UAE visit visa for relatives and friends: Salary rules, fees, documents and stay period explained

The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA Dubai) has clarified the rules for the UAE's visit visa for relatives and friends, detailing who can sponsor visitors, the minimum salary requirements, visa validity, fees and the documents needed to apply.

The visit visa allows UAE residents to sponsor eligible relatives and friends for short-term stays. Applicants can choose between single-entry and multiple-entry visas with validity periods of 30, 60 or 90 days. Visitors can stay in the UAE for up to 120 days in a year, and eligible visas can be extended from within the country, subject to approval and compliance with regulations.

A single-entry visa allows one visit during its validity, while a multiple-entry visa lets travellers enter and leave the UAE multiple times during the visa period.

Who can sponsor a visit visa?

According to GDRFA Dubai, the minimum monthly salary required depends on the relationship between the sponsor and the visitor.

Residents sponsoring first-degree relatives, including parents, spouses and children, must earn at least Dh4,000 per month.

Those sponsoring second- and third-degree relatives, such as siblings, grandparents, grandchildren, uncles, aunts and cousins, must have a minimum monthly salary of Dh8,000.

Residents sponsoring a friend must earn at least Dh15,000 per month.

Sponsors must hold a valid UAE residence visa and Emirates ID. Income can be verified through a salary certificate, an attested labour contract or partnership documents for business owners.

What documents are required?

Applicants must submit:

• Sponsor's Emirates ID and passport copy
• Visitor's passport copy and recent photograph
• Proof of income
• Proof of accommodation
• Attested marriage, birth or family relationship certificates, where applicable

The visitor's passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of application.

Visa fees and security deposit

For single-entry visas, the application fee is:

• Dh200 for 30 days
• Dh300 for 60 days
• Dh400 for 90 days

For multiple-entry visas, the fee is:

• Dh300 for 30 days
• Dh500 for 60 days
• Dh700 for 90 days

These charges do not include VAT, medical insurance or other applicable service fees.

Applicants must also pay a refundable security deposit of Dh1,000 for single-entry visas and Dh2,000 for multiple-entry visas.

How to apply

Residents holding Dubai-issued residence visas can apply through the GDRFA Dubai Smart Services platform, the GDRFA mobile application, Amer centres or Customer Happiness Centres. Online applications can also be completed using UAE Pass.

Applicants must provide documents proving their relationship with the UAE resident or citizen they intend to visit, along with the purpose of the visit.

According to GDRFA Dubai, most applications are processed within 48 hours, and approved visitors must enter the UAE within 60 days of the visa being issued.

GDRFA Dubai said it issued 29,456 relatives and friends visit visas during the first half of 2026.

The authority said the service is designed to help residents reunite with family members and friends through a digital application process while offering flexible visit options for eligible travellers.