A UAE visa for living in Dubai is a residence permit issued by GDRFA. Most people get one through an employer, a family sponsor or a domestic worker sponsor. Others sponsor themselves through the golden, green, retirement or freelance routes. Every residence visa follows the same four steps: entry permit, medical test, Emirates ID and residence. The calculator above adds up the government fees for a family visa or a renewal.
Residence visa types in Dubai
| Visa | Who sponsors | How long | Main condition | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment visa | Your employer | 2 years, renewable | Job offer and MOHRE work permit | Employment visa UAE |
| Family visa | A resident spouse or parent | Tied to the sponsor's visa | Salary of AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation | Family visa Dubai |
| Domestic worker visa | A family | Work permit 1 year for resident sponsors | Family income of at least AED 25,000 a month | Maid visa Dubai, nanny visa Dubai |
| Golden visa | Yourself | 10 years | AED 2,000,000 property or deposit, AED 30,000 salary, talent or study | Golden visa UAE |
| Green visa | Yourself | 5 years | Skilled job on AED 15,000 a month, freelance income or investment | Green visa UAE |
| Retirement visa | Yourself | 5 years | Age 55 or over, 15 years of service, AED 1,000,000 or AED 240,000 a year | Retirement visa Dubai |
| Freelance visa | A free zone or your permit | 1 or 2 years, by package | Freelance licence or permit | Freelance visa Dubai |
Sources: GDRFA, ICP and MOHRE service pages, checked .
Not a resident yet? Short stays use a visit visa: see Dubai visit visa, the job seeker visa UAE, or what your passport needs on Dubai visa by nationality.
Sponsor visa in Dubai: who can sponsor whom
- Employers sponsor staff. On the mainland the employer first gets a MOHRE work permit, then the GDRFA residence. Company owners also need the company's establishment card: PRO services in Dubai covers that side.
- Residents sponsor a spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25 and children with special needs of any age. The salary rule is AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 with accommodation.
- Families sponsor domestic workers if the family income is at least AED 25,000 a month.
- Golden visa holders can sponsor a spouse, children of any age and parents. Green visa holders can sponsor a spouse and children.
- You sponsor yourself on the golden, green and retirement visas, and on a freelance permit.
The route every residence visa follows
- Entry permit. The sponsor applies. A family entry permit lets the person stay 60 days after entry to complete the residence. If the person is already in the UAE, GDRFA adds AED 10, AED 10 and an AED 500 inside-country fee.
- Status change, only if you are inside the UAE on another visa. GDRFA's status amendment fee is AED 500 plus AED 10 and AED 10. The visa change in Dubai page explains it.
- Work permit, for employees. MOHRE charges a AED 50 application fee and AED 250, AED 1,200 or AED 3,450 for a 2-year permit, depending on the company's category.
- Medical test for everyone 18 and over: AED 270 for the normal service. See medical test for a visa in Dubai.
- Emirates ID: ICP charges AED 100 per year of residence plus a AED 100 smart application fee.
- Residence issue: AED 200 plus AED 10, AED 10 and AED 20 delivery, plus AED 100 a year if the permit runs over 2 years. GDRFA states 48 hours.
Source: GDRFA, MOHRE and ICP service pages and the Dubai medical fitness fee schedule, checked .
What people usually pay in total
Government fees are only part of the bill. Published price lists of Dubai typing centers, PRO firms and free zones, checked , show these usual all-in ranges:
| Visa | Usual total |
|---|---|
| Family visa, per dependant, first year | AED 3,000 to AED 6,500 |
| Employment visa, per employee, 2 years | AED 4,500 to AED 8,000 |
| Domestic worker visa, 2-year package as published (MOHRE gives resident sponsors a 1-year permit) | AED 8,500 to AED 17,000 |
| Golden visa, government part, non-property | AED 2,900 to AED 5,000 |
| Freelance permit plus 2-year visa | AED 11,000 to AED 16,000 |
| Residence renewal, employee | AED 2,000 to AED 4,000 |
Typing alone is usually AED 40 to AED 200 per form, and Amer service charges are about AED 100 to AED 300 per GDRFA transaction, on top of the government fee. The full breakdown for golden visas is on golden visa cost.
Visa services in Dubai after the visa is issued
- Renewal: start before expiry. See visa renewal in Dubai.
- Cancellation: the sponsor cancels; employees are cancelled at MOHRE first. See visa cancellation in Dubai.
- Status check: GDRFA has a public tool. See visa status check.
- Overstay: AED 50 a day after the grace period. See overstay fine in Dubai.
How long you can stay after a visa expires or is cancelled depends on your category, and overstay fines in Dubai explains the grace periods and works out any fine. A normal residence is cancelled if you spend more than 180 days in a row outside the UAE.
Mistakes that delay a residence visa
- Passport under 6 months. GDRFA asks for at least 6 months on the passport for a family entry permit.
- Unattested family papers. Family files need an attested birth certificate and a certified marriage contract.
- Missing the 60 days. A family entry permit gives 60 days after entry to finish the residence.
- Leaving the renewal until after a long trip. Renew before you travel if the expiry falls while you are away, and remember the 180-day absence rule for ordinary residences.
- Cancelling the sponsor first. If the sponsor's visa is cancelled, the dependants' visas must be cancelled too. ICP asks for a AED 5,000 guarantee to cancel a sponsor without the family.
- Long trips abroad. More than 180 days in a row outside the UAE cancels a normal residence.
Where to go, and what you can do alone
You can apply for most residence services yourself in the GDRFA app or website with UAE Pass. If you prefer a counter, GDRFA lists 85 Amer centers in Dubai and 9 of its own customer happiness centers. MOHRE work permits go through one of 90 business service centers, the Tasheel centers. Domestic worker visas go through one of 42 domestic workers centers. A simple renewal is easy to do alone. A new visa with a work permit, a status change or a family file has more steps where a missing document costs you a week. Company owners renewing the licence that sponsors their staff can see trade licence renewal. Documents from abroad often need certificate attestation first.
Matching you to the right visa
Tell us who needs the visa, who sponsors them and whether they are inside or outside the UAE. Send passports and the sponsor's documents. The partner team works out the right category first, because a visit visa used where a residence was needed, or the wrong sponsor, is the most expensive mistake on this page. They type and submit the entry permit, status change and residence, book the medical and Emirates ID biometrics, and for employees handle the MOHRE work permit. You avoid moving between Amer and Tasheel counters. One total price is agreed before filing, government fees and the service charge itemised. A WhatsApp message with the passport nationality is enough to start.
