays.” It adds that extra appointments may occasionally be released outside this schedule. Log in yourself during that window. Do not use bots or auto refresh tools: the terms forbid automated access, and the site may show an “Access limitation” warning. For realistic options, see our page on earlier US visa appointments in Dubai.

Are US visa appointments available in the UAE right now?

The official wording is mixed, so read it carefully. The visas page on ae.usembassy.gov says: “While the U.S.B1/B2 and student visa appointments are available in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.” The embassy notice dated 8 August 2026 says: “The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the U.S. Consulate in Dubai are open, and limited visa processing is available at this time.”

Our reading is that only limited nonimmigrant appointments are on offer. That can change quickly, so check ae.usembassy.gov before you pay, cancel or move an appointment.

Notes for F1 and F2 applicants

• Timing: F1 visas for new students “can be issued up to 365 days in advance of the start date”, and you may only enter “within 30 days of the beginning of the course of study stated on your I-20”. Plan any city change around those dates.
• Families: each F2 dependant has their own DS-160 and their own email address. If you move the principal applicant’s interview, check that every family member’s DS-160 and booking match the same post.
• Another country: each person’s fee is tied to the country where it was paid, so a family moving abroad would need a new fee for each applicant there.

How Visa Doctor helps

For B1/B2 and F1/F2 applicants, we help with interview city changes between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, moving an application to another country, DS-160 updates and DS-160 linking on the booking, passport number updates, name changes and account recovery. We check your receipt, your DS-160 post and your remaining options before anything is cancelled. We cannot promise that the support centre will accept a request, or how long it will take. Keep control of your own email and passwords, and give account access only to a licensed provider you trust. Read about our visa services in Dubai, or our guide to the UAE appointment account.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Last checked 26 October 2026.

• ustraveldocs.com/ae, Terms and conditions, checked 26 October 2026.
• ustraveldocs.com/ae, Payment options, checked 26 October 2026.
• ustraveldocs.com/ae, Step 2: complete the DS-160 and create a profile, checked 26 October 2026.
• ustraveldocs.com/ae, Step 3: visa fees, checked 26 October 2026.
• ustraveldocs.com/ae, Step 4: schedule your appointment, checked 26 October 2026.
• ustraveldocs.com/ae, General information and FAQ, checked 26 October 2026.
• US Embassy and Consulate in the UAE, Visas, checked 26 October 2026.
• US Embassy and Consulate in the UAE, Important Notice: Resumption of Routine Visa Services (8 August 2026), checked 26 October 2026.
• US Department of State, DS-160 frequently asked questions, checked 26 October 2026.
• US Department of State, Student visa, checked 26 October 2026.

Last reviewed October 2026. Visa rules, fees and processing times change frequently. Always confirm current requirements on the official government or consulate website before booking travel. Visa Doctor is a licensed private service provider (SPC Free Zone 4417571.01) and is not a government authority; we do not issue visas.