Last reviewed 4 Oct 2026Reviewed by Jerry Williams2 min read
Two ideas are often mixed up. A visa quota is how many visas a package allows. An issued visa is a visa that has actually been processed for a named person. The first is a ceiling; the second has its own steps and costs.
What the quota tells you
The quota says how many people the company may sponsor under that package. It does not say what each visa costs. Two packages with the same quota can have different per-person costs, so compare the cost lines.
What happens for each person
The steps depend on the person and on the emirate. The UAE Government portal describes the parts without giving one fixed order:
- Entry. Whether a person needs a visa or entry permit to enter depends on nationality: GCC citizens do not, some nationalities can get a visa on arrival, and others must apply in advance. Passports must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry.
- Medical test. A residence visa requires applicants aged 18 and over to pass a medical fitness test.
- Security check and Emirates ID. Applicants must also pass a security check and apply for an Emirates ID card from the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP).
Which steps can run at the same time, and in what order, is set by the authority of the emirate where the person will live. Ask it, or your provider, for the order that applies.
What each step costs
Visa charges are stated on each service card on the websites of ICP and of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA-D). The cost lines on a quote say how often each is charged: some once per visa, some every year.
Planning for more than one year
A visa has a validity period. According to the portal, a sponsored residence visa can be for 1, 2 or 3 years and an unsponsored one for up to 5 or 10 years, and a dependent's visa does not run past the sponsor's. Renewal timing varies, and the calculator shows renewal costs as an annual equivalent only where the provider quotes them that way. A resident who lives outside the UAE for more than 180 days continuously has the visa cancelled automatically, with exceptions the portal lists.
Questions worth asking a provider
- How many visas does the package allow, and can the allowance be increased later?
- Which per-person costs are included, and which are not?
- What does each renewal involve?
This guide explains the terms. It does not give immigration advice or promise that any visa will be approved.