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Family visa renewal in Dubai costs AED 200 per dependant at GDRFA, plus AED 10, AED 10 and AED 20 delivery. Emirates ID adds AED 100 per year plus AED 100. Spouses, parents and children 18 or over need a new medical, from AED 270. GDRFA lists 48 hours. Renew your own visa first, because a dependant's visa cannot run past the sponsor's.
Renewal fees per dependant
| Fee | GDRFA Dubai | ICP (other emirates) |
|---|---|---|
| Renewal | AED 200 | AED 100 application + AED 100 per year |
| Knowledge and Innovation Dirham | AED 10 + AED 10 | Not listed |
| Smart service | Not listed | AED 100 |
| Delivery | AED 20 | Not listed |
| Fee inside the country | AED 500 | Not listed |
| Each year over two years | + AED 100 | Not listed |
| Processing | 48 hours | 2 days |
Source: GDRFA family member renewal page and ICP residence renewal page, checked .
GDRFA's renewal page lists the AED 500 inside the country line, which you also see on first-time family visas. Check the total the system shows when you submit. Then add, for each person:
| Extra | Fee |
|---|---|
| Emirates ID renewal | AED 100 per year + AED 100 smart service |
| Medical, standard 24 hours | AED 270 |
| Medical, 6 hours or Smart Salem | AED 700 |
| Medical, 2 hours | AED 1,020 |
| Health insurance | Set by your insurer |
Source: ICP Emirates ID renewal page and Dubai Administrative Resolution No. 66 on medical fitness charges, checked .
So a 6-year-old renewing for two years pays the GDRFA lines and the Emirates ID, nothing for the medical. A spouse pays the same plus a medical. Parents on a humanitarian visa renew for one year at a time, and the renewal goes back to the committee.
What Dubai agencies charge
Published cost guides from 4 Dubai firms put a family visa renewal at about AED 1,200 to AED 7,000 per dependant (checked ). The bottom of that range leaves out health insurance. The top includes it, and insurance is what moves the number most.
When to renew
Renew before the expiry date. u.ae's general provisions say the sponsor must renew before the visa ends, and that renewing early for travel needs ICP approval.
Because family residence matches the sponsor's permit, the order matters:
- Your residence first. If you work, see visa renewal in Dubai.
- Then each dependant on your new dates.
If your visa is renewed for two years and you wait, your family's visas can expire while yours is fine. They do not renew themselves.
Dependants who have been abroad
u.ae says a family residence lapses after more than 180 days continuously outside the UAE, unless the holder is exempt. If your spouse or child stayed away that long, a renewal may not be possible and a new entry permit may be needed. Ask before you pay anything.
If the visa has already expired
This is the part where official sources do not agree.
| Source | Grace period for dependants |
|---|---|
| GDRFA family renewal page | 60 days after expiry |
| u.ae family page | 6 months after expiry |
| ICP renewal page | 180 days for families of Golden, Green and Blue holders; 60 days for permits issued with a guarantor; 30 days for other categories |
Source: GDRFA, u.ae and ICP pages, checked .
For a Dubai family visa, work on the GDRFA 60 days unless you hold a Golden, Green or Blue residence. After the grace period, ICP charges AED 50 per day. Check the file on the GDRFA fines inquiry and our UAE overstay fine guide before you renew.
Documents checklist
- Recent colour photo of each dependant, white background.
- Passport copy of each dependant.
- Approved medical result for everyone over 18.
- Valid health insurance.
- Lease agreement and a water or electricity bill (ICP).
- Your own renewed residence.
- For a son 25 or over: certified proof of continued studies or a graduation certificate.
- For parents: the papers the humanitarian committee asks for again, including salary proof and bank statements.
Steps
- Renew your own visa.
- Book the medical test for each adult dependant.
- Renew or update the health insurance.
- File each renewal on the GDRFA app, at a Customer Happiness Centre or at an Amer centre.
- Renew each Emirates ID. Our Emirates ID guide has the details.
Processing time
GDRFA lists 48 hours per renewal. ICP lists 2 days for renewal and 5 days for an Emirates ID renewal. Humanitarian renewals for parents and older sons take longer, as GDRFA lists 14 days for those files.
Why family renewals get stuck
- Sponsor's visa not renewed. The system will not give the dependant a longer date than yours.
- Son turned 25. He drops off the standard list. Start the humanitarian file before his birthday.
- Medical not done or not passed. The renewal waits for the result.
- Insurance lapsed. ICP lists valid insurance for renewal.
- Fines on the file. An expired visa past its grace period has to be cleared first.
- More than 180 days abroad. The residence may have lapsed.
How it works with us
Send us the expiry dates for your visa and each dependant, with passport copies, on WhatsApp or the form on this page. A visa adviser checks the order, who needs a medical, and whether any visa is already in its grace period. You get one total price for the whole family, confirmed on WhatsApp before you pay. The team books medicals, files each renewal, follows it to approval and renews the Emirates IDs. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service, not GDRFA or ICP, and the authorities approve each renewal.
If GDRFA or ICP refuses a renewal, the government fees are not paid back. Before you pay, the adviser tells you in writing what part of our total, if any, is returned.
Tips
- Put every family member's expiry date in one calendar.
- If a son is 23 or 24 at your renewal, his new visa may still run past 25. Ask how GDRFA handles that date before you file.
- New to the family visa? Start with the family visa in Dubai page.
Official sources
- GDRFA family member renewal: fees, documents, 48 hours, 60-day grace.
- ICP residence renewal: ICP fees, insurance, lease, grace periods by category.
- ICP Emirates ID renewal: AED 100 per year plus AED 100, 5 days.
- u.ae family residence: 6-month grace wording, medical over 18.
- u.ae general provisions: renew before expiry, 180 days abroad, validity tied to the sponsor.
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