INTERNATIONAL PATIENTS
Travelling to Dubai for Stem Cell, Longevity or Aesthetic Treatment
Dr Shiva Faramarzi, MD · Apogee Clinic, JBR, Dubai · Reviewed October 2026
The short answer. We welcome patients from the UK, Europe, the United States, Australia, India and across the Gulf for regenerative treatment, longevity medicine, hair and facial treatment. We review your records before you book, plan your appointments around your flights, and you can stay in the same building as the clinic: Apogee Clinic is inside Address Beach Resort on JBR beach. Before any of that, you get an honest view of whether the treatment you are considering is worth travelling for.
Why patients travel for treatment
Some patients come because the treatment they are researching is offered at home only within clinical trials. Some want a physician who will explain the evidence honestly before recommending anything. Many combine treatment with time in Dubai, which is a short flight from Europe and India and a single long-haul flight from the United States and Australia.
Whatever the reason, the medical decision comes first and the travel plan second.
What international patients come for
- Regenerative medicine: stem cell and exosome IV treatment, with a full assessment beforehand. For autoimmune conditions, see my articles on multiple sclerosis, thyroid disease and psoriasis and eczema.
- Longevity medicine: a structured assessment, blood testing and a plan, with IV drip treatment where it is justified.
- Hair loss: diagnosis first, then regenerative and other treatments planned around the hair cycle.
- Face and body: ultrasound-guided injectables, thread lifting and endolaser, planned so that any swelling has settled before you fly home.
Before you travel
- Send your records first. Recent blood tests, diagnosis letters, scans and a list of your medications. I review them before you book flights, so you know whether treatment is reasonable for you.
- Have a first conversation by WhatsApp. We agree what you want to achieve, what the evidence does and does not support, and which treatments make sense.
- Decide your dates together with us. We plan your appointments around your flights, so assessment, treatment and review fit into your stay.
- Tell your own doctor. I am happy to write to them before and after treatment.
Planning a visit?
Send your records and travel dates. I will review them and tell you honestly what is worth doing. WhatsApp +971 52 328 6185.
Planning your stay
For stem cell treatment, whether with your own cells or a donor’s, plan at least four nights in Dubai, so we can keep you under observation after treatment. A typical stay includes:
- Assessment: a consultation and any blood tests or scans that are needed before treatment.
- Treatment: on a separate day once the results are reviewed.
- Review: a check before you leave, and a clear plan for follow-up at home.
If you are combining regenerative treatment with facial or body treatment, we plan the order so that anything with downtime, such as swelling after endolaser, has time to settle before your flight.
Where we are
Apogee Clinic is inside Address Beach Resort, a five-star beachfront hotel on Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) in Dubai, with direct access to JBR beach and a spa on the 75th floor. Dubai Marina, Bluewaters Island and Ain Dubai are a few minutes away.1
For patients who travel, this matters more than it sounds. You can stay in the same building as the clinic, so there is no commute between your hotel and your appointments, and you can rest in your room straight after treatment. The resort also has residences for longer stays, which suit patients combining several treatments.1
The Apogee Clinic team
Inside Apogee Clinic
Dr Shiva with colleagues at the clinic
Regulation and honesty
The evidence for stem cell treatment differs from one condition to another. In some areas, randomised trials have shown measurable benefits: in a placebo-controlled trial in type 2 diabetes, HbA1c fell by 1.3 percentage points with umbilical cord MSCs and insulin needs dropped,2 and in advanced liver cirrhosis, MSC treatment improved liver function and long-term survival.3 For many other uses, including most autoimmune and longevity indications, the human evidence is earlier. None of these is yet a standard guideline treatment.
Treatment is given under my Dubai Health Authority (DHA) licence, with cells and exosomes prepared by two established, regulated laboratories. I explain the evidence for your own condition before you decide, and I would rather tell you before you travel from abroad that treatment is not worth the trip than after.
Whichever clinic you choose, in Dubai or elsewhere, ask who prepares the cells, how they are tested, who gives the treatment, and how the result will be measured. A clinic that cannot answer those questions clearly is not one to travel for.
After you go home
- You leave with a written summary of what was done, which products were used, and what to monitor.
- With your permission, I send the same summary to your doctor at home.
- Follow-up blood tests can usually be done near home and reviewed with me remotely.
- Check your travel insurance before you go. Many policies exclude planned medical treatment abroad and its complications.
Guides for patients travelling from
- The United Kingdom: regulation at home, flights, visas and working with your GP or consultant.
- The United States: what the FDA has and has not approved, and coordinating with your doctor at home.
- Australia: the rules on cell therapies at home, and planning a long-haul trip.
- India: the national stem cell guidelines, visas and short-trip planning.
- The Gulf (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman): no visa, short flights and privacy.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on your passport. Citizens of many countries, including the UK, the United States and Australia, can currently get a visa on arrival. Others, including most Indian citizens, need to arrange a visa before travelling. Rules change, so check the official UAE government portal before you book.4
For stem cell treatment, whether with your own cells or a donor’s, plan at least four nights in Dubai, so we can keep you under observation after treatment. Other treatments may need less time. We confirm your schedule before you book flights.
Often, yes. We plan the order and timing so that any downtime has settled before you fly.
I encourage it. With your permission, I write to your doctor before and after treatment.
Yes. The clinic is inside Address Beach Resort, so you can stay in the same building.1
It depends on the condition. Randomised trials have shown benefits in some areas, such as blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes;2 for most autoimmune and longevity uses the evidence is earlier. I explain the evidence for your condition before you decide.
Start with your records.
Send your records and travel dates. We will plan the rest together. WhatsApp +971 52 328 6185.
About the author. Dr Shiva Faramarzi, MD, is an aesthetic, regenerative and longevity physician at Apogee Clinic, JBR, Dubai (DHA licence 43705219). She offers autologous and donor stem cell therapy and exosome IV treatment. This article is patient education and does not replace the advice of your own doctor.
References
1. Address Hotels + Resorts. Address Beach Resort, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai. addresshotels.com
2. Zang L, et al. Efficacy and safety of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells in Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes: a single-center, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled phase II trial. Stem Cell Res Ther. 2022;13:180. doi:10.1186/s13287-022-02848-6
3. Shi M, et al. Mesenchymal stem cell therapy in decompensated liver cirrhosis: a long-term follow-up analysis of the randomized controlled clinical trial. Hepatol Int. 2021;15(6):1431–1441. doi:10.1007/s12072-021-10199-2
4. UAE Government portal (u.ae). Visa on arrival: who is eligible and for how long. u.ae
2. Zang L, et al. Efficacy and safety of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells in Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes: a single-center, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled phase II trial. Stem Cell Res Ther. 2022;13:180. doi:10.1186/s13287-022-02848-6
3. Shi M, et al. Mesenchymal stem cell therapy in decompensated liver cirrhosis: a long-term follow-up analysis of the randomized controlled clinical trial. Hepatol Int. 2021;15(6):1431–1441. doi:10.1007/s12072-021-10199-2
4. UAE Government portal (u.ae). Visa on arrival: who is eligible and for how long. u.ae
