Previous studies have reported the crucial role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the biology and tumorigenesis of various types of cancer, including bladder cancer. The present study aimed to investigate the importance of miRNA (miR)‑497 on the pathogenesis of bladder cancer. A total of 50 patients diagnosed with bladder cancer were enrolled in the current study. The expression levels of miR‑497 in the cancerous and the adjacent noncancerous tissues were detected using reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The association between miR‑497 expression and various parameters, including age, tumor‑node‑metastasis (TNM) stage and pathological classification was determined. An miR‑497‑overexpressing vector was transfected into the T24 and BIU‑87 bladder cancer cell lines in order to determine the effect of miR‑497 expression on cell migration and invasion using Transwell assays. Additionally, the cell migration and invasion‑associated protein expression levels were also analyzed using western blotting. The findings of the present study revealed that miR‑497 was expressed at low levels in the cancer bladder tissue compared with the adjacent noncancerous tissue, and its expression was associated with the pathological classification, TNM stage and metastasis. Additionally, miR‑497 overexpression significantly reduced the number of migrated and invasive T24 and BIU‑87 cells. The mRNA and protein expression levels of E‑cadherin were increased, whereas levels of vimentin and α‑smooth muscle actin were reduced following miR‑497 overexpression. The present study revealed that miR‑497 overexpression may be a suppressor of the metastasis of bladder cancer, and may have an important role in the diagnosis of bladder cancer.