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Visiting UAE with children in summers? How to claim tourist visa fee waiver
The exemption is available for children under 18 travelling with one or both parents, but insurance and travel agency service charges may still apply
- PUBLISHED: Thu 30 Jul 2026, 6:00 AM UPDATED: Thu 30 Jul 2026, 8:46 AM
Families planning to visit the UAE with their children this summer can save a few hundred dirhams through an annual tourist visa fee waiver.
The exemption is available from July 15 to September 15 each year and applies to children under the age of 18 who are visiting the UAE with one or both parents. It covers both 30-day and 60-day tourist visas.
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Travel agents clarified that the child’s visa may not be completely free. While the visa application fee is waived, families may still have to pay for travel insurance and the service charges collected by the agency processing the application.
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Who can claim the waiver?
Firose Khan from Arabian Business Centre said that the child must be travelling to the UAE with at least one parent to qualify for the exemption.
“Both or one parent and the child must be coming to the UAE as visitors. The child’s visa application must also be submitted together with the tourist visa application of the accompanying parent,” said Firose Khan.
This means that the waiver is not meant for a UAE resident applying for a visit visa for their child. It is for foreign tourists travelling to the country as a family.
Firose Khan said, “Travelling with one parent is enough to qualify. However, an undertaking letter may be required when the child is travelling without the mother or father.”
The necessary documents must be submitted to the travel agency handling the applications. Families should inform the agency that they are applying under the summer visa fee waiver before making the payment.
What do families still have to pay?
Subair Thekepurathvalappil, senior manager at Wisefox Tourism, said that the normal application cost for a child’s one-month tourist visa can range from around Dh250 to Dh350.
“This application cost is waived during the summer period for an eligible child. The service charges and insurance depends on the agencies and they may collect fees for processing the application,” said Subair.
These additional charges can come to around Dh120 per child, depending on the agency and the insurance provided.
Therefore, parents should not assume that they will pay nothing for the child’s application. “Parents should ask the travel agency for a full breakdown which will show the visa fee, insurance cost and agency service charge,” said Subair.
A family travelling with two children could save between Dh500 and Dh700 on visa application fees. However, they may still pay up to Dh240 in insurance and service charges for the two children.
Does it cover all tourist visas?
The waiver applies to both 30-day and 60-day tourist visas, according to the Amer Centre and travel agency representatives.
The applications must be submitted during the waiver period, which runs from July 15 until September 15. The parent’s and child’s applications must be filed together for the child to qualify.
The official rule covers children below the age of 18. Families travelling with someone who has already turned 18 should check the applicable visa cost with the travel agency before applying.
Can the visas be extended?
Subair said that 30-day and 60-day tourist visas can currently be extended twice. “The parent’s visa can also be extended by paying the applicable fees,” said Subair.
Extension prices currently start from around Dh1,000, depending on the visa, agency and applicant.
"Visitors should check the exact amount before applying because the summer exemption applies to the initial child visa application and should not be assumed to cover later extensions,” said Subair.
Travel agents advised visitors to apply for the parent and child together and avoid submitting the child’s application separately.
SM Ayaz Zakir is a Senior Correspondent with a flair for extraordinary stories. His playground? Every corner of the UAE. He often ventures into remote corners of the country to capture compelling news and human interest stories.