Family Visa in Dubai

How to apply for visas for family members in Dubai

Dubai consistently ranks among the top most comfortable locations for families in the world. If you move here for work, business or simply for a comfortable life and become a UAE resident, you can bring your close relatives to the country. This is an excellent opportunity to settle your entire family in one of the world's most developed metropolises with top-notch social, business and resort infrastructure.

Who among relatives qualifies for the UAE residency visa

A UAE resident can sponsor:

• Spouse
• Dependent children
• Parents

To do this, one must legally prove kinship — show marriage and/or birth certificates translated into Arabic that must undergo consular legalisation or other documents.

If the sponsor holds a 10-year Golden Visa, they can sponsor children without age restrictions, provided they are not married. Holders of 2-year visas can sponsor unmarried daughters of any age, but there may be restrictions for unmarried sons. With a 2-year visa, a son can be sponsored only up to 18 years old, or up to 21 years old if he is studying at an educational institution in the UAE and there is evidence for this.

To apply for a residency visa for parents, it is necessary to prove kinship and show that you take care of them.

Note: You can only sponsor both parents, not just one of them. If one of the parents has died or they are divorced, the relevant documents must be provided.

Conditions for obtaining a visa for family members

A UAE resident can sponsor their family — regardless of the basis on which they obtained this status. You can have a work visa, investor visa, freelancer visa, Golden Visa, etc. Also, since 2021, foreign students studying at universities in the UAE can invite their families to the Emirates. However, this permission is only valid provided that relatives can afford to buy or rent housing.

Note: The 10-year Golden Visa allows sponsoring not only the family but also domestic staff.

To enable family members to obtain resident visas, a number of conditions must be met:

1. Sufficient sponsor's income. The requirements for minimum income depend on the UAE resident's gender and other conditions. For example, if a male sponsor is in the UAE on a work visa and wants to bring his wife and/or children to the country, his salary must be at least AED 4K (USD 1.1K), as of Q3 2024. If the employer provides housing, then the salary limit is reduced to AED 3K (USD 817K). If the sponsor is a woman, her monthly income must be at least AED 10K (USD 2.7K). However, requirements vary across different emirates. For example, in Abu Dhabi, there are restrictions based on professional affiliation — a woman can sponsor her family if she is an engineer, teacher or healthcare worker. To apply for a visa for parents in Dubai, the minimum income must be AED 20K (USD 5.4K).
2. Medical examination. All visa applicants older than 18 must undergo testing at one of the approved health institutions in the UAE. If certain diseases, such as HIV and AIDS, are detected, the visa will be denied. If tuberculosis is detected in a candidate, they will receive a conditional fitness certificate and a visa for one year but will then have to undergo treatment in the UAE.
3. Submission of documents and visa application. The entire document package must be submitted within 60 days after your relatives arrive in the UAE. If a child is born in the Emirates, the application and documents for the visa must be submitted within 120 days of their birth.

List of documents for Family Visa application

To apply for visas for family members, you need to submit a document package to the relevant government authority. In Dubai, it is the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), and in the UAE capital — the Abu Dhabi Residents Office (ADRO).

You need to prepare the following documents:

1. Application (in electronic or printed form)
2. Sponsor’s residence visa
3. Documents proving housing availability. This can be a lease agreement or a property ownership certificate
4. A copy of the employment contract (if you are in the UAE on a work visa) and a certificate from the employer stating monthly salary.
5. Documents proving kinship with the sponsor, such as marriage certificates, birth certificates, etc.
6. Copies of passports of visa applicants — spouse, children and parents.
7. Photographs of visa applicants.
8. Certificates of medical examination for family members over 18 years old.

Obtaining a Family Visa in the UAE from A to Z: step-by-step instruction

To apply for visas for family members, you need to:

1. Ensure you have the right to sponsor relatives. Conditions may vary depending on the type of visa, your gender, specific emirate, list of family members, etc.
2. Arrange for relatives to undergo medical examinations.
3. Prepare all documents and copies with legalised translation into Arabic.
4. Pay all fees — their amount may vary depending on the type of visa and other factors.

Applying for a family visa involves many nuances — they depend on the type of the sponsor’s visa, their gender, the number and age of dependents, etc. It’s also important to calculate the upcoming expenses in advance — for the payment of medical testing, fees for residency application, deposits for parents and foster children.