UAE visas, explained for residents — by passport, not by guesswork.
A UAE visa is one of two documents with two names: an entry permit that authorises the trip, issued by the ICP or the GDRFA, and the residence visathat follows a job or a sponsor. Which one you can get, and on what terms, is set by your passport. An Emirates ID does not decide which visa you get — your passport does. We map the route, the AED cost and the real submission centre for each one, and we say so plainly when the official sources contradict each other. No agency sales, no approval promises.
LAST REVIEWED · 20 JUL 2026
Refused?
A strong profile doesn't equal approval. We take refusals apart — mechanism by mechanism.
FRESH · LAST REVIEWED
DESTINATIONS · VISAS FROM THE UAE
THE NUMBERS · UAE VISIT VISA FEES
| VISA TYPE | OFFICIAL FEE | AGENCY (PUBL.) | TOTAL AED | CHECKED |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30-day visit (single) | AED 252 | AED 650–750 | 650–750 | |
| 60-day visit (single) | AED 302 | AED 780 | 780 | |
| 90-day visit (relative) | AED 200 + card | AED 686.75–1,900 | 686.75–1,900 | |
| 96-hour transit | AED 50 | AED 400 | 400 |
INSIGHTA 2.8× PRICE SPREAD TWO LICENSED CENTRES QUOTE THE SAME 90-DAY VISA AT AED 686.75 AND AED 1,900 —
A FINDING, NOT AN ERROR · WHERE SOURCES DISAGREE
GOOGLE'S AI OVERVIEW
Expect to add 5% VAT on top of the visa fee.
THE GDRFA SERVICE CARD IT CITES
No VAT line appears anywhere on the card.
HOW WE VERIFY
- 01Every figure carries its own date. Not a page-level “last updated” — the date each fee, threshold and timeline was actually checked.
- 02We name the check level. If we opened the official page, we link it. If we took a figure from published text without opening it, we say so.
- 03Contradictions are printed, not averaged. When ICP, GDRFA or a consulate disagree, you see both versions with dates.
- 04No approval promises. We sell nothing on these pages. The only ask: if a receipt contradicts us — tell us.
ASKED CONSTANTLY
Does my Emirates ID decide which visa I can get?
No. Your passport does. A Dubai resident with an Indian passport follows the Indian-passport route — the residence visa changes where you file, not which rules apply. Each passport has its own page on this site.
Is a UAE visa agency price a scam if it is higher than the government fee?
Usually not — the gap is a service component. The government fee for a 30-day visit visa is AED 252; licensed centres publicly quote AED 650–1,900 depending on the product. We print both columns, dated, so you can see the spread before paying.
Does a UAE Golden Visa help my Schengen or Canada application?
It proves means, not intent to return — several consulates weight employer-linked ties above investor-linked ones. Real refusals have landed on Golden Visa holders with 1M+ AED in assets. We take the mechanism apart on the refusal pages.
Why do official UAE sources give different answers?
ICP, GDRFA and Amer centres genuinely do contradict each other — different fee cards, different thresholds, sometimes different answers from two agents at the same desk. Where that happens we print both versions with dates instead of picking a winner.