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The UAE residence visa requirements start with the same base set for everyone: a passport valid at least 6 months, a photo on a white background, a medical fitness result if you are 18 or over, health insurance and an Emirates ID application. Then your route adds its own proof: a MOHRE job offer, an attested marriage certificate, a title deed or bank statements. GDRFA and ICP decide in 2 days or less once the file is complete.
Most delays come from one missing paper, not from the rules themselves. Find your route below and tick off the list before anyone files.
The base set, every route
- Passport valid at least 6 months
- Colour photo on a white background
- Medical fitness result, for applicants aged 18 and above
- Health insurance (u.ae lists "medical insurance or health card"; Dubai permits list health insurance)
- Emirates ID application and fingerprints
- The entry permit, or your current visa if you are changing status inside the UAE
What each sponsor must prove
| Route | Main condition on the sponsor or applicant |
|---|---|
| Employment | A MOHRE work permit for the job |
| Family (spouse, children) | Salary of AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation, and suitable housing |
| Parents | Salary of AED 10,000 a month, attested tenancy, AED 5,000 guarantee per request |
| Domestic worker | Family income of AED 25,000 a month; worker aged 18 to 60 |
| Student | A licensed university or institute, or a resident parent |
| Property owner, 2 years | Completed Dubai property; any value for a sole owner, AED 400,000 share for a co-owner |
| Retiree in Dubai | Age 55 or over, 15 years of work, and AED 1,000,000 in property or deposit, or AED 240,000 a year in income |
| Green skilled worker | Salary of AED 15,000, bachelor's degree, MOHRE level 1 to 3 |
| Green freelancer | Income of AED 360,000 over the previous two years |
Sources: GDRFA, ICP, MOHRE and DLD service pages and u.ae, checked .
Document lists by route
Employment residence
- Signed MOHRE job offer
- Degree attested for skill levels 1 and 2, diploma for levels 3 and 4
- Professional licence where the job needs one
- National ID card for some nationalities
- Employment entry permit, then the medical and Emirates ID
The employer files and pays. More on the work visa requirements page.
Family residence for a spouse and children
- Sponsor's employment contract and salary certificate
- Certified marriage contract, attested if issued abroad
- Attested birth certificate for each child
- Lease agreement and a water or electricity bill (ICP)
- Father's no objection letter if the wife is the sponsor
- Valid health insurance for each family member
The family visa requirements page goes through sons over 25, stepchildren and parents.
Domestic worker
- Salary certificate and 3 months of bank statements showing AED 25,000 a month in family income
- Worker's passport and photo
- MOHRE standard contract signed by both sides
- Medical fitness result and medical insurance, which the employer provides
Student
- Admission or certificate from the university showing the length of study
- Photo, passport copy and medical result
- Emirates ID receipt and health insurance
The university acts as host and guarantor. See student visa requirements.
Property owner
For the DLD 2-year route:
- Dubai title deed
- Bank NOC if mortgaged, or a developer statement if the developer finances it
- Passport valid at least 6 months and an ICP-standard photo
- Health insurance
- Dubai Police good conduct certificate addressed to DLD
GDRFA's own property owner permit adds a salary certificate or contract and 6 months of bank statements showing at least AED 10,000 a month. Its renewal page asks for AED 15,000 a month, so check which page your case falls under.
Retiree
- Proof of 15 years of work and age 55 or over
- Title deed for property of AED 1,000,000, or a deposit certificate, or 6 months of bank statements showing the fixed income
- Passport, photo, medical and insurance
Federal and Dubai income lines differ. The retirement visa requirements page explains the gap.
Investor or partner (green residence)
- Partnership agreement, memorandum of association or investment contract
- Trade licence
- Passport valid at least 6 months and a photo
Attestation of foreign documents
Certificates issued outside the UAE count only after attestation. GDRFA's humanitarian page states that all international documents must be attested by the UAE embassy and by MOFA.
| Document cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| MOFA attestation, personal document | AED 150 |
| Medical fitness test in Dubai, 24 hours | AED 270 |
| Emirates ID | AED 100 per year plus AED 100 smart fee |
| Status change, if already inside the UAE | AED 500 |
Sources: MOFA FAQs, Dubai Administrative Resolution No. 66 on medical charges, ICP Emirates ID and residency cards, checked . The full fee breakdown is on the residence visa cost page.
What Dubai agencies charge
Typing and document handling for a family application runs about AED 100 to AED 400 per application, and attestation of a marriage certificate from abroad about AED 500 to AED 2,000, by published prices of Dubai firms checked .
Processing time
Once every paper is in, GDRFA lists 48 hours and ICP 2 days. DLD property and retirement files take 7 to 10 business days. Attestation abroad has no official timeline and is often the slowest step. Plan it before the 60 days after entry start.
Papers that cause refusals
- A marriage or birth certificate stamped in the issuing country but not by MOFA.
- A salary certificate that shows a lower figure than the bank statements.
- A lease that is too small for the number of family members.
- Insurance that expires before the residence does.
- A passport with less than 6 months left.
- A property still under construction, filed on the 2-year route.
How it works with us
Send a photo of each document you already have on WhatsApp, or use the form on this page, and tell us your route. A visa adviser checks the list against the GDRFA or ICP rules for your case and marks what is missing or needs attestation. You get one total price, confirmed on WhatsApp before you pay. The team then types and files the application, books the medical and biometrics, and follows up until the residence is issued. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service. The decision on every file belongs to GDRFA or ICP.
Government fees stay with the authority if a file is refused. Before you pay, the adviser tells you in writing what part of our total, if any, is returned after a refusal.
Official sources
- u.ae general provisions for the residence visa: base documents and medical age.
- GDRFA family entry permit: family papers.
- GDRFA humanitarian cases: parents, attestation rule.
- GDRFA student permit: student documents.
- GDRFA property owner permit: property and income proof.
- DLD investor residence: 2-year property papers.
- ICP Issuing Residency Permit: ICP categories and family documents.
Checked . Check the official page before you file.
