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If you live in Dubai and your passport needs a visa for Canada, you apply online for a visitor visa, also called a temporary resident visa. The fee is CAD 100 per person, plus CAD 85 for biometrics, which you give at a VFS Global centre in the UAE. Processing time is set per country in IRCC's online tool. Visa-exempt passports flying in need only an eTA for CAD 7.
Visitor visa or eTA
Canada splits travellers by passport:
- Visa-required passports apply for the visitor visa described on this page. Living in the UAE does not change that.
- Visa-exempt passports flying to Canada apply for an electronic travel authorisation, the eTA. It costs CAD 7 and is linked to your passport. You do not go to a visa centre.
If you are unsure which group you are in, IRCC's "find out if you need a visa" tool gives the answer from your passport and travel plan.
Canada visa fees from Dubai
| Fee | Per person | Family cap |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor visa (temporary resident visa) | CAD 100 | CAD 500 for 5 or more applying together |
| Biometrics | CAD 85 | CAD 170 for a family applying together |
| Biometrics, under 14 or over 79 | Exempt | Not applicable |
| eTA, visa-exempt passports by air | CAD 7 | Not applicable |
Source: IRCC fee list and Canada.ca biometrics and eTA pages, checked .
Here is how the caps play out. A couple with two children aged 8 and 15 pays CAD 400 in visa fees, since four people stay under the cap. For biometrics, the 8-year-old is exempt, and the three others would be CAD 255 one by one, but the family cap brings it to CAD 170. You pay both fees online in Canadian dollars at the time you submit. The visa centre may charge its own service fees on top; we could not confirm those amounts on an official page.
What Dubai agencies charge
Dubai visa agencies publish about AED 705 to AED 1,800 for Canada visit visa help (published prices of 3 Dubai agencies, checked ). The top of that range says biometrics are included. The others do not say whether IRCC fees are inside the price.
Canada visa requirements from Dubai
IRCC gives you a document checklist inside your account, based on your answers. For a UAE resident it usually asks for or benefits from:
- Passport bio page and any page with stamps or earlier visas.
- UAE residence visa and Emirates ID.
- Proof of funds: recent bank statements in your name, with salary credits.
- Employment proof: a letter from your Dubai employer with role, salary, start date and approved leave, or a trade licence.
- Purpose of travel: an invitation letter from a relative or friend in Canada, with a copy of their status document, or a hotel booking and plan.
- A family information form if your checklist lists one.
- Digital photo to IRCC specifications.
Scan clearly. Blurry statements or a missing page slow the officer more than a short file does.
Processing time
IRCC does not give one global figure. Its processing time tool shows the current estimate for visitor visas from the UAE, and it is updated over time. The clock starts once IRCC has your biometrics, so book your VFS slot right after the instruction letter arrives. A request for more documents or a medical exam adds time. Leave the passport stage in your plan too: after approval you send your passport so the visa can be placed in it.
Why Canada visitor visas get refused
Refusal letters from IRCC often name the same few points:
- Purpose of visit not consistent with a short stay. Long, vague trips raise doubt.
- Ties to the UAE. A new job, a residence visa close to expiry or no family here weakens the case.
- Financial situation. Low balances, or money moved in just before applying.
- Travel history. No prior travel can count against you. Earlier visas to the UK, US or Schengen used correctly help.
You can apply again with stronger documents. Read the refusal letter closely first: it names the points the officer was not satisfied with, and the new file should answer each one.
How it works with us
You send a passport copy, UAE residence visa and the reason for the trip on WhatsApp, or through the form on this page. A visa adviser checks if you need the visa or the eTA, and what your file should include for your situation. You see one total price before you pay. The team then fills in the IRCC forms with you, uploads your documents, pays the fees, books the biometrics slot and watches the account for any request until a decision lands. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service. IRCC officers alone decide your Canada application.
IRCC keeps its fees after a refusal. Before you pay, the adviser tells you in writing which part of our total, if any, comes back if the visa is refused.
Tips for Dubai residents
- Apply as a family in one go if you can. The CAD 170 biometrics cap only works for family members applying together.
- Book biometrics on the day the letter comes.
- If a US trip is part of the plan, see our US visa from Dubai guide: Canada and the US are separate visas.
- Other long-haul options: UK visa from Dubai, Australia visa from Dubai and New Zealand visa from Dubai. The visas from Dubai hub lists every country.
Official sources
- IRCC fee list: visitor visa CAD 100, family cap CAD 500, biometrics CAD 85 and CAD 170.
- Canada.ca biometrics: who gives biometrics and age exemptions.
- IRCC guide 5256, visitor visa: online application rule.
- Canada.ca eTA: CAD 7 eTA for visa-exempt travellers.
- IRCC processing times: current estimate for the UAE.
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