Do UAE passport holders need a visa to visit NC?

UAE ordinary passport holders do NOT need a visa for New Caledonia. You can enter visa-free for tourism for up to 90 days within any 180-day period. New Caledonia is a special-status French collectivity in the South Pacific. It is part of the French Republic but is NOT in the Schengen Area, and Schengen short-stay visas/waivers do not automatically apply there — French overseas territories maintain their own visa-exemption list. The United Arab Emirates is on that official exemption list: the French government instrument (Legifrance LEGIARTI000051759426) records "Emirats arabes unis — Dispense s'étendant à tout type de passeport," meaning the visa exemption applies to all UAE passport types, including the ordinary passport. UAE nationals may therefore enter New Caledonia for tourism without a visa for short stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period. No visa, eVisa, or visa-on-arrival is required. Travelers must still meet standard entry conditions: a passport issued within the last 10 years and valid at least 3 months beyond the planned departure date with at least two blank pages, a return/onward ticket, proof of sufficient funds, and mandatory travel/medical insurance (minimum recommended coverage around EUR 30,000). Because New Caledonia is geographically remote, most routings from the UAE transit through a third country (commonly Australia, New Zealand, Japan, or another Pacific hub) — check transit visa rules for any layover country, as those can require their own visa/ETA even when New Caledonia itself does not.