You live in the UAE and you dream of a trip to Canada. With a Canada Visit Visa from UAE, you can fly to Canada. You can go for a holiday, a family visit, or a short business trip. This guide shows you the fees, the papers, and the steps, in plain words.
Bolo Asan checked every fact in this guide on the official Canada pages. IRCC is the office that decides each file. IRCC is short for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Bolo Asan updates this guide when IRCC changes a rule or a fee.
Quick Answer: With a Canada Visit Visa from UAE, you apply online and you pay CAD 185 in all. You give fingerprints and a photo at a centre in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Most visits last up to 6 months. IRCC decides each file on its own facts.
Who Needs a Visa
Your passport decides if you need a visa. A UAE passport needs no visitor visa. You need an eTA instead, and it costs CAD 7. An eTA is an online travel check for people who fly to Canada. It stays valid for up to 5 years, or until your passport expires. IRCC links the eTA to your passport, so you print nothing.
Most other passports in the UAE need a visitor visa. Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Egyptian, and Bangladeshi passports all need one. Your UAE residence visa does not change this rule. It only shows where you live and where you apply from.
Important: Your UAE residence visa never turns into a Canada visa. Only your passport decides what you need. Check the IRCC tool for your passport before you book a flight.
Canada also has a super visa for parents and grandparents. With a super visa, your parents can visit their children or grandchildren in Canada for up to 5 years. A super visa costs CAD 100 plus CAD 85 for biometrics, the same as a visitor visa.
How Much Does It Cost
IRCC lists the fee in Canadian dollars. You pay CAD 100 for the visa, and CAD 85 for your fingerprints and a photo. One adult pays CAD 185 in all.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Visitor visa, one person | CAD 100 |
| Visitor visa, family of 5 or more | CAD 500 |
| Biometrics, one person | CAD 85 |
| Biometrics, family of 2 or more | CAD 170 |
Good to Know: A family of 5 or more pays CAD 500 at most for the visa fees. A family of 2 or more pays CAD 170 at most for biometrics. The caps help big families pay less.
You pay at the end of your online form, with a credit or debit card. IRCC asks first-time applicants to pay the biometrics fee when they send the form. If you pay it late, your file can slow down.
Warning: Check the fee on the IRCC page before you pay. IRCC can change the fee, and old guides may show an old number.
Papers You Need
A Canada Visit Visa from UAE needs two kinds of papers. The first kind proves who you are. The second kind proves you can pay for the trip and you will come back home. The portal gives you your own list after you answer its questions. Bolo Asan lists the main papers below.
Checklist: You need your passport, a photo, the form, and your bank papers. Add your job letter and your UAE residence proof. Tick each item before you send the form.
Your Passport and Photo
- Your passport must stay valid for at least 6 months from the day you plan to travel. Renew it first when it ends sooner.
- Send a clear colour copy of the page with your photo, birth date, and country. Add copies of pages with stamps and old visas.
- A child who travels with one parent needs a letter from the other parent. The letter says the child can travel to Canada.
Money Papers
- Your bank papers must show at least 6 months of activity, with your name and address on them. IRCC reads them to see if you can pay for the trip.
- Add the bank name and contact on the papers. Then IRCC can ask the bank a question when it needs to.
- A letter from your boss helps a lot. It must use the company letterhead, and it must show your job, your pay, and your start date. It must carry a date from the last 3 months, with your boss’s name, phone, and email.
Travel Papers
- Your travel history helps your file. Send copies of old visas and entry stamps from the last 10 years. They show you travelled before and came back home.
- Send your trip plan with flight details and hotel proof. A letter from a person or a firm in Canada helps too. The letter must come from the person or firm, and it must state why they invite you.
- You live in the UAE, but your passport comes from another country. Then you must prove your legal stay in the UAE, and your UAE residence visa copy proves it.
Bolo Asan has a full Schengen guide for UAE residents, with the shared rules for all 29 countries.
How to Apply Step by Step
Here are the six steps for a Canada Visit Visa from UAE. Do them in this order, and check each step before you move on.
- Check what you need on the IRCC site. Answer a few questions on the IRCC site, and you will see if you need a visa or an eTA.
- Gather every paper from the lists above. Scan each paper with your phone or a scanner, and keep the copies clear.
- Make an account on the IRCC Portal. You can also use the new IRCC Portal. Use it when you are 18 or older and you apply alone. You must never have applied before, and you ask no one else to apply for you.
- Fill the form and upload your papers. The portal gives you your own list, so follow it with care.
- Pay CAD 100 plus CAD 85 at the end, with a credit or debit card. Pay the biometrics fee with the form when you apply for the first time.
- Wait for the letter from IRCC, and read it with care. The letter asks you to give your fingerprints and a photo at a centre in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Then IRCC reads your file and decides.
Pro Tip: Send the form early, and keep a copy of every paper you send. A full file with clear papers moves faster than a file with gaps.
Fingerprints and Photo
IRCC calls fingerprints and a photo “biometrics”. Most people aged 14 to 79 give biometrics. Children under 14 and people over 79 give none.
Note: You give biometrics only once in 10 years. IRCC keeps them for 10 years, and you can use the same ones for a new file in that time.
Wait for the Biometric Instruction Letter, and read it with care. The letter gives you 30 days to give your biometrics. Book your slot fast, because the 30 days start on the date in the letter.
The appointment costs nothing. Book it on the VFS Global site, and go to the centre in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Both centres take fingerprints and a photo. The Abu Dhabi visa office serves the UAE, and it reads the files from here.
Example: You send the form on a Monday, and IRCC sends the letter in a few days. You book a slot in Dubai for the next week, and you give your fingerprints and a photo there. Then the wait for a decision starts.
How Long Does It Take
IRCC does not give one fixed time for all files. The time changes with your passport country, and IRCC updates it each week. The shown time does not count the days for biometrics.
Check the IRCC processing time tool before you plan. Pick “Visitor visa (from outside Canada)” and pick “United Arab Emirates” as your home. The tool shows the current time for your case.
Key Point: The tool time is a guide, not a promise. Your file can take longer than the shown time, so apply well before you travel.
Apply well before you travel. A late file can spoil your trip.
A Faster Way for Some People
CAN+ is a faster lane for some files. IRCC runs it with no separate form, and it costs nothing extra.
You may qualify for CAN+ when you held a Canada visa in the last 10 years. You may also qualify when you hold a valid US visa that has not expired. IRCC checks this on its own, and you need no separate form.
Send a copy of your valid US visa with the file when you have one. IRCC gives no fixed days for CAN+ files, so check the tool for the current time.
Tip: A US visa in your passport can help more than one trip. It can speed up a Canada file, and it can also open US travel for you.
How Long Can You Stay
Most visitors can stay in Canada for up to 6 months on each visit. The border officer sets your last date when you land. The officer can set a shorter date when your papers need it.
When your passport gets no stamp at the airport, you can stay for up to 6 months. Count the 6 months from the day you land. Your stay must end before your passport expires.
IRCC decides if your visa covers one trip or many trips. A visa for many trips can stay valid for up to 10 years. It never lasts past your passport or your biometrics. Since late 2024, IRCC does not give a 10-year visa to all.
Summary: With a Canada Visit Visa from UAE, you can stay for up to 6 months at a time. A parent or grandparent can stay for up to 5 years with a super visa.
Common Mistakes
Bolo Asan lists the common mistakes below. Each one can slow your file or end in a refusal.
Common Mistakes: Do not send a passport with less than 6 months left. Do not send bank papers with gaps. Do not miss the 30-day limit for biometrics. Do not forget your UAE residence proof.
A weak file costs you time and money. Check each paper twice before you send the form, and keep a copy of everything you send.
If IRCC Says No
IRCC sends a letter when it says no. The letter states the reason. Read it with care, and fix the weak point before you try again.
You can send a fresh file with full papers. A fresh file needs a fresh fee.
Bolo Asan has a full guide to the Spain visit visa, with the full adult checklist.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Canada Visit Visa from UAE?
With a Canada Visit Visa from UAE, you can visit Canada. You can go for a holiday, a family visit, or a short business trip. IRCC sticks the visa in your passport, and it shows you meet the rules to travel.
How much does a Canada Visit Visa from UAE cost?
One adult pays CAD 185 in all, with CAD 100 for the visa and CAD 85 for biometrics. A family of 5 or more pays CAD 500 at most for the visa fees. A family of 2 or more pays CAD 170 at most for biometrics.
Do I need to go to a centre in person?
You go in person only for fingerprints and a photo, at a centre in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. You send the form online, and you pay online too. IRCC sends the letter for biometrics after you send the form.
How long does a Canada Visit Visa from UAE take?
IRCC gives no one fixed time, and it updates the time each week. Check the IRCC tool for the current time, and apply well before you travel. The shown time does not count the days for biometrics.
Can I stay in Canada for more than 6 months?
Most visitors can stay for up to 6 months on each visit. The border officer sets your last date when you land. You can ask to stay longer from inside Canada, with a visitor record.
What is CAN+?
CAN+ is a faster lane for visitor visa files. You may qualify when you held a Canada visa in the last 10 years. You may also qualify when you hold a valid US visa. IRCC checks this on its own, and you need no separate form.
Official Sources
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Visitor visa (temporary resident visa)
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, How to apply for a visitor visa
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Check current IRCC processing times
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Where to give your fingerprints and photo
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, How do I know that my application can be processed under CAN+?
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Electronic travel authorization (eTA): About the process
Disclaimer: Bolo Asan is an independent guide. It is not IRCC and not the Government of Canada. Visa rules and fees can change, so check the official IRCC page before you apply. This guide gives general facts only, and it is not legal advice. IRCC makes the final call on each visa.
Last Updated: 7 November 2026