Sponsor salary rules, fees, documents, and the application process for bringing a friend or relative to the UAE on a visit visa.
A UAE resident can sponsor a friend or relative for a 30, 60, or 90-day visit visa, but only above a set monthly income. Under the decision ICP announced on 29 September 2025, the sponsor needs AED 4,000 a month for first-degree relatives, AED 8,000 for second- and third-degree relatives, and AED 15,000 for a friend. ICP also caps the total stay, including extensions, at 120 days. In Dubai, GDRFA charges AED 200, 300, or 400 plus VAT for a 30, 60, or 90-day single-entry visa, plus a refundable AED 1,000 deposit and health insurance.
This guide covers who can sponsor, the salary tiers, single versus multi-entry, the full GDRFA and ICP fee lists, documents, extensions, and what happens if your visitor overstays. If you want a relative to live with you rather than visit, our Dubai family visa sponsorship process covers the residence route.
Who Can Sponsor a Visit Visa for Friends and Relatives in the UAE
Any UAE resident with an active sponsor file can apply, provided they meet the income threshold for the relationship. ICP’s terms require the host “to have an active sponsor file that enables them to apply for visa and residence services” (ICP). Employees prove income with a salary certificate or employment contract, and business partners with a partnership contract (GDRFA).
Dubai Residents Apply Through GDRFA
If your residence was issued in Dubai, apply through the GDRFA website or app with UAE Pass, a Customer Happiness Center, or an Amer center. GDRFA gives an expected completion time of 10 hours for the single-entry visa (GDRFA).
Other Emirates Apply Through ICP
Residents of Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, and Fujairah apply through ICP Smart Services or the UAEICP app. ICP’s completion time is 2 days (ICP).
Sponsor Salary Requirements by Relationship Type
| Visitor | Degree | Minimum sponsor income |
|---|---|---|
| Father, mother, spouse, son, daughter | First | AED 4,000 a month |
| Siblings, grandparents, grandchildren | Second | AED 8,000 a month |
| Uncles, aunts, cousins | Third | AED 8,000 a month |
| Friend (non-relative) | None | AED 15,000 a month |
Sources: ICP, Issuance of a Visa and the ICP announcement of 29 September 2025. Proof of kinship is required for relatives, matched to the degree claimed.
What the Thresholds Mean in Practice
On AED 6,500 a month you can sponsor your parents, spouse, or children, but not a sibling or a friend. On AED 9,000 you can sponsor any relative up to cousins, but still not a friend. Only at AED 15,000 can you sponsor a friend. The salary on your certificate is what counts, so ask HR for a certificate that states the monthly amount in AED.
GDRFA’s service cards do not repeat the income tiers, but the decision is federal and ICP applies it to foreign residents. Dubai sponsors should expect the same thresholds and confirm them in the GDRFA app before paying.
Humanitarian Exceptions
The same ICP decision lets the Director General of Identity and Foreigners Affairs waive the income requirement, the kinship-degree requirement, or both, in certain humanitarian cases involving relatives of a resident or of the resident’s spouse (ICP). This is discretionary; there is no published fee or form for it, so ask ICP through its call center (600 522 222) before relying on it.
Single-Entry vs Multi-Entry Visit Visa: Which to Choose
| Feature | Single-entry | Multi-entry |
|---|---|---|
| Durations | 30 / 60 / 90 days | 30 / 60 / 90 days |
| GDRFA Dubai visa fee (90 days) | AED 400 + VAT | AED 700 + VAT |
| GDRFA deposit | AED 1,000 | AED 2,000 |
| ICP issuance fee | AED 100 per month | AED 200 per month |
| ICP guarantee | AED 1,000 | AED 2,000 |
| Best for | One continuous stay | Visitors taking side trips abroad during the stay |
Whichever you choose, the visitor must enter within 60 days of the visa being issued (ICP).
Visit Visa Fees: Dubai (GDRFA) vs Other Emirates (ICP)
GDRFA Dubai: Single-Entry Visit Visa
| Fee item | Amount (AED) |
|---|---|
| Visa fee: 30 / 60 / 90 days | 200 / 300 / 400, plus 5% VAT |
| Refundable security deposit | 1,000 |
| Deposit service fee | 20 |
| Deposit collection and reimbursement fee | 40 |
| Health insurance: 30 / 60 / 90 days | 40 / 60 / 90 |
| If the visitor is already in the UAE | +500 inside-country fee, +10 Knowledge Dirham, +10 Innovation Dirham |
Source: GDRFA Dubai, single-entry visit visa for a relative or friend. The card’s headline says “This service costs 550 AED” and notes that the total may vary with the visitor’s circumstances, so treat the payment screen as final. Worked example for a 90-day single-entry visa for a visitor outside the UAE: AED 400 + AED 20 VAT + AED 90 insurance + AED 60 deposit fees = AED 570 non-refundable, plus the AED 1,000 deposit you get back.
GDRFA Dubai: Multi-Entry Visit Visa
| Fee item | Amount (AED) |
|---|---|
| Visa fee: 30 / 60 / 90 days | 300 / 500 / 700, plus 5% VAT |
| Refundable guarantee | 2,000 |
| Guarantee service fee / collection and return fee | 20 / 40 |
| Health insurance: 30 / 60 / 90 days | 40 / 60 / 90 |
| If the visitor is already in the UAE | +500, +10, +10 |
Source: GDRFA Dubai, multi-entry visa for a relative or friend, whose headline figure is AED 1,500.
ICP: Other Emirates
| Fee item | Amount (AED) |
|---|---|
| Application fee | 100 |
| Visit visa issuance, single entry | 100 per month |
| Visit visa issuance, multiple entry | 200 per month |
| Smart services fee | 100 |
| Financial guarantee, single / multiple entry (refundable) | 1,000 / 2,000 |
| Guarantee deposit fee | 20 |
Source: ICP, Issuance of a Visa. ICP also requires valid UAE health insurance, which is charged separately. For a 90-day single-entry visa that works out to AED 100 + AED 300 + AED 100 + AED 20 = AED 520 before insurance, plus the AED 1,000 guarantee. The guarantee is refunded on request after the visa is cancelled or the visitor has left, provided no residency violations were committed.
Required Documents for a Visit Visa Application
Visitor:
- Personal photo (GDRFA asks for two)
- Passport copy with at least six months’ validity
- Return ticket (ICP)
- Valid UAE health insurance (ICP; GDRFA sells it with the visa)
- National ID card for nationals of Iraq, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan (GDRFA)
Sponsor:
- Salary certificate (government, semi-government, and free zone employees), employment contract (private companies), or partnership contract (partners)
- Proof of kinship: marriage contract for a spouse, birth certificate for parents and children, and documents proving the degree for other relatives
Kinship documents issued abroad usually need attestation before a UAE authority will accept them. Our guide to attesting marriage and birth certificates explains the chain. Start early, because attestation can take weeks.
Step-by-Step Application Process
Step 1: Check Your Eligibility
Match your monthly salary to the relationship tier, and check the visitor’s passport has six months left.
Step 2: Log In
Use UAE Pass on the GDRFA website or app (Dubai visas) or ICP Smart Services and the UAEICP app (other emirates).
Step 3: Choose the Service and Duration
Select the relative or friend visit visa, single or multiple entry, and 30, 60, or 90 days.
Step 4: Upload Documents and Pay
The deposit is taken at payment along with the fees.
Step 5: Receive the Visa
GDRFA gives 10 hours for the single-entry visa; ICP gives 2 days. The visitor then has 60 days from issue to enter.
Visit Visa Extensions
ICP allows the visa to be extended once or several times, provided the total stay in the UAE does not exceed 120 days. So a 90-day visa can be extended by up to 30 days in total. Apply before the current permitted stay ends, through the same channel you used for the original visa. The extension fee is shown at payment; neither authority’s service card lists it separately.
Overstay Consequences: What the Sponsor Needs to Know
Once the permitted stay ends, ICP charges a fine of AED 50 per day. The deposit is refundable only if no residency violations were committed, so an overstay puts it at risk. Settling the fine and leaving may also require an exit permit; see our guide to the UAE exit permit (out pass) and the wider overstay fines guide.
Visitors also cannot work. Working on a visit visa exposes both the visitor and the business to penalties; see working on a visit visa.
Common Rejection Reasons and How to Avoid Them
- Salary below the tier. Check the tier before you apply; the fee is not the problem, the income is.
- A certificate that does not show the salary. A plain employment letter is not enough.
- Kinship documents missing or not accepted. Upload proof that matches the degree you claimed.
- Passport under six months. Both ICP and GDRFA require six months.
- No return ticket or insurance. ICP lists both as conditions.
- Sponsor file not active. Your own residence and sponsor file must be current.
- Previous overstay. A visitor with an unresolved violation may be refused.
Special Situations and Exceptions
Sponsoring In-Laws
ICP’s kinship list names your own father, mother, spouse, son, and daughter as first degree. It does not list in-laws. Two practical routes: your spouse, if a resident earning at least AED 4,000, can sponsor their own parents as first-degree relatives; or you can ask ICP whether the humanitarian exception for relatives of a spouse applies to your case.
Visitors Already Inside the UAE
You can apply while the visitor is in the country. In Dubai, that adds AED 500 plus AED 20 in Dirham charges (GDRFA).
When Your Salary Does Not Meet the Threshold
The visitor can use a tourist visa issued through an airline, hotel, or licensed tour operator instead, which has no resident-income test. Compare the options in our guide to multiple-entry and long-term tourist visas, and see the new visit visa categories introduced in the same 2025 decision.
Wives of GCC Nationals
If a foreign wife is visiting her husband who is a GCC citizen, she must hold a valid residence permit in her husband’s home country (GDRFA).
FAQ
What is the minimum salary to sponsor a friend on a UAE visit visa?
AED 15,000 a month, under the ICP decision announced on 29 September 2025.
Can I sponsor my brother or sister with an AED 5,000 salary?
No. Siblings are second-degree relatives, which requires AED 8,000 a month. On AED 5,000 you can sponsor first-degree relatives: parents, spouse, and children.
How much does a visit visa for a relative cost in Dubai?
For a single-entry visa, GDRFA charges AED 200, 300, or 400 plus VAT for 30, 60, or 90 days, plus AED 40 to 90 insurance, AED 60 in deposit fees, and a refundable AED 1,000 deposit. A multi-entry visa costs AED 300, 500, or 700 plus VAT with a AED 2,000 guarantee.
How long can my relative stay on a visit visa?
30, 60, or 90 days, extendable once or more, but the total stay cannot exceed 120 days under ICP’s rules.
How long does it take to get the visa?
GDRFA gives 10 hours for the single-entry visa; ICP gives 2 days.
What happens if my visitor overstays?
A fine of AED 50 per day applies after the permitted stay ends, and the refundable deposit is only returned if no residency violations were committed.
Do I get the security deposit back?
Yes, on request after the visa is cancelled or the visitor has left, provided there were no violations. GDRFA charges an AED 40 collection and reimbursement fee on the deposit.
Is health insurance required?
Yes. ICP lists valid UAE health insurance as a condition, and GDRFA sells cover with the visa at AED 40, 60, or 90 depending on the duration.
Official Sources
- ICP, Issuance of a Visa (relative or friend terms, fees, 120-day cap, overstay fine)
- ICP, announcement of new visit visa categories and income thresholds (29 September 2025)
- GDRFA Dubai, single-entry visit visa for a relative or friend
- GDRFA Dubai, multi-entry visa for a relative or friend
- ICP Smart Services portal
Information current as of September 2026. Verify with official authorities before proceeding.
This guide is for informational purposes only. UAE regulations and fees are subject to change. Always verify current requirements with the relevant official authority before proceeding with any application or transaction.
