UAEResidence permit

Student visa in the UAE

Student residence is the status for a foreign national studying at an accredited university, college or research institute in the UAE. The sponsor is either the institution itself or a parent who already holds residence. Unlike work residence there is no employer and no employment contract here: the university becomes the host party and the guarantor. It differs from a visit visa for study and internships in that it gives full resident status with an Emirates ID rather than a short stay.

Source: The Official Portal of the UAE Government (u.ae)

Who acts as the student's sponsor

The university as sponsor

A foreign student at an accredited university, college, educational or research institute in the UAE.
The institution acts as host party and guarantor; no employer is needed. The authorities publish no income threshold for the student.
A university certificate stating the duration of the course.

A resident parent

A student whose parent already holds UAE residence.
A son — up to the age of 25; beyond 25 he stays under the parent's sponsorship on proof of study at a higher education institution. A daughter — with no age limit, until she marries.
A certificate from the university or institute stating the duration of the course.

When the status will not suit

Student residence is tied to study. In three cases you should be looking at something else.

The main aim is full-time paid employment.

Work residence: the work permit is arranged by the employer through the Ministry of Human Resources, and residence from the company follows.

Work visa

A short course, an internship or a programme at an institution without a licence and without approval from the education authority.

An entry permit for study, internships and rehabilitation: the host party files a letter with the programme, and no resident status arises.

Studies are over, and a long status not tied to a university is needed next.

Golden residence for high achievers and graduates, if the school certificate or degree meets the threshold, or another golden residence category.

Golden Visa

What it costs

Student residence, DubaiThe main GDRFA fee for issuing residence to a student.	200 AED
Knowledge dirhamA compulsory fee on every GDRFA transaction.	10 AED
Innovation dirhamA compulsory fee on every GDRFA transaction.	10 AED
DeliveryCourier delivery of the result.	20 AED
Processing inside the countryCharged if the applicant is already in the UAE and changes status without leaving.	+500 AED
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. “Processing inside the country” adds 500 AED. Charges with no official price list are in the list below.	240–740 AED

Paid separately

Medical examination — the GDRFA and the ICP do not publish a price; the rate is set by the emirate's health centre.
Medical insurance — paid to the insurer.
Emirates ID — the fee is charged by a separate ICP service and is not in the student residence card.
University tuition. —

The GDRFA rate for Dubai. In the other emirates the same transactions go through the ICP: AED 100 for the application, AED 100 for each year of residence, AED 100 for the smart service and AED 500 for a change of status without leaving. Entry for study or an internship without residence is a separate service with its own fees from AED 200 and a guarantee deposit. For each year beyond two, the issuing fee rises by AED 100.

Documents to gather

A colour photograph on a white background.
A passport copy.
A medical examination accepted by the competent authorities.
The receipt for the Emirates ID application.
Medical insurance.
Proof that the institution is licensed in the country and approved by the ministry of education or the emirate's education authority.

How the process runs

1
Entry permit
The university or the sponsoring parent files the application through the GDRFA or ICP smart services. A letter from the institution setting out the course and its duration is attached to the application.
2
Entry and change of status
The student enters on the permit. Anyone already in the country changes status without leaving — a separate fee applies for that.
3
Medical examination
The examination is taken at a centre approved by the competent authorities. Without its result the residence is not issued.
4
Insurance and Emirates ID
A medical policy is arranged and the identity card application is filed. The Emirates ID receipt is part of the residence document package.
5
Issue of the residence
2 days
The authority issues the residence permit, linked to the Emirates ID application. The term matches the course of study stated in the university certificate.

Timelines and rights

Work

Work is done under a permit from the Ministry of Human Resources: a part-time permit is taken out for part-time employment. The student training and work permit is valid for 3 months, and for an internship the institution's consent is attached.

Who you can bring with you

On a student's family the official portal speaks briefly and without income thresholds.

The family members of a foreign student at a UAE university

May stay in the country if they have suitable accommodation. The government portal names no other conditions.

Trips, renewal and the grace period

Universities help students with the visa formalities. The family members of a foreign student may live in the UAE if the student is able to provide suitable accommodation.

A student at a licensed institution renews the residence on the same conditions on which it was first issued: the same clearance with the ministry of education or the emirate's education authority.

How student residence differs from work and green residence

The difference lies in who acts as the host party and on what terms you may work.

	Student	Work visa	Green Visa
Term	1 year	2 years	5 years
Who sponsors	The institution or a resident parent	The employer	The holder themselves
Ground	Study at an accredited university	An employment contract	Qualifications, freelance work or a share in a company
Work	Under a separate MOHRE part-time employment permit	Under an employment contract with the sponsoring employer	With no tie to an employer

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

Permanent residence is not granted in the UAE. Strong school and university graduates are granted golden residence for 5 or 10 years.

Route to citizenship

Time spent living in the country has no bearing on citizenship. A passport is granted on nomination by federal bodies: to investors, doctors, scientists, inventors, figures in culture and their families. The decision is taken by the rulers' courts, the executive councils and the Cabinet, and the previous citizenship may be kept.

Frequently asked questions about Student visa

Can you work on a student visa in the UAE

Work is done not under the residence itself but under a separate permit. A part-time employment permit allows work of less than a full day and, with the ministry's consent, for several employers at once. For minors there is a student training and work permit from the age of 15, valid for three months. The fee for either is from AED 250 to AED 3,450 depending on the company's category.

What happens if the residence is not arranged in time after entry

The residence formalities are completed within 60 days of the date of entry into the country. If that is missed, a fine of AED 50 is charged for each day of stay after the entry permit has expired or been cancelled.

What GPA does a high achiever need for golden residence

For a school certificate the threshold is 95%. A graduate of a class A UAE university needs a grade point average from 3.5, and of a class B university from 3.8. A graduate of a foreign university needs from 3.5, provided the university is among the world's top hundred. The degree must have been obtained no more than two years earlier. The GDRFA fee for such residence is AED 1,100.

How many years is the golden visa granted for to a school pupil and a university graduate

School high achievers are granted it for 5 years, and the best university students for 10 years. Among the proofs the portal names certificates of achievement and letters of recommendation from the school or university.

Where are documents for student residence filed — with the ICP or the GDRFA

In Dubai the service is run by the GDRFA: the application is filed through its website and app around the clock, or in person at Amer centres and customer happiness centres. Login to the GDRFA smart system is through UAE Pass or a username. In the other emirates the same is done through the ICP smart services.

Other ways to move to UAE

Every route in one list — migration programmes: UAE.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.