Dubai Visit Visa Price in 2025: Real Costs, Hidden Fees

If you're planning a trip to Dubai and trying to budget properly, the dubai visit visa price isn't one number — it's a stack of fees that depend on duration, single or multiple entry, where you apply, and who's sponsoring you. Most people quote you the government fee and forget the rest. Let's go through what you'll actually pay.

Quick answer

The dubai visit visa price in 2025 ranges from roughly AED 300 to AED 2,250 depending on the type. A 30-day single-entry tourist visa costs around AED 350 through the ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security) portal, while a 60-day multiple-entry sits closer to AED 1,000. Add service charges if you go through a typing centre or travel agent, plus a mandatory AED 100-ish insurance fee. Express processing costs extra. Overstay fines are AED 50 per day.

What the official dubai visit visa price actually covers

The headline fee you see on the GDRFA (General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs - Dubai) or ICP website is the visa issuance fee. That's it. It doesn't include:

Application service charges (typing centre or agent margin)
Mandatory medical insurance for the visit period
Emirates ID fee if your stay triggers one (it doesn't for short visits)
Status change fees if you're already in the UAE on another visa
Express processing premium

Honestly, this is where most travellers get caught. They see "AED 350" advertised, hand over their card, and end up paying AED 700 once everything settles. The base government fee is real — but it's the floor, not the ceiling.

Under Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022 on Entry and Residence Fees, the federal fee structure was reorganised, and most tourist visa categories now sit at the rates published on the ICP portal.[1]

Breakdown by visa type

Here's the practical price grid for the most common categories. Government component first, then realistic all-in cost via a reputable agent or airline.

30-day single-entry tourist visa

Government fee: ~AED 350
All-in via agent/airline: AED 450-650
Best for: short holidays, business meetings, family visits

30-day multiple-entry tourist visa

Government fee: ~AED 650
All-in: AED 800-1,050
Best for: GCC residents popping in and out, multi-city trips

60-day single-entry tourist visa

Government fee: ~AED 650
All-in: AED 800-1,100
Best for: longer stays, exploring beyond Dubai

60-day multiple-entry tourist visa

Government fee: ~AED 1,000
All-in: AED 1,200-1,650
Best for: extended business trips with regional travel

Five-year multiple-entry tourist visa

Government fee: ~AED 1,850-2,250 depending on channel
Allows 90 days per visit, extendable to 180
Best for: frequent visitors, business owners with UAE ties

These figures move. Check the official ICP and GDRFA portals before you pay anyone.[2][3]

Watch out: Pricing on third-party booking sites is often padded by 30-40% with vague "service" fees. If you see a 30-day visa quoted at AED 900+, you're being overcharged unless you're getting urgent same-day processing.

You can get a Dubai visit visa through five channels, and each has a different cost profile.

Airline sponsorship. Emirates and flydubai sponsor visit visas for ticket holders. Convenient. Often slightly more expensive than the ICP direct route, but they handle the paperwork.

Hotel sponsorship. Some Dubai hotels arrange visas for confirmed bookings. Useful, but you're tied to that hotel.

Resident sponsor. A UAE resident family member or friend can sponsor you. They'll need a salary certificate (typically AED 4,000+ monthly), tenancy contract, and Emirates ID. This is the cheapest route in pure government-fee terms, but you'll spend time at a typing centre.

Travel agent / visa agency. Fastest for people without UAE contacts. Build in a 20-30% margin on the base fee.

Direct ICP application. If you're from one of the 90+ visa-on-arrival eligible nationalities, you don't pay in advance at all — you get stamped on entry. For pre-arrival e-visas through ICP Smart Services, the fees match the federal grid.[2]

Frankly, if you have a resident sponsor and time on your hands, go direct. If you don't, pick a licensed travel agency with transparent pricing and skip the random websites.

Insurance, status change, and extensions — the fees nobody mentions

Three line items quietly inflate the dubai visit visa price.

Mandatory insurance. Since 2023, visit visa applicants must hold medical insurance covering the duration of stay. Basic policies start around AED 90-150 for 30 days. Don't skip it — entry can be refused without proof.

Status change. If you're already inside the UAE on another visa (say, a 30-day visa-on-arrival) and want to switch to a longer tourist visa without leaving, you'll pay a status change fee of roughly AED 600-650 on top of the new visa cost. The alternative is a quick border run to Oman or Kish Island, which can work out cheaper but involves the flight cost and a day burned.

Extensions. A 30-day visa can typically be extended once for another 30 days at around AED 600 (government component), provided you apply before expiry. Some categories now allow two 30-day extensions. Apply through ICP Smart Services or a typing centre.

Overstay fines. AED 50 per day from the day after expiry, per Article 21 of Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 on the Entry and Residence of Foreigners.[4] No grace period for visit visas. None.

Costs at a glance (2025):
- 30-day single-entry: AED 450-650 all-in
- 60-day multiple-entry: AED 1,200-1,650 all-in
- Insurance: AED 90-200
- Status change: AED 600-650
- Overstay: AED 50/day

Common pricing mistakes

A few things I see clients and friends do wrong, repeatedly.

Paying for "VIP" or "express" processing when standard takes 24-48 hours anyway. Express usually saves you a day at most and costs 50-100% more. Worth it if you're flying tomorrow. Otherwise, no.

Booking the visa before the ticket. If your flight changes or gets cancelled, refunds on visa fees are messy. Pin down travel dates first.

Using whoever the hotel's WhatsApp contact recommends. That's usually a tout taking a cut from a sub-agent who's marking up the government fee by 60%. Look up the agency on the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) licence register before paying.

Ignoring nationality-based pricing differences. Citizens of certain countries pay different fees or face additional documentation requirements that bump the price up.

If you're sponsoring family on a visit visa and considering whether to convert it later, browse our guides on UAE residency options through the visa category before paying for status change.

When the visit visa isn't the right tool

Sometimes the cheapest visit visa is the wrong one. If you're coming for property viewings and might buy, the property investor visa route can make more sense long-term. If there's a real job offer waiting, an employment entry permit costs about the same as a 60-day tourist visa but lets you work legally — and working on a visit visa is a clear breach of Article 12 of the same Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021, with fines starting at AED 5,000.[4]

Also worth knowing: the UAE Golden Visa and Green Visa pathways have lower thresholds than people assume, especially for skilled professionals and freelancers. A visit visa is fine for scouting. It's a terrible long-term plan.

The bottom line on dubai visit visa price

Budget AED 500 for a basic 30-day single-entry done through a normal channel with insurance included. Budget AED 1,400 for a 60-day multiple-entry. Add AED 600 if you'll change status from inside the country. Build in a buffer for extensions if your plans are loose.

Pay through ICP directly or a DET-licensed agent. Keep your entry stamp and visa copy on your phone. Set a calendar reminder three days before expiry — not the day of.

Need this checked for your situation? Talk to a UAE-licensed lawyer →

Citations

[1] UAE Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022 on Fees for Services Provided by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security. UAE Official Gazette.

[2] ICP Smart Services Portal — Entry Permit Fees. https://icp.gov.ae

[3] GDRFA Dubai — Tourist Visa Services. https://gdrfad.gov.ae

[4] Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 on the Entry and Residence of Foreigners, Articles 12 and 21.

Dubai Visit Visa Price