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Government fees for a two-year Dubai family visa come to about AED 1,020 for a spouse arriving from abroad: AED 210 for the entry permit, AED 200 plus AED 40 in add-ons for the residence, AED 270 for the medical and AED 300 for the Emirates ID. Children under 18 skip the medical. Being inside the UAE adds AED 500. Insurance and attestation are extra.
Below is each fee in the order you pay it, then the costs the government does not set.
Stage 1: the entry permit
| Fee line | Family member abroad | Family member inside the UAE |
|---|---|---|
| Entry permit | AED 200 plus 5% VAT | AED 200 plus 5% VAT |
| Knowledge Dirham | none | AED 10 |
| Innovation Dirham | none | AED 10 |
| Fee inside the country | none | AED 500 |
Source: GDRFA family entry permit service page, checked .
With VAT the entry permit comes to AED 210. This is the fee your relative needs to fly in, and it is the stage where the in-country charge hurts most. If your spouse is in Dubai on a visit visa, flying out and coming back on the entry permit is one way to avoid it. Our page on changing visa status inside the UAE weighs both options.
Stage 2: residence stamping
| Fee line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Residence permit | AED 200 |
| Knowledge Dirham | AED 10 |
| Innovation Dirham | AED 10 |
| Delivery | AED 20 |
| Fee inside the country, where it applies | AED 500 |
| Each year over two | AED 100 extra |
Source: GDRFA family residence issuance service page, checked .
So a two-year residence is the AED 200 permit plus AED 40 in small fees, before any in-country charge. If your own visa runs longer, say on a golden visa, the issuance fee rises by AED 100 for each year past two. Both GDRFA pages list the AED 500 fee inside the country. Ask before you pay whether it is charged at one stage or both for your file.
Medical, Emirates ID and attestation
Medical fitness test
Everyone in the family aged 18 and over takes it. Dubai sets three package prices:
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard, 24 hours | AED 270 |
| 6 hours, or Smart Salem | AED 700 |
| VIP, 2 hours | AED 1,020 |
Source: Dubai resolution on medical fitness charges, checked . More on the medical test for a residence visa.
Emirates ID
ICP charges AED 100 for each year of residence plus a AED 100 smart service fee. A two-year card is AED 300. The urgent service at ICP centres adds AED 150. See Emirates ID for residents.
Attesting a marriage or birth certificate
MOFA in the UAE charges AED 150 per personal document. Courier delivery is AED 40 normal or AED 150 express. That is only the last step: the certificate must first be attested in the country that issued it, and those fees vary by country.
Health insurance
ICP lists valid health insurance for family residence issuance and renewal. Dubai's health insurance authority, ISAHD, says the cost falls on the sponsor when the employer does not cover dependants. Premiums depend on age and cover, so no single figure fits.
Other emirates: the ICP fee scale
If your own residence was issued outside Dubai, ICP handles the family file with a different fee structure: AED 100 application, AED 100 issuance for each year, and AED 100 smart service. Status adjustment inside the UAE is AED 500. Source: ICP issuing residency service page, checked . The Abu Dhabi family visa page covers that route.
Parents and the humanitarian guarantee
Parents use GDRFA's humanitarian route. The residence fees are the same lines as above, but the committee also asks for a financial guarantee of AED 5,000 per request, with a cap of AED 15,000. The official page does not say when or how it is refunded.
What Dubai agencies charge
Published cost guides from Dubai visa agencies and setup firms, checked :
| Who | Published range |
|---|---|
| Spouse, first two-year visa, all in | AED 2,000 to AED 6,500 (4 firms) |
| Child, first two-year visa, all in | AED 2,000 to AED 5,000 (2 firms) |
| Newborn, all in | AED 1,200 to AED 3,500 (2 firms) |
| Parent, before insurance and deposit | AED 1,200 to AED 2,700 per parent (3 firms) |
| Renewal per dependent | AED 1,200 to AED 7,000 (4 firms) |
| Typing or service fee | AED 100 to AED 400 per application (4 firms) |
| Marriage certificate attestation, full chain | AED 500 to AED 2,000 (2 firms) |
These are other firms' figures. The wide spreads come mostly from insurance and from whether the person is inside the country.
Papers to have ready before you pay
- Your salary certificate showing AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus housing
- Tenancy contract and a recent water or electricity bill
- Attested marriage and birth certificates
- Passport copies and photos for each person
- An insurance quote for each family member
How long the fees take to turn into a visa
GDRFA states 48 hours for each stage, entry permit and residence. ICP states 2 days. The humanitarian route for parents takes 14 days. The medical package you pick changes only how fast the result arrives.
Mistakes that cost money
- Paying the fee inside the country when a quick exit and entry would be cheaper.
- Filing before the certificates are attested, then paying twice.
- Sending a salary certificate that leaves out the housing allowance.
- Letting the entry permit's 60-day window pass, which starts AED 50 a day overstay fines.
How it works with us
Tell us on WhatsApp, or in the form on this page, who you want to sponsor and whether each person is in the UAE or abroad. A visa adviser lists the government fees for your exact file, including any in-country charge, and you get one total price for everything before paying. The team then files each stage, books the medicals and the Emirates ID biometrics, and tracks the residence until it is issued. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service. The fees in the tables go to the government, and GDRFA or ICP decides.
If a permit is refused, government fees are not returned by the authorities. Before you pay, the adviser puts in writing which part of our total, if any, would come back.
Official sources
- GDRFA family entry permit: entry permit fee, in-country fees.
- GDRFA family residence issuance: stamping fees, extra year charge.
- GDRFA humanitarian cases: guarantee amount and cap.
- ICP issuing residency: ICP fee scale, insurance.
- ICP Emirates ID for residents: card fees.
- Dubai medical fitness charges: medical package prices.
- MOFA FAQs: attestation and courier fees.
- ISAHD FAQ: who pays dependants' insurance.
Checked . Fees change, so confirm on the GDRFA or ICP page before you pay.
