How much does residency visa cost in the GCC? 2026 fees
The GCC residency visa is the one permit that turns an entry stamp into legal life: work, banking, schooling, and travel across the Gulf.
Indicative fees, renewal cycles and the issuing authority for all six Gulf states, plus an honest view of whether this is worth filing yourself.
Residency Visa fees across the six GCC states
| Country | Known locally as | Issuing authority | Indicative fee | Renewal cycle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 United Arab Emirates | Residence Visa (Iqama) | ICP / GDRFA | AED 1,170 entry permit + AED 350 medical + AED 370 Emirates ID for 2 years | 2 years (private) or 3 years (federal); Golden Visa 5 or 10 years |
 Saudi Arabia | Iqama | Jawazat via Absher, Qiwa, Muqeem | SAR 650 annual renewal + SAR 9,600 work-permit levy + SAR 400/month per dependent | Annual (up to 2 years if paid upfront); SAR 500 fine after 3-day grace |
 Qatar | Residence Permit (RP) / QID | Ministry of Interior via Metrash | QAR 500 for 1 year or QAR 900 for 3 years | Annual or 3-year, file 90 days early; QAR 10/day after 14-day grace since June 2026 (previously 30) |
 Bahrain | LMRA Work Permit + Residence | Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) | BHD 195 for 1 year or BHD 390 for 2 years + BHD 300/month employer levy | 1 or 2 years, 30-day grace |
 Oman | Employment Residence Visa | Royal Oman Police (ROP) | OMR 301 for a 2-year employment visa | 2 years typical; apply 30 days before expiry |
 Kuwait | Iqama (Article 18 / 20 / 22) | PAM and MOI via Sahel | KD 10 per year (Article 18 private sector); KD 100 per year (Article 22 family) | 1 to 3 years; KD 2 per day fine if late |
Compare the fee and the renewal cycle together
A headline fee on its own is misleading. A lower fee renewed every year can cost more across three years than a higher fee renewed every three. Both columns matter.
What you are paying for
A GCC residency visa is the legal instrument that converts a sponsored entry permit into long-term residence and anchors every downstream interaction with the state. Without an active residence file you cannot open a salary account at Emirates NBD or Riyad Bank, register a SIM with du or stc, enrol a child at a KHDA-rated school in Dubai, sign an Ejari or Ejar tenancy contract, or apply for a national driving licence. Each of the six member states issues its own permit under its own legal code, with its own sponsorship rules, fee schedule, medical-fitness protocol, and renewal calendar. The label varies, but the underlying pattern is consistent: an employer or family sponsor files the entry permit, the applicant completes biometrics and medical testing, and a residence record is created in the national population register.
In the United Arab Emirates the document is the Residence Visa, issued by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) and, for Dubai-based files, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA). Saudi Arabia issues the Iqama through Jawazat, with the digital workflow split between Qiwa, Muqeem, and Absher. Qatar issues the Residence Permit (RP) through the Ministry of Interior, paired with the QID and managed via the Metrash app. Bahrain ties most expatriate residence to an LMRA work permit administered by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority. Oman issues the Employment Residence Visa through the Royal Oman Police, accessed via the ROP eServices portal and Sanad offices. Kuwait issues the Iqama under Article 18 (private sector), Article 22 (family), or Article 20 (domestic) via PAM and MOI on the Sahel app.
The process anatomy is sponsor-led in every jurisdiction. The sponsor, whether an employer, a relative, or a licensed establishment, files the entry permit and pays the statutory levies. The applicant enters on that permit, completes the medical-fitness test at a DHA, MOPH, NHRA, MOH, or Qatari MOPH centre (HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis, and a chest X-ray for tuberculosis are standard), and submits biometrics at the identity authority. The residence is then stamped or attached to the digital file, the national ID card is printed, and the file is closed within 5 to 20 working days depending on the country and service tier. Express channels exist in the UAE (Fawri), Saudi Arabia (premium Iqama issuance), and Qatar (urgent Metrash routing).
Should you file it yourself, use a typing centre, or use a desk?
We run a paperwork desk, so treat this as coming from an interested party. It still contains the case for not paying us, because for a clean, simple filing that is the right answer.
Do it yourself
- Cost
- Government fee only
- Time
- Your own hours, plus any counter visit
- Best for
- Straightforward cases where every document is valid and the transaction is available in an app or portal.
- Watch out for
- A rejected submission costs you the resubmission and the wait, and the reason is often not explained.
Typing centre
- Cost
- Government fee plus a service fee per transaction
- Time
- One visit, usually same day if documents are complete
- Best for
- Transactions that still need a correctly formatted submission or original document sighting.
- Watch out for
- Service fees vary widely between centres and are rarely quoted separately from the government fee.
A desk like ours
- Cost
- Fixed fee quoted before we start, plus government fees at cost
- Time
- You send documents once and we handle the sequence
- Best for
- Cases already rejected once, sequences spanning several authorities, or deadlines where the fine exceeds the fee.
- Watch out for
- Not worth paying for a clean, simple filing you could complete in an app in ten minutes.
Decided you want it handled?
We file residency visa in all six GCC states
Fixed fee quoted before we start, government fees shown separately at cost. Tell us the country and where you are stuck.
Work out your own number
Indicative fees only take you so far. These calculators run your actual dates, salary and case against the published rates.
What the process looks like
- 1Sponsor files the entry permitEmployer or family sponsor opens the file on ICP, Qiwa, MOI, LMRA, ROP, or Sahel. They upload the trade licence, attested labour contract, and a passport copy valid for at least six months.
- 2Enter on the permit and complete the medicalApplicant enters on the e-permit within the validity window (60 days UAE, 90 days Saudi Arabia) and books a medical at a DHA, MOPH, NHRA, MOH, or ROP-approved centre. Blood work and chest X-ray are standard.
- 3Submit biometrics at the identity authorityVisit an ICP, Jawazat, MOI, iGA, ROP, or PACI centre for fingerprints and a digital photograph. The UAE allows Fawri express capture; Saudi Arabia requires a Tawakkalna appointment.
- 4Pay statutory feesSettle the entry-permit fee, residence stamp, ID-card fee, and any country-specific levy. Saudi Arabia takes payment via SADAD; UAE through ICP wallet; Qatar through Metrash; Bahrain through eKey on bahrain.bh.
- 5Receive the residence stampThe residence is electronically attached or stamped in the passport. The UAE phased out passport stamps for federal residences in 2022; Saudi Iqamas remain physical cards plus digital.
- 6Collect the national ID cardEmirates ID, Iqama card, QID, CPR, Resident Card, or Civil ID is printed and delivered by courier or collected at a service centre within 5 to 10 working days of file closure.
Before you pay anything
Residency Visa document checklist, by country
Most extra cost comes from a rejected submission. Tick off what you need first.
Traps that differ between countries
- Residence visas do not transfer between GCC states; relocating from Riyadh to Dubai requires cancelling the Iqama and applying for a fresh Emirates ID file from scratch.
- Saudi Arabia and Kuwait require the sponsor to initiate every renewal in person via Qiwa or Sahel; the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman allow the resident to self-serve more steps.
- Health insurance must be active and verifiable on the national database before any renewal will go through in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar (Hamad seha card), and Oman.
- Spending more than six consecutive months outside the country cancels a residence automatically in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait unless you hold a Golden Visa or Premium Residency.
- Saudi Iqama renewal blocks if the employer has unpaid GOSI contributions or has failed Saudisation (Nitaqat) banding, even if the worker has done everything personally.
- UAE Golden Visa holders keep residence during long absences but still need a valid Emirates ID and active health insurance to use government services.
Who has to pay this
- Expat workers entering on a private-sector employment contract under ICP, Qiwa, MOI, LMRA, ROP, or PAM sponsorship
- Family dependents (spouse, children under 18, parents over 60) sponsored by a working resident on a salary above the country threshold
- Investors and free-zone shareholders holding a trade licence and seeking a self-sponsored residence such as UAE Investor Visa or Saudi Premium Residency
- GCC nationals who relocate for work and need a national-ID transfer rather than a residence visa, but still file with the local identity authority
- Domestic workers entering under Article 20 in Kuwait, the Musaned platform in Saudi Arabia, or the Tadbeer route in the UAE
- Retirees applying under the UAE Retirement Visa, Qatar long-stay, or Oman Investor Residency for over-55 applicants with proof of income
What pushes the cost above the headline fee
- Entering on a tourist visa with intent to convert to residence: only the UAE and Bahrain permit in-country status change without an exit run.
- Letting health insurance lapse one day before renewal: Saudi CCHI and UAE DHA portals block the Iqama or Emirates ID issuance until coverage is restored.
- Failing to update the registered phone number on Absher, ICP, or Metrash: OTP-driven steps including SADAD payment stall and renewal misses the window.
- Travelling for more than six consecutive months without a Golden Visa or Premium Residency: the residence cancels automatically and re-entry requires a new entry permit.
- Ignoring a sponsor's unpaid GOSI or LMRA dues: the worker's renewal is frozen until the employer clears the file, even if the worker has done nothing wrong.
- Missing the 120-day window to register a newborn in the UAE or 60 days in Saudi Arabia: AED 100 per day in the UAE and SAR 100 per day in Saudi Arabia accrue.
Residency Visa by country
United Arab EmiratesResidence Visa (Iqama)Saudi ArabiaIqamaQatarResidence Permit (RP) / QIDBahrainLMRA Work Permit + ResidenceOmanEmployment Residence VisaKuwaitIqama (Article 18 / 20 / 22)Costs you will hit at the same time
Guides that go deeper
Frequently asked questions
It varies substantially by country because each state sets its own schedule. United Arab Emirates: AED 1,170 entry permit + AED 350 medical + AED 370 Emirates ID for 2 years. Saudi Arabia: SAR 650 annual renewal + SAR 9,600 work-permit levy + SAR 400/month per dependent. Qatar: QAR 500 for 1 year or QAR 900 for 3 years. The table on this page lists all six. Treat every figure as indicative and confirm with the issuing authority before paying, since fees change.
Not always, and we would rather say so. If your documents are valid and the transaction is available in an app, file it yourself. Paying a service fee makes sense when a submission has already been rejected without explanation, when several authorities are involved in sequence, or when a deadline fine would exceed the fee.
Comparing headline fees alone is misleading, because renewal cycles differ between states. A lower fee renewed annually can cost more over three years than a higher fee renewed every three. Compare the fee and the renewal cycle together, both of which are in the table on this page.
Because the government fee is only one line. Typing or service centre fees, urgent processing surcharges, delivery, medical tests, insurance and translation are charged separately, and providers bundle them differently. Ask for the government fee and the service fee split out before agreeing to anything.
They are indicative planning figures drawn from the issuing authorities and consistent public sources, and they are dated. Government fees change without much notice and free zone schedules are set independently. Always confirm the current amount with the issuing authority before you pay.
Cancelled and expired UAE residences carry a 30-day grace period before AED 50 per day applies under the unified fines schedule that took effect on 11 February 2026. Within that 30-day window you can renew through ICP Smart Services or GDRFA without penalty, provided the sponsor is still on file. Outside it, the daily fine accrues against the file and must be cleared before any new visa, exit permit, or driving-licence renewal will process. Highly skilled cancelled residents may qualify for an extended grace of up to 180 days based on occupational level.
A standard two-year private-sector residence costs around AED 1,170 for the entry permit, AED 350 for the medical, AED 370 for the Emirates ID, plus health-insurance premium and a typing-centre fee. Total out-of-pocket typically runs AED 3,000 to AED 5,000 inclusive of basic insurance. A Golden Visa file ranges AED 2,800 to AED 15,000 in government fees, depending on category, before legal or processing service charges. Family dependents add a similar amount each. The salary floor for the Golden Visa skilled-professional track dropped to AED 30,000 per month in 2026.
For a company-sponsored worker the Iqama itself is SAR 650 per year. The employer must additionally pay the SAR 9,600 annual work-permit levy (Maktab al-Amal) and GOSI contributions. Family dependents attract SAR 400 per month per dependent, payable upfront for the renewal year. Domestic workers are SAR 600 per year. Saudi Premium Residency under the category route was cut to SAR 4,000 in 2026, valid up to five years, covering special talent, investor, entrepreneur, and real-estate applicants.
The UAE allows in-country status adjustment for most employer-sponsored cases through ICP at a AED 750 conversion fee. Bahrain also permits limited in-country change via LMRA. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait do not: the applicant must exit on the tourist or visit visa, the sponsor files the entry permit, and the applicant re-enters on the work permit. Attempting to overstay a Saudi visit visa hoping for adjustment triggers a SAR 15,000 fine and a one-year ban, so the exit run is non-negotiable.
Want residency visa handled without the counter?
We quote a fixed fee before we start, with government fees shown separately at cost. If your case is simple enough to do yourself, we will tell you that instead.