Family visa in the UAE

[ Updated in February 2020 ]

What is a Family visa in Dubai and how to get it?

General information and rules regulating family visas in the UAE

Dubai is widely regarded as one of the best places in the world to live (during the period from 2018 to 2019, the city has moved up on the rating-list of quality of life by several positions), especially for families with children: high living standards, good social protection, great security, low crime rate, access to a good education and medicine – these are just some of the advantages that a foreigner receives moving to this country. Besides, the UAE is known for its friendly politics in terms of inviting foreign investors and talented specialists in various fields. They clearly understand that, as a rule, people of middle age have families, and in order to make a final decision and move to Dubai, foreigners must have legal opportunities to bring their relatives here. And there is such an opportunity – a family visa for a wife/husband and children. Here we consider the basic rules and regulations on obtaining sponsorship, holding, cancellation, and renewal of this type of visa in this country.

Before going into details on the requirements and applying a Dubai family visa for you and all your close relatives, we have to outline that this is a kind of residence visa, entirely different from a tourist one.

When you come as a tourist, your visa enables a single entry into the United Arab Emirates for a period of 30 days. This permit can be extended once for 30 days. When coming as a tourist, you can rent a car in Dubai and drive it with your international driving license. You also have the right to purchase and own residential and commercial properties in Dubai, as well as register companies and open non-resident bank accounts.

However, you shall be aware that there are certain limitations of such visa which are as follows:

The maximum validity period is 30 days (can be extended once).
This type of visa does not provide you the right to work here.
You can not purchase a car in the country.
You cannot sponsor your relatives.

Thus, if you and your relatives want to stay in the UAE for more than 30 days, to work here legally and have almost the same set of opportunities as locals, you have to apply for Dubai residency visa to yourself and after that get residency permits for your family: wife/husband and children.

How to get a family visa in Dubai? Documents and requirements on sponsorship

So, if a family comes to a long stay in the country, there are several options for obtaining a residence permit here. Like this: both spouses are employed and, accordingly, obtain residence visas. We will not describe this option here since obtaining a residence permit is a separate issue, and the local employer is responsible for this process. Here we consider a situation where only one of the adults acts as a sponsor, and the rest are dependent and must receive family visas in Dubai. First, let's look at who and under what conditions can apply for this permit.

Who can get a residency visa in UAE?

Family visa in the UAE by property purchase.
In order to obtain the right to apply for a permanent residency permit to you, and then the family permits for relatives, there are certain requirements to be fulfilled in this case. The price of the property must be at least AED 1 million; it has to be of the residential type, finished and ready to be occupied. In case you have a mortgage on the property, this mortgage must be less than 50% from the property price in order to qualify for a residence permit. This solution requires substantial investment in real estate. If you wish to get a visa over another way, which requires much fewer investments, the next solutions are more suitable.
Family visa in Dubai by registering a company.
This solution is, from our long-term experience, the most popular one among the people who decide to get permanent residency visas in Dubai. To proceed with such an option, one can register an onshore company with minimal expenses, and then the residency permit application process is done whereby you receive the status of a local investor.
Family visa by the sponsorship of a resident.
If a person is officially employed, has a work contract, and a residency permit, he/she can apply for family visas for relatives. There are no specific requirements for eligible specialties and professions, but a minimum salary rate is required. That is, the lowest salary (less than $1,000) does not allow getting such a permit. To apply for a UAE family visa, an applicant must have a salary of more than 4,000 dirhams (if an employer does not provide housing), or a salary of at least 3,000 dirhams (if an employer provides housing)*.

* This is the minimum salary rate, that allows applying for the sponsorship of relatives. Surely, if the number of your relatives is more than two, the salary of 4000 dirhams is very small for comfort living here.

If your relative is currently outside of Dubai, you must first apply for an entry permit to transfer them here.

Now let's take a look at the step by step process of applying for a family visa and the documents needed to obtain it.

The procedure of applying for a UAE resident visa (spouse and children), entry permit, medical examination

A spouse submits copies of all the necessary documents to the typing center, providing the residential services, and receives a printed application form.
Then, a spouse must provide a completed application form, a copy of the Dubai entry visa, and a medical certificate to the Dubai General Directorate for Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA) to approve the permit.
If a person is outside the UAE at the time of application, she or he must pass a medical test, get the stamp and receive an Emirates ID within 60 days from the date of entry specified in the entry permit.
If a person is in Dubai, then she or he does not need to leave Dubai. It is possible to complete all the necessary procedures to change a visa status without leaving the country.
In accordance with the legislation of the country, all dependents must now receive basic health insurance.

Applying for a visa – documents required

A filled-in application form;
Emirates ID of a sponsor;
*Original marriage certificate certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy in the country of origin;
*Originals of the birth certificates of children certified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy in the country of origin;
A certified employment contract with employees in private companies or a salary certificate for employees in state or semi-governmental organizations;
Certified tenancy agreement;
Original and copies of passports of all relatives;
Three passport-size photographs of each family member;
Bank statement for the last three months and the IBAN (International Bank Account Number) of a sponsor;
Medical certificate of spouse and children over 15 years old;
A copy of the trade license and company articles of incorporation.

*Important! A marriage certificate and birth certificates of children must be duly legalized.

These are submitted to the GDRFA, which checks them, then approves visas and stamps them in the passports of your relatives.

There are two important things to consider regarding a family residency permit. First, relatives have to stay in Dubai during the next six months to validate a visa. Secondly, there is a completely different sequence of actions for parents.

How much does it cost for a sponsor to obtain a family visa for a wife, husband, sons, and daughters in Dubai

Now let's consider the issue of charges for registration of residence in the UAE. The total price of the entire process consists of standard government fees and some additional expenses, including the cost of consulting services. Here are they:

The price of a printed application form for each relative is AED 310.
The resident status changing fee (if a person is already in Dubai) is AED 510.
The price of passing a medical test is approximately AED 320.
If a sponsor is an investor, a refundable deposit of AED 3,020 for each relative is required.
Consulting service fees for obtaining a family visa (optional).

Thus the minimum price of a visa for a family member is AED 3500 if you do everything by yourself or approximately AED 5000 if you order a service from a consulting company.

Family visa validity, renewal, and cancellation

Now, let us consider the issue of renewal, canceling, and putting a visa on hold.

First, we must note that the validity of this type of visa directly depends on the sponsor’s one; that is, if a validity period of a sponsor’s residence visa is 2 years (real estate investor), the dependent relative’s visa validity period is also 2 years. After the expiration, it must be renewed.

In case of the sponsor's visa cancellation, the dependent’s permit is frozen (on hold). Foreigners are given a period of 30 days from the date of expiration (or cancellation) of their visa, during which the document has to be renewed. If a person ignores this, he or she is considered an illegal resident and this can lead to a fine or deportation.

All types of residence permits, if not required anymore, must be canceled. For the family visas, the process goes the same way as for receiving but vice-versa. First, you need to cancel visas of your relatives, and then your residency permit must be also canceled.

Sponsoring parents

The process described above is suitable for obtaining visas for a spouse and children. But what if you want to bring your parents to the country? There is a little bit different scheme.

A foreigner can sponsor the arrival of his/her parents. To do this, one must make an appropriate deposit as a guarantee for each of them (the amount is the same as for a spouse). The procedure is provided by the local immigration office.

Depending on the expiration date of an expat visa, parents can stay in Dubai for one, two, or three years. There is a special requirement – a foreigner cannot sponsor the transfer of only one of the parents. Expat must sponsor both parents (in case that only one parent is alive, or they are divorced, the relevant must provide official proof of this fact). Another requirement is sufficient evidence that the UAE resident is the only person who can take care of their parents and they can no longer stay in another country.

As for sponsoring parents, a working local resident is required to have a minimum salary (in Dubai there is a requirement of minimum salary – AED 20,000 and a separate bedroom for parents to stay) and arrange for appropriate medical insurance for them with minimum insurance coverage (extended every year).

Frequently asked questions on family visa services

How long does it take to obtain a visa for family members?
The total time for your relatives to obtain visas is about one month (including medical examination, etc.).
What is a guest visa in the UAE?
This is a special type of visa. It differs from the tourist one in that it can be ordered for foreigner-relatives by local citizens. Just like a tourist visa, a guest visa is issued for 30 days (can be extended to 90 days).
Is it possible to do everything by yourself?
Yes, you can go through all the stages of applying for a visa for your relatives by yourself, but as an alternative, you can order this service from our consulting company, where for a reasonable fee, you are guaranteed to receive the result within a pre-determined period.
How can a single parent (mother or father) sponsor a child in the UAE?
One can find information regarding single parents and their sponsorship of children on the GDRFA official website. Thus, a single mother (or father) can sponsor a child in Dubai. The requirements of a minimum salary are the same as a married couple.
How can I sponsor a foster child in the UAE?
A foreign resident can sponsor both natural and adopted children. According to the GDRFA requirements, there must be a deposit, as well as a written certificate of no objection from a biological parent. The residence permit of an adopted child is valid for one year (must be renewed upon the expiration of the term). Requirements on a minimum salary are the same as in the case of natural children.