Dubai Student Visa: Eligibility, Costs, and Application Process

Team MetaApply

Published on October 18, 2024

Education in Dubai is an opportunity for international students to get the highest quality of education and the incredible experience of studying in a cosmopolitan, sunny city with advanced facilities. Therefore, The education sector has expanded dramatically throughout the past three decades, with Dubai now home to numerous recognised universities spanning various disciplines, including business and engineering, hospitality, and technology.

Other reasons students choose Dubai include lifestyle, safety, and the prospect of seeking employment and enhancing their academic education. Getting a Dubai student visa is compulsory for any student aspiring to come to Dubai. Here, you will find everything you want and need to know about the Dubai student visa process and all the detailed information that goes with it to set you on the right path to making your educational journey in this vibrant city.

UAE Student Visa

Dubai is a part of the United Arab Emirates, or UAE as commonly referred to, hence the UAE student visa. It enables students from other countries to study in UAE at postgraduate and undergraduate levels.

The UAE student visa is more or less the same as the one in Dubai. Still, every emirate has its own rules, which may include certain additional conditions or process a student visa differently. This information will be helpful to determine the differences and similarities between a Dubai student visa and a UAE student visa.

Dubai Student Visa Highlights

Students are advised to check out all the necessary information related to the Dubai student visa mentioned below:

Features	Details
Visa Type	Student Residence Visa
Duration	Typically issued for 1 year; renewable based on the course duration
Age Requirement	No specific age limit, but students usually need to be 18 years or older
Work Permit	Allows part-time work with university and authority approval
Processing Time	Usually takes 2-5 weeks from the time of application
English Language Proficiency	Proof of English proficiency (IELTS, TOEFL, etc.) may be required, depending on the university
Visa Fees	Approx. AED 1,000 – AED 3,000, including processing fees and medical tests
Renewal	Requires proof of continued enrollment and academic progress

Dubai Student Visa Eligibility Criteria

A student visa is for Emirati students in a university or college in the UAE. International students’ visas for Dubai are in several categories: expatriate students living in the UAE sponsored by either parents or relatives and international students from other countries who intend to study in one of the higher educational institutions in UAE.

Due to the possibility of making mistakes, the candidates are advised to read more about the Dubai Visa requirements and guidelines.

Obtaining admission into any UAE institution does not guarantee a student’s visa approval.
Regarding the visa application, one must undergo a medical fitness examination, security check, and Clearance from the GDRFA of the respective emirates.
These are the possibilities of getting a student visa in the UAE. This means that male students who are older than 18 years are still allowed to be supported by their parents to get a residence permit.
They must produce certificates indicating that they have been attending a higher education institution for not less than one year.

Hence, no matter the age of an expatriate parent’s child, they may keep paying for their female children’s education.

Validity and Visa Renewal

Dubai student visas for residences are renewable annually, meaning that if you are in college, you must renew it yearly. The corresponding higher educational institution in the UAE provides official confirmation of further education in which the student continues education.

Any student who has been away from the UAE for more than six months loses the eligibility to be in the UAE with a student residence visa. The students will not be allowed entry into the UAE without canceling the old visa and issuing a new one. In most cases, the sponsor who applied on behalf of an applicant will be the one to take the visa holder to the immigration authorities.

Dubai Student Visa Requirements

Student Residence Visas are usually issued for about one year at a time and must be renewed annually during study. We enumerate below the various Dubai student visa requirements:

Visitors must have a valid passport for at least 6 months from arrival. A passport must have two VISA pages left, one for VISA endorsement and another for the entry stamps.
Around four passport copies.
Around 12 photographs.
Two passport copies.
They require two passport-size photographs, an entry visa from the UAE, and three passport copies upon arrival.
A proposal letter that shows the acceptance of candidates for a specific UAE tertiary institute.
Certified copies of bank statements as a source of funds in the UAE.
Sponsored by (the university in which one is studying or its sponsor or a relative).
Clearance from the GDRFA (General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs).
If a candidate has chosen to live in the university, they may be expected to present a letter from the university or a lease agreement.
Photocopy of the tuition fee receipt for the current study year of the programme.
Anyone choosing a post-graduate programme will need to get their undergraduate degree certified.
A scanned copy of the visa fee receipt for the present study year of the programme.
Some of the candidates employed from some countries may undergo a security test to ascertain if the candidate may be a security threat to the UAE.
Candidates are also typically expected to sit a medical examination at any accredited medical centre in the UAE (cost AED 350-500). The test generally includes a medical test and chest X-ray for:
HIV (AIDS)
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Tuberculosis
Leprosy
Syphilis

In case the results of any of these tests are positive, the candidate is deported, except for syphilis, the affected candidate is treated.

How to Apply for a Dubai Student Visa?

Below is the step-by-step guide on how to apply for a Dubai student visa for students:

Step 1: Remember to determine your ‘purpose of visit’ before applying for a Dubai student Visa.

Step 2: Complete the visa application form and affix your photo to the form.

Step 3: Make sure beyond doubt that the photos meet the criteria.

Step 4: All relevant supporting documents enumerated in the checklist should be attached firmly. Any incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Step 5: Fill in the application and pay the required fees in cash when you take your application to the Dubai Visa Application Centre.

Step 6: Upon visa acceptance, the PNR will be changed, and a copy of the visa will be sent to the right facility.

How Long Shall It Take to Acquire a Dubai Student Visa?

Ideally, each Dubai student Visa application process should start one to two months before the semester commences. This leaves the students enough time to study for the other documents on the departure checklist.

Dubai student visa usually takes 15 – 20 working days to get granted, depending on the school or university. Express processing is another option available to international students; as everybody knows, it is even more costly than usual. For fast-track scanning students of UAE, it may take at least ten days to get their UAE Student Visa.

University Processing Speed: The time taken by the university to come up with certain documents.

Completeness of the Student’s Documents: Relevance and Conciseness of the documents produced.

Medical Examination Clearance: Duration it costs to obtain the results of the medical test done before joining the job.

Dubai Education Cost

The average fee for private universities in Dubai is approximately between 37,500 and 85,000 AED per year for private universities and 5000 to AED 50000 for public universities. The tuition fee for international students differs according to the university and course you have taken.

The average living costs in Dubai range from 3500 AED to 8000 AED per year, including utilities, Internet connection, food, etc. These charges also differ for individuals depending on the place selected and the expenses incurred.

Study Programmes	Average fees
Undergraduate Programmes	37,500 to 85,000
Postgraduate Programmes	55,000 to 85,000

UAE Student Visa: Requirements for English language skills

These universities based in UAE require students who want to pursue their studies to meet particular English Language Proficiency Requirements. Students will not be permitted to secure a UAE student visa without admission to a university or institute in the UAE. Students are encouraged to refer to the table below for UA UAE EPL university requirements.

IELTS: While some lower cutoffs can be set as small as 5.0, this is generally considered relatively high, and most often, the bar is set between 6.0 and 6.5.

TOEFL: Received with marks generally between 61% and 79%.

PTE Academic: The scores are partly used in the entrance by some universities, and the minimum scores may differ across the programmes.

Dubai Intakes

Universities in Dubai usually have two primary intakes:

Fall Intake: It starts in September and is also a significant academic term.

Spring Intake: It begins in January and gives another opportunity for admissions.

Top Universities to Study in Dubai

Students are advised to check out all the essential information related to the top universities to study in Dubai:

360 Institute of Management: Providing management and business-focused programs integrating professional knowledge and leadership techniques. The institute is famous for its vocational courses and internships that provide skills to get practical exposure within organisations.

Amity University Dubai: A part of the reputed Amity University of India, it is affiliated with BCI and offers engineering, management, arts, and technology programmes. The physical facilities on the campus include modern facilities, making the place suitable for learning. It also pays much attention to innovation, research, and international exposure.

Curtin University Dubai: An Australian-based university that delivers quality business, engineering, and information technology education. The course offered at Curtin University strongly emphasises theory and practice, whereby the students are allowed to get involved in research activities and work together with professionals.

GBS Dubai (Global Business Studies): A successful business School that offers programmes in finance, accounts, and management courses. The institution provides hands-on training in preparation for the international market through class assignments, workshops, and field trips to companies.

HULT Business School: It is a globally renowned business institution specialising in MBA and equivalent programs. HULT aims at an application-based and experiential approach to learning, offering students opportunities to gain international experience through its global campuses, such as in Dubai.

Benefits of Applying for a Dubai Student Visa

Applying for the Dubai student visa provides students with many opportunities to make their stay in the country productive. Now, with a dynamic economy driven by electronics oil and an education system supported by universities that are ranked internationally, Dubai is the place for students who wish to be associated with quality education and lifestyle. Here are some of the critical benefits of a Dubai student visa:

Easy and Affordable Way to Quality Education

The United Arab Emirates has world-class universities and institutions of learning with programmes in many fields, including business, engineering technology, hospitality, and health. Most of these institutions are branch colleges of international universities, so the quality of education in these colleges is as good as that of the mother institutions.

Gateway to the Long-Term Residence

Some of the visas the UAE proposes for residence are long-term; for example, the Golden Visa for exceptional students implies the possibility of residence in the country for up to 10 years. This offers a far better long-term livelihood outlook for the graduates who want to remain in Dubai.

Strategic Location for Travel

Students in Dubai can easily travel to other continents, such as Europe, Asia, and Africa because Dubai is in the centre of these continents. The city has a well-connected international airport, and domestic flight connectivity covers most of the country’s important cities.

Networking Career Advancement

Dubai is an international business city that hosts many multinationals and new startups, offering students many business connections. Many universities throughout Dubai have links with local firms, and these institutions hold career fairs, seminars, and workshops to enable students to interact with employers.

Scholarships and Loans

Dubai has Universities that award scholarships, grants, and financing assistance to help international students based on merit, finance, or ability. These forms of financial aid can help reduce expenses and make studying in Dubai much more affordable.

Conclusion

Acquiring a Dubai student visa is sometimes one of the most significant achievements that any international student pursues while in their quest for one of the premier education centres in the world. Considering that there are numerous visas with different types, their requirements, and the process of obtaining them, the information given will help avoid problems.

A wide selection of programmes is available at the universities of Dubai, along with modern facilities and promising employment opportunities for students. At the same time, it is relatively easier to secure admission to study in Dubai when you adhere to the above steps and prepare early enough in advance.