Residence visa for studying in the UAE

How the student visa route works

1. 1

   Start with your university

   Universities facilitate the process of getting a visa for the students. Before you file anything yourself, ask the admissions or student services office how they handle it and what they need from you.

2. 2

   Get the certificate from your university or institute

   To apply for a student visa, you must submit a certificate issued by the university or institute specifying the duration of the study. Make sure the duration is stated on it, since that is the point of the document.

   Documents:Certificate from the university or institute stating the dur
3. 3

   Meet the general provisions

   Alongside the certificate, you must meet the other general provisions that apply to residence applications. The current list is maintained by the authorities, so confirm it on icp.gov.ae or gdrfad.gov.ae rather than relying on a summary.

4. 4

   If a parent sponsors you instead

   Expatriate residents can sponsor their male child/children up to the age of 25. Expatriate residents may continue to sponsor their female children for study, regardless of their age, until she is married. For many families this is simpler than a separate student visa.

5. 5

   If you are an outstanding student, check the golden visa

   There is a golden visa for outstanding students. If your academic results are strong, read about the golden visa for outstanding students before defaulting to a standard student visa.

6. 6

   Check fees and processing times at the source

   The quoted rules do not fix any amount or timeline, and both change. Check the current fee and the current processing time on the ICP or GDRFA Dubai website, or ask your university, before you budget for it.

Fees and timelines may change — verify with the official source.

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