Canada Super Visa From the UAE: Income, Insurance and Fees for Parents and Grandparents

Last verified against IRCC pages: 5 November 2026 · By the MyMidlist Editorial Team

If you live in the UAE and your son, daughter or grandchild lives in Canada, the Canada Super Visa lets you visit for up to 5 years at a time. Getting one from Dubai or Abu Dhabi comes down to three things: your host’s income, your health insurance, and the fees.

Quick answer: A Canada Super Visa from the UAE costs CAD 100 (about AED 262) plus CAD 85 (about AED 223) for biometrics. Your Canadian child or grandchild must earn at least the IRCC minimum for their family size, from CAD 38,002 for a family of two. You also need private health insurance from a Canadian or OSFI-authorized insurer, with at least CAD 100,000 of emergency cover, valid for 1 year from entry.

Since 31 March 2026, the income rules are more flexible. Your host can use either of the last two tax years, or reach 75% of the minimum and let your own income cover the rest. For parents still working or drawing a pension in the UAE, that change matters.

This guide covers each requirement with dirham figures, a full cost budget, the step-by-step application from the UAE, and one risk most guides skip: protecting your UAE residence visa during a long stay in Canada.

Exchange rate used: 1 CAD = 2.619 AED (mid-market, 5 November 2026). AED figures are approximate.

Who Is Eligible for a Canada Super Visa?

The Super Visa is a multiple-entry visitor visa for parents and grandparents. Both you (the applicant) and your host in Canada must qualify.

Your host must:

• Be your biological or adopted child or grandchild
• Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or registered Indian
• Be at least 18 and live in Canada
• Meet the minimum income for their family size
• Write and sign a letter of invitation

You must:

• Be outside Canada when you apply (applying from the UAE is fine)
• Hold private health insurance valid for at least 1 year from entry
• Complete an immigration medical exam with an IRCC panel physician
• Show you are a genuine visitor with ties outside Canada

You cannot add dependants such as your own younger children to a Super Visa. Each parent or grandparent applies individually, though couples can apply together.

UAE residents: protect your residence visa first

This is the risk that catches UAE families out. A UAE residence visa is cancelled automatically if you stay outside the country for more than 6 consecutive months. The Super Visa allows stays of up to 5 years, but your UAE visa does not.

If you want to keep living in the UAE, plan trips to Canada of under 6 months, or return to the UAE before the 6-month mark. Some long-term visas, such as the Golden Visa, are treated differently, so confirm your own case with ICP or GDRFA before you travel.

That said, the Super Visa still matters even for shorter trips. It gives multiple entries over up to 10 years, with no need to reapply each time.

Canada Super Visa Income Requirement

Your host’s household income must meet IRCC’s minimum necessary income for their family size. These are IRCC’s current figures:

How to count the family size

Count everyone in this list:

• Your host, plus their spouse or partner
• Your host’s dependent children
• You, and any other parent or grandparent applying
• Anyone your host (or co-signer) sponsored whose undertaking is still in force

Many families get this wrong by leaving out the visiting parents themselves.

Two ways to meet the income test (from 31 March 2026)

Option 1: the host’s income alone. Total income of the host and co-signer meets the minimum in either of the two tax years before you apply. Proof is the CRA Notice of Assessment.

Option 2: host income plus your own income. The host and co-signer reach at least 75% of the minimum in the year before you apply. Your own income then covers the remaining gap.

Worked example for a UAE family

Your daughter lives in Toronto with her husband and one child. You and your spouse plan to visit from Dubai. That is a family of 5, so the minimum is CAD 64,336.

• Her household earned CAD 52,000 last year. That is above the 75% mark of CAD 48,252.
• The gap to cover is CAD 12,336, about AED 32,300 a year (around AED 2,700 a month).
• If you receive a UAE salary, pension or rental income of at least that amount, you can add it under Option 2.

You must prove this income with 12 months of pay slips, an employer letter, bank statements, pension statements or rental contracts. You also need to show the income will continue while you are in Canada, in the currency it is paid. A pension or rental income usually shows this more easily than a salary from a job you will be away from.

The co-signer can only be your host’s spouse or common-law partner. Their income counts in both options.

Super Visa Medical Insurance Requirements

Your policy must meet every one of IRCC’s conditions, or the application will be refused:

Can you buy Super Visa insurance in the UAE?

Only in a narrow case. Since 28 January 2025, IRCC accepts foreign insurers, but the company must be authorized by Canada’s Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) for accident and sickness insurance. The policy must also be issued under the company’s insurance business in Canada and say so.

In practice, most UAE health insurers do not meet this test. Your existing UAE health card will not count. Check any insurer against OSFI’s list of federally regulated institutions before you pay, and note that brokers and claims administrators do not count as insurers.

What to check before you buy

• Pre-existing conditions: a policy can satisfy IRCC and still exclude them. Ask about stability periods for conditions like diabetes or heart disease.
• Deductible: a higher deductible lowers the premium but means you pay more out of pocket for each claim.
• Refund if refused: IRCC does not require refunds. Get the insurer’s refund terms in writing in case the visa is refused or you leave early.
• Instalments: a missed monthly payment can cancel cover during your stay. Set up automatic payments.

Premiums rise steeply with age, especially after 70. Get live quotes from two or three Canadian insurers for your exact age and health before you budget.

Canada Super Visa Fees from the UAE: Full Budget

The government fees are small. Insurance is the real cost.

Example: a couple aged 65 and 68 applying together pays CAD 200 in visa fees and CAD 170 in biometrics, about AED 970 in government fees. Medical exams and a year of insurance for both come on top of that.

Also budget for certified translations of any Arabic document (such as a UAE birth or marriage certificate) into English or French.

How to Apply for a Canada Super Visa from the UAE (7 Steps)

1. Confirm the income test. Your host checks their family size against the table above and decides on Option 1 or Option 2. Get their CRA Notice of Assessment ready.
2. Get the letter of invitation. Your host writes and signs it, promising financial support and listing everyone in their household. A co-signing spouse signs it too.
3. Buy compliant insurance. Purchase (not just quote) a 1-year policy with CAD 100,000 cover from a Canadian or OSFI-authorized insurer.
4. Book your medical exam. Use IRCC’s “find a panel physician” tool to choose an approved clinic in the UAE. The clinic sends results to IRCC directly; they stay valid for 12 months.
5. Apply online. Sign in to the IRCC Portal from the UAE and choose the visitor visa or super visa option for visits of more than 6 months. Upload your passport, insurance, proof of relationship, host status and income documents, then pay CAD 100 plus CAD 85 biometrics.
6. Give biometrics. After your biometrics instruction letter arrives, book an appointment at the Canada Visa Application Centre run by VFS Global in the UAE. Bring the letter and your passport.
7. Submit your passport for the visa. If approved, you’ll be asked to send your passport so the visa can be printed by a visa office outside Canada.

Documents checklist: passport, letter of invitation, host income proof, proof of host’s Canadian status, proof of relationship (such as your child’s birth certificate), insurance policy, medical exam confirmation, and certified translations of anything not in English or French.

Processing Time and Common Refusal Reasons

IRCC publishes live processing times by country on its website, and they change weekly. Select “Super visa” and “United Arab Emirates” in IRCC’s processing-times tool for today’s figure. UAE-based visa agents report that most complete files take roughly 2 to 4 months, counted from biometrics. Requests for more documents or a medical review can add months.

Apply at least 4 to 5 months before your planned travel date.

Why Super Visa applications get refused

• Insurance quote instead of a policy. IRCC needs a paid policy, not a quote.
• Wrong insurer. A UAE insurer that is not OSFI-authorized is not accepted.
• Family size miscounted. Leaving the visiting parents out of the count makes the host look eligible when they are not.
• Weak proof of your own income. Under Option 2, missing proof that income continues while you are in Canada.
• Ties outside Canada. Officers assess whether you will leave at the end of your stay. Show your UAE residence, property, family or pension.
• Medical issues. Some conditions trigger extra review or refusal on medical grounds.
• Missing translations. Arabic documents without certified English or French translations.

Super Visa vs Regular Visitor Visa

Super Visa Vs Visitor Visa

If you only plan visits of a few months, a standard visitor visa may be simpler. Here is how they compare:

Rule of thumb for UAE residents: choose the Super Visa if you want the option of long stays, or a visitor visa if every trip will be under 6 months and you want to skip the insurance and income tests. Either way, the 6-month UAE residence rule still limits how long you can be away.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much income is needed for a Canada Super Visa?

The host’s household needs at least IRCC’s minimum for their family size, from CAD 38,002 for a family of two to CAD 80,784 for seven, plus CAD 8,224 for each extra person. The visiting parents count in the family size.

Can parents in the UAE use their own income for the Super Visa?

Yes, since 31 March 2026. If the host’s household earns at least 75% of the minimum, the parent’s or grandparent’s own income can cover the rest. You must prove the income and show it continues while you are in Canada.

Can I use UAE health insurance for a Super Visa?

Only if the insurer is authorized by OSFI in Canada and the policy was issued under its Canadian insurance business. Most UAE health insurance does not qualify, so most applicants buy from a Canadian insurer.

How much does a Canada Super Visa cost from Dubai?

The government fees are CAD 100 for the visa and CAD 85 for biometrics per person, about AED 485 in total. Insurance, the medical exam and VFS service charges are extra.

How long can parents stay in Canada on a Super Visa?

Up to 5 years per entry, on a multiple-entry visa valid for up to 10 years. UAE residents should remember their UAE residence visa is cancelled after more than 6 months outside the UAE.

Where do I give biometrics in the UAE?

At the Canada Visa Application Centre operated by VFS Global. Book an appointment after you receive your biometrics instruction letter. Applicants under 14 or over 79 are exempt.

Can grandparents apply together?

Yes. Each person needs their own application and insurance, but a couple applying together pays a maximum of CAD 170 for biometrics.

The Bottom Line

• Fees: CAD 100 plus CAD 85 biometrics per person (about AED 485).
• Income: your host meets IRCC’s minimum for a family that includes you, or reaches 75% and your own UAE income covers the rest.
• Insurance: CAD 100,000 emergency cover for at least 1 year, from a Canadian or OSFI-authorized insurer, paid not quoted.
• Stay: up to 5 years per entry, but your UAE residence visa lapses after more than 6 months away.
• Timing: apply 4 to 5 months before you fly, and check IRCC’s live processing time for the UAE.

Need help with the paperwork? Find verified visa consultants, translation services and medical centres in the UAE on MyMidlist and compare them by emirate and category.

This article is general information, not immigration or financial advice. Rules and fees can change; always confirm with IRCC before applying.

Visal Vadayar

Visal is an AI-driven growth and performance marketer from Kerala, India, dedicated to helping businesses succeed online through innovative ideas and strategies. As the founder of MyMidlist and Techyxpert, he writes on technology, AI, and digital marketing — turning forward-thinking concepts into real-world results.