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Residence permit for study (institution- or parent-sponsored): how long it takes, what it costs, and whether it leads to permanent residence
Study permit
u.ae: a student may stay under a parent who is a UAE resident, or under the sponsorship of the accredited university or college. GDRFA Dubai: a foreign student enrolled in an accredited university, college, educational institution or research institute is given a residence permit “without the requirement that they work”; the institution is host and guarantor, and Ministry of Education or the emirate education authority must approve. ICP’s federal issuance page: residence duration is determined by the study program, and the student may remain 180 days after the study period ends. GDRFA Dubai states a 60-day grace after expiry or cancellation — a different event from ICP’s 180 days after study. Outstanding-student Golden Residence is a different category and is not this permit. This is a sponsored temporary study status, not a settlement route.
Source: Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae) · verified 2026-08-15
We tell you when we re-read a route you follow, in the note from that check, with the official link.
Does Residence permit for study (institution- or parent-sponsored) lead to permanent residence?
- Residency
Temporary — not a permanent-residence route on its own
Source: Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae) · verified 2026-08-15
Do you need a job offer for Residence permit for study (institution- or parent-sponsored)?
- Job offer
Not required
Source: Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae) · verified 2026-08-15
How much does Residence permit for study (institution- or parent-sponsored) cost to apply for?
- Application fee
AED 200
GDRFA Dubai student residence-permit stage: “Residence permit fee: AED200.” Extras on the same page are not included: Knowledge Dirham AED 10, Innovation Dirham AED 10, fee inside the country AED 500, delivery AED 20; issuance fee increases by AED 100 annually when residency is over two years. ICP federal issuance lists Application 100 AED + issuance 100 AED per year + Smart Service 100 AED for the accredited-institution student category — a different table, not stored as this fee.
Source: General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai · verified 2026-08-15
How long does Residence permit for study (institution- or parent-sponsored) take to process?
- Processing time
No duration published; the authority points to a guidance tool
Open the authority's page for this fact
Source: General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai · verified 2026-08-15
What Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae) does not publish
We checked for each of these and the page carried no figure. The absence is recorded with the reason, so this page states nothing the authority does not.
Processing time
GDRFA Dubai student page (opened): “Expected Completion Time 48.0 Hour(s).” ICP federal issuance (opened): Service Completion Duration 2 Days. Old 1–3 / 1–2 months deleted.
Source: General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai · verified 2026-08-15
Minimum education
CONTRADICTION: old minEducation high_school does not match the opened pages. u.ae requires sponsorship by a resident parent or an accredited university/college. GDRFA Dubai requires enrolment in an accredited institution and Ministry of Education or emirate education-authority approval. No prior high-school minimum is published. Previous stored value has been removed from the program field.
Not yet verified against an official source
What changed when we last checked this record
Route is open on u.ae and GDRFA Dubai. Old file cited the u.ae homepage, stored age 17, high_school, USD 500 and 1–2 month processing, and framed study as a generic residence — those have been removed or replaced. Parent-sponsored study is an alternative on u.ae and is not given a second stored program.
Source: Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae) · verified 2026-08-15
Other verified United Arab Emirates routes
This route on comparison pages
Official sources
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