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    Student visa guide

    United Arab Emirates student visa 2026: cost, requirements and how to apply

    The Student residence visa, sponsored by the accredited university or college costs $118 in fees nobody can skip, up to $336 if every situational extra applies.

    By Global Admissions Editorial · Checked against 4 official sources

    How much does a United Arab Emirates student visa cost in 2026?

    Applying for a student visa in the United Arab Emirates on the Student residence visa and Emirates ID costs $118 in fees you cannot skip: Student residence permit, Dubai (GDRFA) ($54), Knowledge and Innovation dirhams, Dubai ($5), Permit delivery, Dubai ($5), Emirates ID for residents, per year of residence ($27) and Emirates ID smart-service fee ($27). Situational extras (residence permit through ICP, emirates other than Dubai and applying from inside the UAE, Dubai) add up to $218 more. Tuition, living costs and proof-of-funds sit outside this total. All amounts are US dollars, last checked August 2026.

    Student residence visa, sponsored by the accredited university or college cost breakdown

    Every line the United Arab Emirates application puts on your card, in US dollars, as of August 2026.

    Student residence permit, Dubai (GDRFA)$54
    AED 200; the issuance fee rises by AED 100 a year once the permit runs beyond two years GDRFA Dubai: Issuing a residency permit to a student
    Knowledge and Innovation dirhams, Dubai$5
    AED 10 each, charged on top of the Dubai permit fee GDRFA Dubai: Issuing a residency permit to a student
    Permit delivery, Dubai$5
    AED 20 GDRFA Dubai: Issuing a residency permit to a student
    Emirates ID for residents, per year of residence$27
    AED 100 for each year the permit covers, so a two-year permit doubles this line ICP: New Identity Card Issuance
    Emirates ID smart-service fee$27
    AED 100, listed by ICP alongside the per-year card fee for residents ICP: New Identity Card Issuance
    Mandatory total$118
    What the Student residence visa, sponsored by the accredited university or college costs before any optional service.
    Situational extras, only if they apply to you
    Residence permit through ICP, emirates other than Dubai$82
    AED 100 to apply, AED 100 for each year of the permit and AED 100 smart-service fee, in place of the Dubai lines above ICP: Issuing Residency Permit, educational institutions category
    Applying from inside the UAE, Dubai$136
    AED 500 where you switch onto the student permit without leaving the country GDRFA Dubai: Issuing a residency permit to a student
    If every extra applied$336
    Worst case. Most applicants pay none or one of these.

    Amounts are US dollars. United Arab Emirates bills in its own currency, so the exact charge moves with the exchange rate. The native figures are in the notes column where the fee schedule publishes them.

    Things to watch

    • There is no national UAE student visa fee. u.ae says outright that visa charges are stated on each service card published by ICP and by GDRFA Dubai, so the number depends on which emirate your university sits in.
    • The figures here follow a one-year Dubai permit through GDRFA. A student in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or the other emirates goes through ICP instead, at AED 100 to apply, AED 100 for each year of the permit and AED 100 for the smart service.
    • The top of the range is the Dubai applicant who is already in the country and switches status without leaving, which adds AED 500 on its own.
    • Two costs are real and not in the table because no authority publishes a single price: the medical fitness test, which is priced by the emirate's screening provider, and health insurance, which is a condition of the permit.
    • USD figures convert at USD 1 = AED 3.673, the US Treasury reporting rate of exchange for 30 June 2026. The dirham is pegged to the dollar, so this line moves very little between updates.

    United Arab Emirates student visa requirements and documents checklist

    9 documents every applicant provides.

    DocumentWho needs itWhat it involves
    Passport valid for at least six monthseveryoneChecked at the point the residence permit is issued, not just at entry. source
    Certificate from the university stating the length of your courseeveryoneThis is the document the student visa turns on, because the permit is written to match the study period. A student can alternatively stay on a parent's residence visa, which covers sons up to 25 and daughters until they marry. source
    Approval from the Ministry of Education or the emirate's education authorityeveryoneA certificate confirming the institution is approved to host you. GDRFA Dubai treats this, and the institution holding a valid license to operate, as conditions of the service rather than optional paperwork. source
    Enrollment certificate and a host letter from the institutioneveryoneICP asks for a certificate confirming you are enrolled plus a letter from the university, institute or research body confirming it accepts you and naming the academic or training program and its duration. source
    Medical fitness test, a security check and an Emirates ID applicationeveryoneEvery residence visa applicant aged 18 and over has to pass a medical fitness test and a security check, and apply for an Emirates ID card from the federal authority. The three run together rather than in sequence. source
    Emirates ID application receipteveryoneThe residence permit is issued linked to an Emirates ID application, so the ID receipt is part of the residence file rather than a later step. source
    Valid health insuranceeveryoneBoth ICP and GDRFA Dubai list health insurance in the student file. source
    Recent color photograph on a white backgroundeveryoneFor the federal Emirates ID the photograph has to meet the ICAO standard. source
    Fingerprints and signature if you are 15 or overeveryoneTaken at an ICP service center as part of the Emirates ID application. Biometrics have to be completed inside the window ICP sets or the application is cancelled. source

    How to apply for a United Arab Emirates student visa

    1. Get admission and ask the university to sponsor you

      The accredited university or college is the sponsor and host, so you do not apply on your own account. Universities run this process for their international intake.

      source
    2. The sponsor obtains your entry permit and you travel on it

      The entry permit is what gets you into the country before the residence permit exists. Overstaying it costs AED 50 for each day once the grace period has run out.

      source
    3. Take the medical fitness test after you arrive

      Applicants aged 18 and over are screened for communicable diseases and must pass before the residence permit can be completed. The screening panel differs by emirate.

      source
    4. Apply for the Emirates ID and give biometrics

      The residence permit and the Emirates ID go through one unified application. Anyone aged 15 or over completes fingerprints and signature at an ICP service center.

      source
    5. Finish the residence permit within 60 days of entry

      ICP gives you 60 days from the date of entry to complete the residence procedures. Miss that and overstay fines apply from the day after the grace period ends.

      source
    6. Collect the permit, written to the length of your program

      The residence duration follows the study program, and you may stay 180 days after the study period ends. GDRFA Dubai puts the service completion time at 48 hours.

      source

    United Arab Emirates student visa processing time

    GDRFA Dubai gives 48 hours as the service completion time for issuing a student residence permit once the application and documents are in. ICP's smart channels accept applications around the clock.

    GDRFA Dubai: Issuing a residency permit to a student · checked August 2026

    United Arab Emirates student visa work rights, dependants and what comes after

    Work rights

    Studying does not carry a right to work. Under the UAE Labour Law nobody may work without a permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, and the relevant permits are the part-time work permit, which lets an establishment hire someone on fewer hours than a full-time employee and lets that person hold more than one job with ministry approval, and the student training and employment permit for students aged 15 and over already in the country, valid for three months.

    sourcecompare all countries

    Dependants

    Family members of foreign students at UAE universities may stay in the country provided they can afford suitable housing. That is a concession the government made specifically for students, and it sits outside the ordinary employment-based sponsorship rules.

    source

    After graduation

    There is no automatic post-study permit, but graduates can apply for a jobseeker visit visa of 60, 90 or 120 days with no host or sponsor. You need a bachelor's degree or equivalent, plus either a job at the first, second or third MOHRE skill level or graduation within the last two years from a university in the top 500 recognized by the Ministry of Education, and you must meet the prescribed financial guarantee.

    sourcecompare all countries
    United States
    From $535 all-in
    United Kingdom
    From $1,760 all-in
    Canada
    From $175 all-in
    Australia
    From $2,250 all-in
    Germany
    From $190 all-in
    France
    From $183 all-in

    FAQ

    Frequently asked questions

    How much is the United Arab Emirates student visa fee?
    The Student residence visa and Emirates ID application charge is $54 (Student residence permit, Dubai (GDRFA)). Add the other mandatory items (Knowledge and Innovation dirhams, Dubai $5, Permit delivery, Dubai $5, Emirates ID for residents, per year of residence $27 and Emirates ID smart-service fee $27) and the all-in mandatory total is $118. Optional extras add up to $218 on top.
    Can you work on a United Arab Emirates student visa?
    Studying does not carry a right to work. Under the UAE Labour Law nobody may work without a permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, and the relevant permits are the part-time work permit, which lets an establishment hire someone on fewer hours than a full-time employee and lets that person hold more than one job with ministry approval, and the student training and employment permit for students aged 15 and over already in the country, valid for three months. Source: u.ae: Work permits (August 2026).
    How long does a United Arab Emirates student visa take?
    GDRFA Dubai gives 48 hours as the service completion time for issuing a student residence permit once the application and documents are in. ICP's smart channels accept applications around the clock. Source: GDRFA Dubai: Issuing a residency permit to a student (August 2026).
    Can you bring your family on a United Arab Emirates student visa?
    Family members of foreign students at UAE universities may stay in the country provided they can afford suitable housing. That is a concession the government made specifically for students, and it sits outside the ordinary employment-based sponsorship rules. Source: u.ae: Residence visa for studying in the UAE (August 2026).
    What's not included in the Student residence visa and Emirates ID fee?
    Tuition, living costs and the money you have to show in your account are separate from the fees on this page. Use our cost-of-study calculator at /tools/cost-calculator for a complete budget.
    When are these fees due?
    Application and biometric fees are paid before submission. Health surcharges (UK IHS, Australian OSHC) are paid as part of the visa application. Some fees (Anmeldung in Germany, OFII in France) are paid after arrival.

    Official sources

    Last verified August 2026.