UAE Student Residence Visa and Emirates ID
Every international student in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) needs a student residence visa and an Emirates ID (the UAE identity card for people who live there). After you land, you take a medical fitness test (a health check for the visa) and give fingerprints. Then the visa is issued.
United Arab EmiratesUAE RESIDENCE VISA
Type: Student
Status: Student
Example: Bachelor's Program
Example: your university
Your student residence visa lets you live in the UAE while you study. Your university applies for it and renews it each year.
Keeping Your Student Visa Valid
Your visa stays valid only while you study full time and follow the rules below.
Entry Permit vs Residence Visa
Lets you enter the UAE once.
Enter the UAE within 60 days of the date it was issued.
Your university applies before you fly.
Lets you live in the UAE while you study.
Issued after the medical test and fingerprints.
BITS Pilani Dubai: one year, renewed every year. AUS: new students get a two-year visa, renewed yearly by the semesters left.
Your Papers
Your residence and Emirates ID details are kept digitally by the UAE authorities.
Key Papers
Student residence visa
Digital record that lets you live in the UAE. You can see it in the UAE PASS app (the UAE digital ID app).
Emirates ID
Your UAE identity card. It is cancelled when your visa is cancelled.
Health insurance card
Proof of the insurance your visa needs.
Breaking the Rules
What You Must Do
Study full time
Study full time. Curtin University Dubai makes this a rule of the student visa.
Keep health insurance
You need health insurance for the visa. Renew it each year.
Carry your Emirates ID
Every resident must hold an Emirates ID and carry it at all times.
Do not stay away too long
At BITS Pilani Dubai, staying outside the UAE more than 180 days in a row makes the visa invalid.
Update your details
If your personal details change, tell ICP within one month.
Your Residence Visa Steps
There is one student route. It starts with an entry permit (the paper that lets you enter the UAE to study) and ends with a residence visa and Emirates ID.
Key Times
Entry permit
14 working days, standard service (University of Birmingham Dubai)
Medical fitness test
After you land
Emirates ID fingerprints
After the medical
Residence visa issued
4 to 5 weeks in total (University of Birmingham Dubai, standard service)
Kinds of Student Visa
First Student Residence Visa
Your university turns your entry permit into a residence visa after you land.
Key Requirements:
- Your passport and the entry permit with its entry stamp.
- A passport-style photo as a digital file.
- The medical fitness test.
- Fingerprints for the Emirates ID.
Yearly Renewal
Your university renews your visa each year while you study.
Key Requirements:
- A passport valid for at least 6 months.
- A new medical fitness test.
- The renewal fee. BITS Pilani Dubai charges UAE dirham (AED) 2,150 a year.
- You must be in the UAE.
Golden Visa for Top Students
A long-term visa (10 years for top university students) that has no sponsor (the sponsor is the one responsible for your visa).
Key Requirements:
- Top 100 world university, GPA of at least 3.5, graduated within two years.
- UAE university graduates: GPA of at least 3.5 (Class A) or 3.8 (Class B).
- Certificate attested (officially stamped as real) by the UAE ministry.
From Entry Permit to Residence Visa
Entry permit
Your university applies before you fly. Enter the UAE within 60 days of the date your entry permit was issued.
Duration: 14 working days, standard service (University of Birmingham Dubai)
Medical fitness test
A blood test and a chest X-ray at a government medical centre. It shows you are healthy enough for the visa.
Duration: After you land
Emirates ID fingerprints
Give fingerprints at an ICP centre (ICP is the UAE office for identity, citizenship and borders).
Duration: After the medical
Residence visa issued
Your visa is issued and your Emirates ID card follows.
Duration: 4 to 5 weeks in total (University of Birmingham Dubai, standard service)
Applying for the Residence Visa
Your university applies. You do the medical test and fingerprints yourself.
First Residence Visa
Get your entry permit
Enter the UAE within 60 days of the date it was issued.
Your university applies after you pay and send papers.
Tell your university you arrived
Send it on the day you land.
University of Birmingham Dubai asks for a stamped copy of your entry permit.
Medical fitness test
Bring your passport, entry permit and photo.
At a government medical centre. At AUS, students under 18 do not need the test.
Fingerprints
This completes your Emirates ID application.
At an ICP centre, after the medical.
Collect your visa and Emirates ID
Keep a copy with your passport.
Your visa is digital. Collect the card from your university.
Renewing Your Visa
Get the reminder
One month before your visa ends, AUS emails you to renew.
Send papers
Passport copy, photo and renewal form. Your university tells you the date.
Do the medical test
Take the medical exam again for renewal.
Pay the fee
Pay before renewal. BITS Pilani Dubai: AED 2,150 a year.
Get the renewed visa
It is renewed online. Collect your new Emirates ID.
After Your Studies
| From Status | To Status | Requirements | Processing Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student visa | Work visa | A job offer and a new visa from your employer. Show your university the new visa. | Set by your employer | Your student visa is cancelled when you take a job. |
| Student visa | Golden visa | Top student or graduate rules, such as a GPA of at least 3.5. | Ask ICP or GDRFA Dubai | A long-term visa that has no sponsor. |
Papers for the Residence Visa
Your university gives you the exact list. These are the common papers.
First Residence Visa
Passport
Valid for at least 6 months. Use the same passport you entered the UAE with.
Photo
Passport-style photo with a white background, as a digital file.
Medical fitness result
From the government medical centre.
Health insurance
Needed for the student residence visa.
Yearly Renewal
Passport copy
Valid for at least 6 months.
New photo
Passport-style photo as a digital file.
New medical test
AUS asks you to redo the medical exam to renew.
Changing From Another Visa
Already in the UAE on another visa
- Passport and your visa.
- The paper that cancels your old visa, if you were on a parent's or other visa.
- Old Emirates ID copy, if you had one.
How Long It Takes
Times differ by university. Your university tells you its own times.
Typical Times
Entry permit
The permit comes by email. Wait for it before you book your flight.
Key Activities:
- Your university applies to UAE immigration.
- At AUS, it can take 1 to 8 weeks.
Medical test and fingerprints
Your university books or tells you the appointments.
Key Activities:
- Medical fitness test at a government centre.
- Fingerprints for the Emirates ID.
Residence visa and Emirates ID
You collect your Emirates ID from your university or by delivery.
Key Activities:
- The visa is issued digitally.
- The Emirates ID card is delivered.
What Changes the Time
Normal or express service
Express costs more and is faster.
Where you apply from
If you are already in the UAE on another visa, such as a parent's, you must switch to a student visa. This costs more.
Late papers
Late or wrong papers can bring fines that you must pay.
How Long Each Step Takes
Fastest Cases
Typical Cases
Complex Cases
Staying Legal in the UAE
Simple habits keep your visa safe while you study.
Good Habits
Keep papers valid
Your visa, Emirates ID and insurance must stay valid.
You can renew your Emirates ID (not your visa) up to six months before it ends.
Keep a UAE phone number
Buy a UAE SIM card after you land (AUS students: at the airport).
At AUS, a UAE mobile number is needed for the Emirates ID.
Report a lost card
Then ask for a replacement.
Report a lost Emirates ID to ICP within 7 days.
Useful Apps
Government
- UAE PASS for your residence and Emirates ID details
- ICP app for Emirates ID services
Common Mistakes
Plan Ahead
Most problems come from late renewals and leaving without cancelling.
UAE Residence Visa Questions
Short answers to what students ask most about the residence visa and Emirates ID.
Frequently Asked Questions
Helpful Links
GDRFA Dubai (Dubai's residency office): student residence visa
Fees and the 60-day grace period rule.
Learn MoreNeed More Help?
Your university's visa team is your first contact. They handle your visa with the UAE authorities.
Emergency Numbers
In an emergency, call these numbers from any phone in the UAE.
- Police: 999
- Ambulance: 998
- Civil Defence (the fire service): 997
- Tawasul: 171 (the UAE government's contact line)
- Your university's visa or international student office
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