DUBAI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced a temporary waiver of the official tourist visa fee for children under the age of 18 travelling with their parents during the summer holiday season.
According to international media reports, the fee exemption will remain in effect from July 15 to September 15 and is available only to children accompanying their parents on a tourist visit to the UAE.
To qualify for the concession, parents and children must submit their tourist visa applications together. The exemption does not apply to children of individuals already residing in the UAE.
While the government has waived the official visa fee, travellers will still be required to pay other charges, including travel insurance, visa processing and travel agency service fees, which average around AED 120 per child.
Under normal circumstances, a child’s tourist visa typically costs between AED 250 and AED 350, meaning families travelling with two children could save AED 500 to AED 700 under the temporary initiative.
The fee waiver applies to both 30-day and 60-day tourist visas. However, any subsequent visa extension will be subject to the standard government charges, as the exemption covers only the initial visa application.
Travel experts have advised parents to submit their children’s visa applications alongside their own and to inform their travel agency before making payment to ensure they receive the benefit of the temporary fee waiver.
Read also: UAE announces Police Certificate mandatory for Pakistani workers
