UAE Visa Types 2026: Every Entry and Residence Visa, Who Issues It, Duration and Fees

UAE visa types are the categories of permission the UAE grants foreigners to enter or live in the country: short-term UAE entry visa types (tourist, visit, transit, job-seeker, business, medical and study) and residence visas (employment, family, domestic worker, student, property owner, remote work, retirement, Green, Blue and Golden), issued by GDRFA for Dubai and by ICP for the other emirates. Each type has its own sponsor, duration, conditions and fees, and each is published by the issuing authority as a separate service card. There is no single official list of UAE visa categories, which is why the same question gets so many different answers online.

This guide puts the types of visa in UAE into one place, from the service cards of ICP, GDRFA Dubai, MOHRE and Dubai Land Department and from u.ae, all checked on 23 September 2026. It gives the master table first, then every one of the UAE entry visa types and UAE residence visa types with its authority, duration and published fees, the grace period each one carries, where the official pages disagree, and five worked cases. Where one of the UAE visa categories has its own detailed guide or service page on our site, we link to it rather than repeat it.

UAE visa types at a glance: the master table

This is the table to keep. Each row is one of the UAE visa categories, what kind of permission it is, how long it runs, who sponsors it and which authority issues it. The detail on every row follows further down.

UAE visa types: how MIRDXB PRO helps

Most people who contact us already know roughly what they want: a visit visa for their mother, a job-seeker visa for themselves, a partner visa through a new company, a Green visa after a pay rise. What they want from us is the right category, the right authority and a file that goes through the first time. We are a PRO and visa services firm in Al Barsha 1, and we handle visas at GDRFA for Dubai and through ICP for the other emirates, with the MOHRE side for work permits. If you already know the category, our entry permit service in Dubai covers the UAE entry visa types, and each of the UAE residence visa types below links to its own service page.

What we do

• Match you to the category first. We compare your situation with the published conditions of the UAE visa types that could apply and tell you in writing which fits.
• Check the documents against the current GDRFA or ICP service card.
• Apply and track UAE entry visa types, UAE residence visa types, Emirates ID, medical and biometrics.
• Handle the MOHRE side for employment, domestic worker, mission and freelance routes, in the right order.
• Change status inside the country when you move from a visit visa to a residence, or from one of the UAE residence visa types to another.
• Arrange attestation of marriage, birth or degree certificates.

How it works

1. WhatsApp us the passport copy of the person who needs the visa, your Emirates ID if you are the sponsor, and a line on what you want to do.
2. We confirm the category and send a written list of documents, the government fees from the official schedule and our fee.
3. You approve and send the documents. We book any medical or biometrics.
4. We submit to GDRFA or ICP (and MOHRE where needed) and send you the approvals and the issued visa.

What it costs

Government fees are passed on at cost, from the official schedule, and we show you the receipts. Our own service fee depends on the category and the work involved, and it is quoted in writing before we start. Our pricing approach is on the fees page, and you can estimate a whole file with our visa cost estimator.

Why residents use us

• We publish our sources: every figure here links to its official page.
• We cover both systems: GDRFA for Dubai files and ICP for Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
• We tell you when you do not need us, for example a tourist visa you can get through the airline.
• You can walk in. Our office is in Al Barsha 1, open by appointment; whatsApp us any time, 24 hours; office open Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00 (Dubai time).
• If you are abroad, we act for you, under a power of attorney where required.

How UAE visa categories are organised

Before comparing UAE visa types, it helps to see how the system is built. u.ae draws the line: an entry permit lets a foreigner enter for a purpose, including to “finalise his/her residence visa procedures”, while a residence visa lets him or her live here. A resident holds several things from different authorities, in a fixed order.

u.ae also sets the outer limits for UAE residence visa types: “a residence visa can be for 1, 2 or 3 years on a sponsored visa, or up to 5 or 10 years on an unsponsored visa.” A sponsored permit is shorter and tied to the sponsor; a self-sponsored one (remote work, retirement, property owner, Green, Golden, Blue) is longer and yours.

Which authority issues each of the UAE visa types

The emirate on the sponsor’s file decides the authority, not where the applicant lives. The first digit of a residence file number shows the issuing emirate: 1 Abu Dhabi, 2 Dubai, 3 Sharjah, 4 Ajman, 5 Umm Al Quwain, 6 Ras Al Khaimah, 7 Fujairah.

Our explainers cover each one: what GDRFA is, the ICP smart services guide, what MOHRE is, and the split in ICP vs GDRFA.

UAE entry visa types for visitors: tourism, family visits and transit

These UAE entry visa types let someone in for a short stay. None of them makes the holder a resident, and none allows work. u.ae lists the purposes an entry visa can serve: tourism, visiting a friend or relative, a mission, business exploration, exploring job opportunities, treatment, study and training, and transit. It adds that visitors can hold a “multi-entry or one-entry visa”.

No visa needed, or a visa on arrival

u.ae says “GCC citizens do not need a visa to enter the UAE.” For others, it depends on the passport. Citizens of countries on the u.ae list “can obtain a visa upon arrival for 30 days with a 10-day grace period for extension”; citizens of a second list get a visa on arrival “for 90 days”. Indian passport holders with a valid US visit visa or green card, or a UK or EU residence visa, can “obtain a visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 14 days”, provided that visa or card is valid for at least six months from arrival. Passports must be valid for at least six months.

Tourist visa: the most used of the UAE entry visa types

The tourist visa is sponsored by a licensed tourism establishment, a UAE airline or a hotel. u.ae states plainly that “the UAE’s embassies do not issue tourist visas”; you apply through ICP or GDRFA online, Emirates, Etihad or flydubai, or a licensed travel agent or hotel.

• GDRFA: single or multiple entry, 30 or 60 days, 48 hours. Fees are in the table below.
• ICP tourism visa: stay of 30, 60 or 90 days, with the total stay not exceeding 120 days including extensions; conditions are valid UAE health insurance, a passport valid at least six months and a return ticket. Documents: passport, photo and a tour programme statement.

GDRFA’s tourist cards also ask nationals of Iraq, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan for a copy of their national identity card.

5-year multiple-entry tourist visa

This is the one of the UAE entry visa types most people have not heard of. u.ae: it “enables tourists to enter the UAE multiple times on self-sponsorship and remain in the country for 90 days on each visit, and can be extended for further 90 days.” It is open to all nationalities. Conditions: a bank balance of USD 4,000 or equivalent “during the last six months”, UAE-valid health insurance and a return or onward ticket.

GDRFA’s card for Dubai describes it as valid for five years “without needing a guarantor or host”, lists the stay as 90 continuous days, extendable to 180 days in a year, and publishes a total of AED 3,713, of which AED 3,000 is a guarantee. It must be used for entry within two months of issue. The two sources word the stay differently (90 days per visit on u.ae, 90 continuous days a year extendable to 180 on GDRFA), so read the conditions printed on the visa itself.

Visit visa for a relative or friend

A resident or citizen can host a relative or friend. Among UAE entry visa types, this is the lawful route for people who do not fit any of the UAE residence visa types, such as a resident’s brother or sister.

• ICP conditions: a minimum monthly salary of AED 4,000 for first-degree relatives, AED 8,000 for second and third-degree relatives, and AED 15,000 for friends; health insurance; a passport valid six months; a return ticket. Stay of 30, 60 or 90 days, extendable once or more, up to 180 days in total under ICP’s Visa Extension card (its older issuance card still says 120 days, so confirm the cap when you apply). The holder must enter within 60 days of issue.
• ICP fees: application AED 100, visa AED 100 single entry or AED 200 multiple entry, smart service AED 100, a refundable financial guarantee of AED 1,000 (single) or AED 2,000 (multiple) and AED 20 for the guarantee.
• GDRFA: single or multiple entry, 30, 60 or 90 days, with a deposit of AED 1,000 (single) or AED 2,000 (multiple) and health insurance of AED 40, 60 or 90. The host provides a salary certificate, labour contract or partnership contract.

If the visitor is already in the UAE when the visa is issued, GDRFA adds AED 500 plus the two AED 10 dirhams. That is the “inside the country” fee, and it appears on almost every GDRFA card.

Transit visa

u.ae: “A transit visa is issued for either 48 or 96 hours.” It is sponsored by a UAE-based airline, must be approved before arrival, “is a single-entry visa and cannot be extended”, and is needed only if you are not eligible for a visa on arrival or visa-free entry and want to leave the airport. It is the shortest of the UAE entry visa types. GDRFA’s card lists a fee of AED 50 plus the airline’s charges, a passport valid six months and a confirmed onward ticket.

Entry visa for residents of GCC countries

GDRFA issues an entry visa to “foreign nationals residing in a GCC Member State, as well as to their family members and accompanying domestic workers residing with them.” The applicant’s profession must be on the approved list. The card lists AED 100 application, AED 100 issuance and AED 52.50 service, 48 hours. It does not state the length of stay, so confirm it on the issued visa. u.ae also describes an eVisa for GCC residents; for a file outside Dubai, check the current option on the ICP app, as ICP’s general visa card does not list it among its UAE visa categories.

UAE entry visa types for a purpose: work, job search, business, treatment, study and missions

The second group of UAE entry visa types is tied to a reason for coming. Some are the first step of a residence; others stand alone.

Work entry permit (employment visa)

The entry permit for a job, and the first step towards the most common of the UAE residence visa types. GDRFA’s card Visa issuance for foreigners linked with job contract covers the federal and local government sectors, the private sector and domestic service workers. Its conditions include a passport valid six months and “Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization endorsement of work permit”. The fee is AED 200 plus VAT, with AED 500 plus AED 10 and AED 10 if the person is already inside the country. It gives 60 days from entry to complete the residence.

ICP’s equivalent is the work category of its Issuance of a Visa card: application AED 100, entry visa AED 100, smart service AED 100, with MOHRE approval needed “if the employer is subject to the Labour Relations Regulation Law”. ICP also asks for an attested good conduct certificate.

The order never changes: MOHRE work permit first, entry permit second, then medical, biometrics and residence. The costs line by line are in our UAE employment visa cost guide.

Job-seeker visit visa

u.ae: foreigners can get a visit visa to look for work “without requiring a host/sponsor in the country”, with “a validity of either 60, 90 or 120 days”. Unlike most UAE entry visa types, it is not open to everyone. The applicant must be at MOHRE skill level 1, 2 or 3, or “a graduate from the best 500 universities in the world” within the last two years, must hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, and must meet the financial guarantee.

GDRFA’s card says the visa can be for “one or more visits” and lists AED 200, 300 or 400 plus VAT for 60, 90 or 120 days, a AED 1,000 security deposit, AED 20 and AED 40 for the deposit, and a passport, photo and degree. u.ae’s page describes it as for one trip. Our work permit types guide explains what happens once an offer arrives.

Visit visa to explore business or investment

For someone assessing a business or investment in the UAE. GDRFA’s card: single or multiple entries, no sponsor or host, “proof of investment” among the documents, 60, 90 or 120 days at AED 200, 300 or 400 plus VAT, a AED 1,000 deposit, and the usual AED 500 inside-country fee if applicable. u.ae lists it separately as the visit visa to explore investment opportunities.

Medical (treatment) visa and companion visa

GDRFA issues a visit visa “for the purpose of treatment for one or several entries valid for 90 days or 180 days”. The host must be “licensed as health facilities in UAE”, and the file needs an approved medical report and a letter from the hospital. Companions travel on a separate escort visa, must enter with the patient, and hold the same validity. The card starts at AED 200 plus VAT for a single-entry 90-day visa, with a deposit of AED 1,000 (single) or AED 2,000 (multiple). ICP’s treatment category allows extensions as long as “total extension period does not exceed 180 days”.

Study, training or rehabilitation visit visa

A short visa for a course, training programme or rehabilitation, sponsored by “one of the licensed universities, institutes, educational or research institutions”. GDRFA: single entry, 30, 60 or 180 days at AED 200, 300 or 400 plus VAT, a AED 1,000 deposit, and a letter from the host describing the programme. A longer course moves to one of the UAE residence visa types, the student residence, covered below.

Mission and temporary work permits

For short, project-based work. MOHRE’s mission work permit is “granted to an establishment for the purpose of recruiting workers for short term employment based on projects”. It is valid 3 months, extendable once for the same period, and requires a worker aged 18 or over, a licence without violations, and a worker with no active work permit. MOHRE lists a federal fee of AED 50, with business-centre commission capped at AED 72. The immigration side is a mission entry visa through GDRFA or ICP. MOHRE also publishes a separate temporary work permit.

UAE entry visa types: fees side by side

These are the published government fees for the main UAE entry visa types. Deposits are refundable when the visitor leaves on time. Typing and centre charges sit on top, and the final figure is the one on your payment screen.

ICP’s fees for the same UAE entry visa types in the other emirates are structured differently: AED 100 application, AED 100 (single) or AED 200 (multiple) visa fee, AED 100 smart service, and a guarantee of AED 1,000 or AED 2,000 for visitor visas, from its Issuance of a Visa card. The overstay fine on any entry visa is AED 50 per day (ICP). See our overstay fine calculator.

UAE residence visa types sponsored by an employer

Employer-sponsored permits are the most common of the UAE residence visa types. They depend on the employer’s establishment file staying valid, and they end when the job ends.

Employment residence, private sector (mainland)

GDRFA: “A residence permit entitles private sector workers to the right to reside in the country for a period of two (2) years, renewable”. The card lists AED 200, AED 10 Knowledge, AED 10 Innovation, AED 20 delivery, AED 500 if inside the country, and AED 100 more per year where the permit is longer than two years. A medical is needed for applicants over 18, it takes 48 hours. Standard grace in Dubai: 30 days after cancellation (some categories get 60, 90 or 180 days; your exact period is shown on your cancellation letter).

The sequence: MOHRE work permit and offer letter, entry permit (or status change if already in the UAE), medical fitness, Emirates ID biometrics, residence. The employer pays the permit and visa costs. We run the whole file through our employment visa service in Dubai and the labour side through MOHRE work permits.

Free zone employment residence

A company licensed in a free zone sponsors its staff through the zone authority, which submits the entry permit and residence to GDRFA or ICP. The zone sets its own fees and packages, and some zones issue their own employment card in place of a MOHRE permit. The Emirates ID is still ICP’s. Our free zone visa services page covers the process, and free zone vs mainland Dubai compares the two.

Government and semi-government residence

Government employers sponsor through their own GDRFA or ICP channel. GDRFA’s card for the sector lists the same fee lines (AED 200 + 10 + 10 + 20 delivery, AED 500 inside the country, +AED 100 per year beyond two years), and a medical no older than three months.

Domestic worker residence

A household employs a housemaid, driver, nanny, cook or one of the other domestic occupations under a separate regime. MOHRE issues the domestic worker work permit: an expatriate employer must show “a recent salary certificate… confirming that the family’s income is not less than 25,000 dirhams”, the worker must be 18 or over with an age limit of 60 (with exceptions), and the permit is “one year for residents” and two years for UAE citizens. ICP’s residence card lists a domestic worker guarantee of AED 5,000. The residence is then issued by GDRFA or ICP. Our maid visa service handles the steps.

UAE residence visa types sponsored by family

These UAE residence visa types are held because of a relationship. They are residence without work permission: GDRFA files them under “Issuance of residency without work permission”, and a sponsored spouse or adult child who takes a job needs a separate MOHRE work permit.

Family residence: spouse and children of a resident

ICP’s issuance card sets the conditions for a foreign resident sponsor: “a minimum monthly income of AED 3,000 plus employer-provided housing, or AED 4,000 if housing is not provided”, adequate housing, and proof of kinship. The eligible relatives are the spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25 and children with special needs regardless of age. GDRFA’s Dubai card says “both male and female foreign residents are allowed to bring their family members”, so a resident woman who meets the conditions can sponsor her husband.

• Duration: ICP: family residence “matches the sponsor’s permit and cannot exceed it”.
• Fees in Dubai: AED 200 + 10 + 10 + 20 delivery, AED 500 inside the country, +AED 100 per year beyond two years (GDRFA). 48 hours.
• Medical: for family members over 18 (GDRFA; u.ae).
• Grace period: 30 days after cancellation as standard in Dubai (some categories get 60, 90 or 180 days; your exact period is shown on your cancellation letter). u.ae’s family page says “Dependents are granted a 6-month grace period”. See the grace table below.

The salary rule is covered in depth in our family visa salary requirement guide, and a first application is our family residence visa service. For renewals, see the family visa renewal documents checklist. See also our dependent visa page.

Parents of a resident

Parents are not in ICP’s standard family category for a foreign resident, which lists spouse and children. u.ae says Green visa holders “can sponsor first-degree relatives”, which reaches parents. In Dubai, GDRFA’s card for residence permits for humanitarian cases lists parents and parents-in-law among the relationships it covers, with a one-year renewable permit, a AED 5,000 guarantee per request (maximum AED 15,000), case-by-case committee review and a 14-day service time. Dubai Land Department’s Taskeen service also issues a one-year permit for a property investor’s parents. Conditions differ by route, so our parents visa sponsorship page sets out the current ones.

Newborn baby residence

A child born in the UAE needs its own residence, applied for as a new issuance after the local birth certificate and the passport from the parents’ embassy. GDRFA’s dependant list mentions the original UAE birth certificate and the mother’s passport and residence page. The order and the deadline are on our newborn baby visa page.

Family of a UAE or GCC national

ICP publishes “Resident – Family members of a UAE national or a GCC national” as one of its UAE visa categories, and GDRFA has a card for family members of GCC citizens. u.ae: five-year visas are available for “foreign spouses, parents, and children of UAE citizens” who do not need to work, and “a foreign widow or divorced woman, who is a mother of a UAE citizen, can get a residence visa without having to work in the UAE.” ICP puts foreign relatives of UAE citizens in its 180-day grace tier.

Widowed or divorced women and their children

Since 2018, ICP has allowed “widow or divorcee women and their children” to stay “one year in the State from the date of the death of the husband or the effecting divorce” “without the need for a sponsor”. GDRFA’s humanitarian card lists widowed or divorced women (within six months of the change in status) and the children of divorced or widowed women among its categories, on a one-year renewable permit. ICP gives widows and divorced women the 180-day grace tier. The clock starts on the date of the death or divorce. Our UAE residence visa grace period guide explains how the tiers apply.

Self-sponsored UAE residence visa types

A sponsored permit can be ended by someone else’s decision or neglect; a self-sponsored permit cannot. u.ae’s limit for these is “up to 5 or 10 years on an unsponsored visa”.

Investor or partner residence (through your own company)

A shareholder or partner in a UAE company can be sponsored through that company’s establishment card, as a partner or investor rather than an employee. The details depend on the licensing authority (mainland economic department or free zone), the company’s capital and the establishment card, and the published service cards do not give one national threshold for the standard partner visa. The longer routes are the Green investor (5 years) and the Golden investor (10 years), below. ICP’s issuance card states, for its investor category, that the investment contribution “must not be less than AED 1,000,000 in cash”. The partner visa is handled by our corporate PRO services; an expired establishment card blocks every visa on the company. How the partner route differs from an employment visa at MOHRE, and what manager and free zone titles mean, is set out in our guide to investor, partner, manager and employee visas.

Property owner residence

Owning property opens one of the less-known UAE residence visa types, without a sponsor and below the Golden threshold.

• Dubai (Dubai Land Department, Taskeen): a “two years residency permit” for the owner, two-year permits for the family (one year for sons over 18) and one year for parents. There is no minimum value for sole ownership; joint owners qualify if “their share value is not less than AED 400,000”. DLD lists AED 10,212.50 for the owner’s two-year visa and 7 to 10 business days.
• GDRFA property owner card: the property must be fully constructed and fully owned, with “monthly income of no less than AED 10,000” or proof of solvency; standard fee lines.
• ICP (other emirates): property “fully constructed” and “fully owned by the applicant”, monthly income of at least AED 10,000, passport valid six months. ICP puts property owners in its 90-day grace tier.

DLD handles the property check and GDRFA the residence. For the AED 2 million Golden route, see our Golden visa for property investors page and the property value requirement guide.

Remote work (virtual work) residence

u.ae: the one-year visa lets remote workers “enter the UAE under self-sponsorship”. The applicant must earn “a minimum of 3,500 (three thousand five hundred) US dollars or equivalent” a month, prove work for an employer outside the UAE, and provide health insurance and a medical result. GDRFA’s card: one year, renewable, standard fee lines, 48 hours. Apply through ICP or GDRFA. We handle it through our entry permit and residence team.

Retirement residence

u.ae: “Retired foreigners can apply for a long-term visa of 5 years.” The conditions: at least 15 years of work inside or outside the UAE and aged 55 or over, plus one of: property worth at least AED 1 million and savings of at least AED 1 million, or an annual income of at least AED 180,000. In Dubai, u.ae and GDRFA both give the income figure as AED 240,000 a year. GDRFA’s card lists “at least 15 years of service and be 55+” and six months of bank statements; ICP’s card words the age and service condition as alternatives. Renewals run through our residence visa renewal team.

Student residence

u.ae: a student may stay under the sponsorship of “his/her parent, who should be a resident of the UAE or under the sponsorship of the accredited university/college”. GDRFA’s student card: a residence “without the requirement that they work”, sponsored by an accredited, licensed institution approved by the education authority. ICP: “residence duration is determined by the study program”, with a 180-day grace period after the studies are completed. A student sponsored by a parent is a dependant.

Green residence: skilled workers, freelancers, investors

ICP: “A five-year residence that is renewable”, letting holders live and work without a sponsor and sponsor their spouse and children.

GDRFA’s high-skilled worker card confirms five years, the AED 15,000 salary, standard fees and a 180-day grace period. u.ae adds that Green visa holders can sponsor first-degree relatives. See our UAE Green visa and freelance permit pages, and Golden visa vs Green visa.

Golden residence: the longest of the UAE residence visa types

ICP: Golden residence gives “long-term residency without the need for a sponsor”, with automatic renewal, family sponsorship including “spouses and children, regardless of their age”, and a renewable six-month entry visa to complete the process. ICP’s current guide gives 10 years for its categories. GDRFA’s investor card says “valid for 10 years”, covering real estate and public investment, and Dubai Land Department describes the property route as a “10-years renewable residence permit”.

GDRFA’s investor card lists the AED 1,100 residence permit fee, AED 100 a year for years 3 to 10 (AED 800) and AED 500 inside the country, AED 2,400 in all, and 5 days (re-checked 22 October 2026). It also notes that Golden residents are exempt from the 180-day absence rule: the permit is void only if it expires while the holder is outside. See Golden visa eligibility 2026, the salary requirement, cost, nomination, family sponsorship, our Golden visa service and the eligibility checker.

Blue residence

ICP: “Blue Residence is a new type of long-term residence in the United Arab Emirates, launched in 2024”, valid 10 years and renewable, for “exceptional contributions” to the environment and sustainability. Its five groups run from environmental influencers to investors, and thresholds include financial support of at least AED 1 million for influencers, and capital of at least AED 2 million with annual revenues of at least AED 1 million for investors. Spouses, children of any age and parents receive 10-year renewable permits, and dependants “may remain in the UAE for the duration of the residence validity period in the event of the sponsor’s death”. You apply yourself or are nominated. The wider changes are in UAE visa new rules 2026.

UAE visa categories and their grace periods

After a residence expires or is cancelled, the holder has a grace period to leave, renew or change status. It differs between UAE visa types. In Dubai, the standard grace period after a residence visa is cancelled is 30 days. Certain visa categories receive 60, 90 or 180 days. The period depends on your visa type, and the exact grace that applies to you is confirmed only once the cancellation is processed, on your cancellation letter.

Overstay fines start the day after your grace period ends: AED 50 per day (ICP and u.ae). Plan to the shortest figure that could apply to you, and check the date shown on your own record in the GDRFA or ICP app. The tiers are explained in our UAE residence visa grace period guide, the fine in UAE overstay fine per day, and what happens next in UAE visa expired.

The 180-day absence rule

Separately from the grace period, most UAE residence visa types are cancelled if the holder stays outside the UAE for more than 180 consecutive days. u.ae: if someone “lives outside the UAE for more than 180 days continuously, his/her residence visa will be nullified automatically”. The rule is in Article 59 of Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, and Article 60 lists exceptions, such as students abroad and patients with a certified medical report. ICP adds Golden, Green and Blue holders to the exceptions. Dubai residents apply to GDRFA for a return permit and residents of other emirates to ICP. Our Dubai return permit and UAE re-entry permit guide covers both.

Who each of the UAE residence visa types can sponsor

Which UAE visa types allow you to work

Moving between types of visa in UAE

You rarely stay on one of the UAE visa types for life. The moves that come up most:

• Visit visa to residence, without leaving. A status change inside the country, which GDRFA prices through its “fee inside the country” line (AED 500 plus AED 10 and AED 10). The full costs are in visa change status fees; we do it through our visa status change service.
• Employment to Green or Golden. The new permit is issued first, then the employment residence is closed, so there is no gap.
• Dependant to employment. A MOHRE work permit on family sponsorship, or a move to employer sponsorship.
• Ending a residence. Only the sponsor can normally cancel. Family visas are cancelled before the sponsor’s own. See visa cancellation in Dubai, how to cancel an employment visa, and visa cancellation without sponsor.
• New passport. The residence is moved to the new passport; see transfer a UAE visa to a new passport.

Renewal is not automatic for sponsored categories: the same conditions must still be met. Our residence visa renewal service handles it, and the medical is on medical fitness test Dubai. The Emirates ID follows each residence; see Emirates ID and visa linking.

Choosing between UAE visa categories: a decision path

Work down this list and stop at the first match. It is the order we check files in.

1. Just visiting? Check visa on arrival first; otherwise a tourist, visit or 5-year tourist visa.
2. Passing through for a day or two? Transit visa, 48 or 96 hours, through the airline.
3. Treatment, a course or a project? Medical, study or mission visa.
4. Coming to look for work? Job-seeker visa, if you meet the skill-level or top-500 university condition.
5. Do you have AED 2 million invested, or specialised skills on AED 30,000 a month? Golden residence.
6. AED 15,000 a month with a degree at skill level 1 to 3, or AED 360,000 a year freelancing? Green residence.
7. Environmental work at a recognised level? Blue residence.
8. Aged 55+ with 15 years of work and the savings or income? Retirement residence.
9. Working remotely for a foreign employer on USD 3,500 a month? Remote work residence.
10. Own property in Dubai below the Golden threshold? Property owner residence.
11. Own or co-own a UAE company? Investor or partner residence.
12. Have a job offer? Employment residence through the employer.
13. Studying at an accredited institution? Student residence.
14. Is a spouse or parent resident here? Family residence, without work permission.

Our family visa eligibility checker tests the family route in a minute.

Where official sources on UAE visa types disagree

Official pages are not always consistent. Here is every conflict we found while checking the UAE visa types in this guide.

UAE visa types in practice: five cases, worked through

These cases are built from the situations we see most often. Names and identifying details are left out, and the figures are the published ones.

1. A resident wants to bring his brother for two months

Dubai resident, private-sector employee on AED 9,000 a month. His brother lives abroad and is not eligible for a visa on arrival.

Position: a brother cannot be sponsored for residence, but he can come on a visit visa hosted by a resident. On ICP’s published condition, second-degree relatives need a host salary of AED 8,000, which he meets. In Dubai the file goes to GDRFA: a single-entry 60-day visit visa at AED 300 plus VAT, a AED 1,000 refundable deposit plus AED 20 and AED 40, and AED 60 health insurance. The lesson: “can I sponsor my brother” is really a question about UAE entry visa types, not residence.

2. A software engineer on AED 18,000 who never looked beyond her employment visa

Bachelor’s degree, MOHRE skill level 2, eight years on a two-year employment residence renewed by her employer.

Position: she meets ICP’s Green skilled-worker conditions (contract, level 1 to 3, bachelor’s, AED 15,000 or more). A Green residence is five years, does not depend on the employer renewing, and carries ICP’s 180-day grace tier rather than a short one. Route: Green residence issued through GDRFA, then the employment residence handled in the right order so there is no gap, and her family moved under her Green sponsorship. The lesson: check the UAE residence visa types you already qualify for, not only the one the job came with.

3. A graduate who wants to job-hunt in Dubai

Recent graduate from a university ranked in the top 500 worldwide, living abroad, no job offer yet.

Position: the job-seeker visit visa fits: no host needed, 60, 90 or 120 days. GDRFA lists AED 200, 300 or 400 plus VAT and a AED 1,000 deposit. Route: a 90-day visa, degree attested in advance so it is ready for the work permit, then a status change inside the UAE once an employer issues the offer and MOHRE approves the permit. The lesson: the job-seeker visa is not a work permit; the employer still has to start the employment route.

4. A Dubai apartment owner who assumed he needed AED 2 million

Sole owner of a completed Dubai apartment valued below AED 2 million, working remotely for a foreign company.

Position: he does not meet the Golden property threshold, but Dubai Land Department’s Taskeen service sets no minimum value for sole ownership and gives a two-year permit. He also meets the remote work route if he earns USD 3,500 a month. Route: he chose the two-year property owner residence, which is not tied to his job, over the one-year remote work residence. The lesson: there are more self-sponsored UAE residence visa types than Golden and Green.

5. A widow whose husband sponsored the family

The husband held a Sharjah employment residence and sponsored his wife and two children. He passed away.

Position: ICP allows widows and their children to stay for one year from the date of death without a sponsor, and puts widows in its 180-day grace tier. Route: the widow’s own residence under the ICP provision, the children moved under her, and the husband’s residence cancelled with the death certificate. The lesson: the clock runs from the date of death; do not wait for the old permits to expire.

What circulates online about UAE visa types that is not true

How to verify every figure in this guide

What we will and will not do

We will tell you which of the UAE visa types fits before charging you, check documents against the current GDRFA or ICP card, run the MOHRE, immigration, medical and Emirates ID steps in order, and say plainly when you can do it yourself.

We will not promise an approval that only GDRFA, ICP or MOHRE can give, suggest ways around salary, housing or eligibility rules, put a visitor on a visa that does not match the real purpose of the visit, submit a document we know to be inaccurate, or change our quoted fee after you have paid.

Related guides

• Golden visa eligibility 2026
• Golden visa vs Green visa
• UAE employment visa cost
• Family visa salary requirement
• Visa change status fees
• UAE visa processing times
• UAE government fees 2026
• Free zone vs mainland Dubai
• Types of ban in the UAE

Choosing between the UAE visa types, and getting every step through GDRFA, ICP and MOHRE in order, is what our PRO services in Dubai team handles every day.