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Bringing Family to Visit Dubai?

The salary you need, the deposit you pay and the real all-in cost of a 30, 60 or 90-day visit visa — checked against the tiers ICP introduced in September 2025.

Every figure dated and linked to its official GDRFA or ICP source

Quick answer

To sponsor a parent, spouse or child for a Dubai visit you need a monthly salary of AED 4,000 — siblings and in-laws need AED 8,000 and friends AED 15,000. A 90-day single-entry visit costs about AED 1,550 up front, of which AED 1,000 is a refundable deposit returned after your visitor departs — the real cost is AED 550 plus typing centre charges. Run your own numbers below, then confirm at the official source — immigration decisions are discretionary.

Check Your Situation

Pick who is visiting and enter your salary. We check the published criteria and add up the full cost — nothing here predicts an approval.

As shown on your salary certificate or labour contract

Your salary meets the published first-degree relative criterion of AED 4,000/month for sponsoring a parent to visit.

This checks the published GDRFA and ICP criteria only — every application is decided by immigration officers and decisions are discretionary.

What a 90-day single-entry visit visa costs

Visa fee (90 days, single entry)AED 400
VAT on visa fee (5%)AED 20
Medical insuranceAED 90
Knowledge + Innovation dirhamsAED 20
Deposit service feeAED 20
Refundable deposit (returned after departure)AED 1,000
Cash needed up frontAED 1,550

AED 1,000 of that is a refundable guarantee returned after your visitor departs. Applying while the visitor is already inside the UAE adds an AED 500 inside-country fee. Typing centre or Amer service charges vary by centre and are not included.

Documents for a parent visit

  • •Sponsor's Emirates ID and passport copy
  • •Salary certificate (government, semi-government or free zone employees) or registered labour contract (private sector)
  • •Proof of accommodation in the UAE
  • •Your birth certificate naming the parent (attested where requested)
  • •Visitor's passport copy with at least six months' validity
  • •Recent personal photo on a white background
  • •Return or onward ticket
  • •The visitor must enter the UAE within 60 days of the visa being issued.
  • •Total stay is capped at 120 days including any in-country extensions, which are subject to approval.
  • •Citizens of Iraq, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan must also file a copy of their national ID card.
  • •The deposit is returned after the visitor departs; a collection fee applies at refund time.
  • •The AED 4,000 tier is for a visit. Sponsoring a parent for residence is a separate route with a much higher salary requirement.
  • •No published rule requires both parents to be sponsored together for a visit — that condition applies to parent residence sponsorship.

Figures verified 2 Aug 2026 against GDRFA Dubai · Check latest

Salary Tiers by Relationship

The flat family-visit criterion was replaced on 29 September 2025 by three tiers based on kinship degree. The tier is about the visit only — residence sponsorship has its own thresholds.

VisitorTierMinimum sponsor salary
ParentFirst-degree relativeAED 4,000/month
SpouseFirst-degree relativeAED 4,000/month
ChildFirst-degree relativeAED 4,000/month
SiblingSecond or third-degree relativeAED 8,000/month
In-lawSecond or third-degree relativeAED 8,000/month
FriendNot a relativeAED 15,000/month

Source: ICP visit visa criteria, verified 2 Aug 2026 · Check latest

GDRFA Dubai Fee Schedule

Visa fee by duration and entry type, excluding 5% VAT. Insurance is bundled per duration; the refundable deposit is AED 1,000 for single entry and AED 2,000 for multiple entry.

DurationSingle entryMultiple entryInsurance
30 daysAED 200AED 300AED 40
60 daysAED 300AED 500AED 60
90 daysAED 400AED 700AED 90

Add AED 20 Knowledge and Innovation dirhams and AED 500 if applying while the visitor is inside the UAE. Verified 2 Aug 2026 against the GDRFA single and multiple entry service pages.

How the Application Works

Six steps from salary check to deposit refund. GDRFA quotes about 48 hours of processing once documents are in.

1

Confirm your salary tier

Check the published ICP criterion for your relationship: AED 4,000/month for parents, spouse and children, AED 8,000/month for siblings, grandparents and other second or third-degree relatives, AED 15,000/month for friends. Income is proven with a salary certificate or registered labour contract.

2

Apply on GDRFA Dubai or ICP

Dubai residence visa holders apply through GDRFA Dubai Smart Services, the GDRFA app or an Amer centre using UAE Pass. Residents of other emirates apply through ICP smart services.

3

Choose duration and entries

Pick 30, 60 or 90 days and single or multiple entry. Upload the sponsor's Emirates ID and passport, the visitor's passport and photo, relationship proof and accommodation proof.

4

Pay the fee, insurance and refundable deposit

Pay the visa fee plus 5% VAT, the bundled medical insurance and the refundable guarantee — AED 1,000 for single entry or AED 2,000 for multiple entry.

5

Wait for processing, then the visitor enters within 60 days

GDRFA quotes about 48 hours for processing. Once issued, the visitor must enter the UAE within 60 days of issue.

6

Reclaim the deposit after departure

After your visitor leaves, close the guarantee to get the deposit back. A collection fee of AED 40 applies at refund time.

While Your Visitor Is Here

  • •Entry window: the visa lapses if your visitor does not enter within 60 days of issue.
  • •Extensions: AED 600 plus VAT per in-country extension, subject to approval, within a hard cap of 120 days total stay.
  • •Overstay: fines of AED 50 per day start the day after expiry — see overstay fines before it gets there.
  • •Staying longer term: a visit can often be converted to residence from inside the UAE once a qualifying route exists — see the visa guide for residence options and their thresholds.
  • •Frequent visitors: for parents who come every year, the self-sponsored 5-year multi-entry tourist visa (bank balance of USD 4,000 maintained for six months, AED 3,713 all-in) can beat repeat applications.

Nationality Notes

Some nationalities have additional published requirements. These are the official ones — nothing here changes the salary tiers above.

🇵🇰 Pakistan · 🇮🇶 Iraq · 🇮🇷 Iran · 🇦🇫 Afghanistan

National ID copy required

The GDRFA document list requires a copy of the visitor's national ID card (CNIC for Pakistani nationals) alongside the passport for citizens of Pakistan, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. Applications without it are returned for completion.

🇳🇬 Nigeria

Document Verification Number first

Nigerian applicants over 13 must obtain a Document Verification Number via documentverificationhub.ae before any UAE visa application, including sponsored family visits. Additional documentation is commonly requested — bank statements, hotel bookings and return tickets. Full Nigeria guide.

Family Visit Visa FAQ

What salary do I need to sponsor my parents for a Dubai visit visa?+
AED 4,000 per month. Parents are first-degree relatives under the ICP visit visa tiers introduced on 29 September 2025, the same tier as a spouse or child. This is the visit criterion only — sponsoring a parent for residence is a separate route with a much higher salary requirement.
How much does a family visit visa cost in Dubai?+
The GDRFA Dubai visa fee is AED 200 for 30 days, AED 300 for 60 days and AED 400 for 90 days on single entry, plus 5% VAT, bundled medical insurance from AED 40 and AED 20 in Knowledge and Innovation dirhams. On top of that sits a refundable guarantee of AED 1,000 (single entry) or AED 2,000 (multiple entry). A 90-day single-entry visit typically needs about AED 1,550 up front, of which AED 1,000 comes back after departure.
Do I need a deposit to sponsor a visitor, and do I get it back?+
Yes. GDRFA takes a refundable financial guarantee of AED 1,000 for single entry or AED 2,000 for multiple entry, plus an AED 20 service fee to lodge it. It is returned after the visitor departs — an AED 40 collection fee applies when you reclaim it. The deposit varies by entry type, not by relationship.
Can I sponsor my brother or sister to visit Dubai?+
Yes, with a monthly salary of AED 8,000 or more. Siblings sit in the second and third-degree tier along with grandparents, grandchildren, uncles, aunts and cousins. Relationship proof — birth certificates or a family relationship certificate — is required with the application.
Can I sponsor a friend to visit me in Dubai?+
Yes. Since the September 2025 rules, a resident earning AED 15,000 or more per month can sponsor a friend with no family relationship. Below that salary, a licensed travel agency or hotel can sponsor a tourist visa for them instead.
Can a visit visa be extended without leaving the UAE?+
Usually yes, subject to approval, as long as the total stay does not exceed 120 days. GDRFA charges AED 600 plus VAT per extension. After the visa expires, overstay fines of AED 50 per day apply from the first day — the old grace period for tourists was removed in February 2026.
Must both parents be sponsored together on a visit visa?+
No published visit visa rule requires it. The both-parents-together condition applies to parent residence sponsorship, where sponsoring only one parent needs proof the other is deceased or divorced. For a visit, each application stands on its own.
What is the 5-year multi-entry tourist visa?+
A self-sponsored option for frequent visitors who do not want a resident sponsor. It requires a bank balance of USD 4,000 or equivalent maintained across the six months before applying, allows 90 days per visit extendable once to 180 days per year and costs AED 3,713 including a refundable guarantee. It suits parents who visit every year.
What are the new visit visa categories introduced in 2025?+
Alongside the tiered family rules, the UAE introduced four visit visa categories in late 2025: AI Specialist, Entertainment, Events and Cruise or Maritime Tourism visas — single or multiple entry for up to 90 days, applied for through ICP or GDRFA with a host or organiser invitation.

Sources

Reviewed by the DubaiExpatHub editorial team — last checked .

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Not legal advice

For informational purposes only — does not constitute professional advice. This page states published criteria and fees; immigration decisions are discretionary and every application is decided by GDRFA or ICP officers. Verify current rules at the official sources linked above before applying.