UAE Visiting Visa Rate in 2025: Fees, Types, and What You Actually Pay

If you're planning a trip to the UAE or sponsoring a relative, the UAE visiting visa rate isn't a single number — it's a moving target depending on duration, single vs multiple entry, and whether you apply through ICP, GDRFA Dubai, an airline, or a typing centre. I'll walk you through the real costs, the official channels, and the small fees most applicants forget until they're at the counter.

Quick answer: As of 2025, the UAE visiting visa rate ranges from around AED 200 for a 30-day single-entry tourist visa applied through ICP, up to AED 1,300+ for a 90-day multiple-entry visa with insurance and service charges added. Typing centres and travel agents tack on AED 100–300. Children under 18 sponsored by parents are usually cheaper. The official fee is published by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) and Dubai's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA).

What "visiting visa" actually means in the UAE

People throw the term around loosely. The UAE distinguishes between a tourist visa (issued to anyone abroad, typically sponsored by an airline, hotel, or travel agent) and a visit visa (sponsored by a UAE resident — usually for family or friends). The fee structures overlap but aren't identical.

Both fall under Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 on the Entry and Residence of Foreigners and its 2022 Executive Regulations [1]. ICP handles applications for all emirates except Dubai. GDRFA Dubai handles anything entering through DXB or DWC.

Honestly, most clients get confused here. If your relative lands in Abu Dhabi but stays with you in Dubai, you still apply through GDRFA if you're the Dubai-based sponsor — sponsor's emirate, not entry point.

The 2025 UAE visiting visa rate breakdown

Here are the published government fees. These are the base rates before service centres, insurance, or urgent processing.

ICP fees (Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, RAK, UAQ, Fujairah sponsors):

• 30-day single-entry tourist visa: AED 200 (application) + AED 100 (smart services fee) + AED 100 (issuance) — roughly AED 400 total
• 60-day single-entry: around AED 600
• 30-day multiple-entry: around AED 650
• 60-day multiple-entry: around AED 1,150
• 90-day single-entry (family visit): around AED 700
• 90-day multiple-entry: around AED 1,300

GDRFA Dubai fees run slightly different — typically AED 100 application + AED 250–550 issuance depending on duration, plus AED 100 for the e-form. A 30-day single-entry through GDRFA Dubai sits around AED 350–500 all-in.

Costs to budget for: Government fee (AED 200–1,300) + medical insurance for visitors (AED 50–150 depending on age and duration) + typing centre or agent service charge (AED 100–300) + optional urgent processing (AED 100). Cash and card both accepted at most ICP service centres.

Prices update. Always cross-check the rate on icp.gov.ae or gdrfa.ae before paying [2][3].

Tourist visa vs sponsored visit visa — which is cheaper?

If your visitor is just travelling for leisure, the airline-sponsored tourist visa through Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, or Air Arabia is often the simplest path. The fee is similar to ICP's published rate but the airline handles paperwork. Catch: you usually need to fly that airline.

If you're a UAE resident sponsoring family, the visit visa through ICP or GDRFA is sponsor-backed. You'll need to upload your Emirates ID, tenancy contract (Ejari registered — Ejari is Dubai's tenancy registration system run by RERA, the Real Estate Regulatory Agency), salary certificate, and the visitor's passport copy. Minimum salary requirement for sponsoring family visit is generally AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 with accommodation, per Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022 [4].

The sponsored route can work out cheaper because you skip the agent. But the document upload is fiddly. Pick your poison.

Insurance is mandatory — don't skip it

Since 2018, the UAE has required all visit visa holders to carry medical insurance valid for the duration of their stay. The ICP system won't let you submit without proof. Rates start around AED 50 for a 30-day basic plan and climb to AED 150+ for 90 days or applicants over 60.

Some travel agents bundle insurance into the visa price. Read the line items. I've seen quotes where the "all-in" rate was AED 900 and the insurance component was AED 400 of pure markup.

Extensions, overstays, and the fine clock

A visit or tourist visa can usually be extended twice for 30 days each at AED 600 per extension through ICP, without leaving the country. After that you do a visa run.

Overstaying costs AED 50 per day from day one of expiry, under the Executive Regulations of the 2021 entry law [1]. There's no longer a grace period for tourist visas (the old AED 100 first-day fine plus 10-day grace was removed in late 2022). If your visitor stays past expiry, the fine accrues daily and must be paid before departure or at the airport.

Watch out: Visa-on-arrival nationalities (most GCC, EU, UK, US, etc.) get 30 or 90 days free depending on passport — they don't need to pay the UAE visiting visa rate at all. Check ICP's nationalities list before paying for a visa your visitor doesn't need.

Where to actually apply and avoid getting overcharged

Four routes:

1. ICP smart app or icp.gov.ae — cheapest, you do the typing yourself.
2. GDRFA Dubai (gdrfa.ae or the GDRFA app) — for Dubai sponsors.
3. Amer service centres (Dubai) or Tas'heel centres (federal) — assisted application, expect AED 100–250 service fee on top.
4. Airlines and travel agents — convenient, marked-up. Emirates currently charges around AED 370 for a 30-day single-entry tourist visa including their service fee.

A typing centre in Karama or Al Barsha will quote you AED 350–500 all-in for a 30-day visa. The same application costs about AED 320 if you do it yourself on the ICP app. Worth the AED 100 saved? Depends how much you value an hour of your life and a clean upload.

For category-level context on UAE entry rules and visa types, see our visa guides.

Family visit visa — the specifics

Sponsoring parents, spouse, or children carries the same base UAE visiting visa rate but with extra documents:

• Marriage certificate (attested) for spouse
• Birth certificates (attested) for children and parents
• No-objection letter from employer in some cases
• Refundable deposit of AED 1,000 per visitor in certain categories (you get this back after departure)

The deposit catches people off guard. It's not a fee — it's security against overstay. ICP refunds it to the same card or bank account after the visitor exits, usually within 30–60 days. Keep your reference number.

What I'd actually do

If you're a Dubai resident sponsoring a parent for 60 days, do it yourself on GDRFA's app. Expect to pay around AED 700–900 all-in including insurance. Don't pay AED 1,500 to an agent unless your documents are messy or you're sponsoring multiple people at once.

If you're a tourist coming for two weeks and your nationality needs a visa, book through your airline. The price difference vs ICP isn't worth the document hassle from abroad.

And if anyone quotes you AED 2,000+ for a standard 30-day visit visa — walk away. That's not the UAE visiting visa rate. That's a markup.

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Citations:

[1] Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 on the Entry and Residence of Foreigners, and Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022 (Executive Regulations). Available via the UAE Legislation portal, u.ae.

[2] Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security — Services and Fees: icp.gov.ae

[3] General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai — Visa Services: gdrfa.ae

[4] Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, sponsorship income thresholds for family visit and residence visas.

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