To join your family members in UAE as an expatriate, you need to secure a family visa. The family visa is not only granted to the foreign spouse of a UAE national but also to children and parents of the main applicant. The procedure for applying for this visa follows a few steps which the applicants must ensure are completed.
I’ll tell you How To Get Visa For Family In Dubai. The process of getting a visa for family members in Dubai is not a simple one. It is a process filled with many steps and procedures. With how specific and demanding the legal framework in the United Arab Emirates is, it is even more difficult for foreigners to navigate within this framework without help from outside agencies that specialize in immigration law. We will base our discussion today on – How To Get Visa For Family In Dubai. But, other resources which you can find on our website include some frequently asked questions such as: family visa uae cost 2022 and how to apply family visa in uae online
While working in the UAE, it’s normal to feel that you want to be with your family. However, if your work permit is tied to only one employer, and getting a new job is not an option, this means living separately from your family. Hence, your next step would be to get Family Visa for UAE. This document may seem like a small piece of paper, but it opens doors for years of memories.
While getting an individual visa to move to Dubai is a pretty straight forward process, the same can’t be said for accompanying family members. Unless you fall into one of the select few nationality groups that are eligible for an entry visa upon arrival or have a valid work sponsorship, most family members will need to get their visa beforehand.
How To Get Visa For Family In Dubai
It is likely that you want to bring your family members to live with you while you are living in Dubai ? and there is no doubt that family support can make a significant difference, helping you feel more relaxed and less stressed.
The notion that Dubai is one of the hottest tourist destination in the middle east has made the city the most visited destination in the whole of United Arab Emirates.
If you are a foreign national living in the UAE on a Residence Visa, then you are allowed to bring your dependents with you through a UAE Family Visa. However, not everyone can bring their dependents along as there are certain requirements that have to be met.
Requirements to Sponsor Someone for a UAE Family Visa
To be able to sponsor family members to the UAE, you must fulfill the following conditions:
- Male expatriates must have a minimum salary of AED 4,000 per month or AED 3,000 per month plus accommodation
- Female expatriates must have a minimum monthly salary of AED 10,000 or AED 8,000 plus accommodation
Additionally, all family members who are over 18 have to pass a medical fitness test taken at a government-approved health centre in the UAE. They will be tested for HIV and Tuberculosis.
The UAE does not recognize same-sex marriage, therefore you cannot sponsor your spouse if you are in a same-sex relationship.
What Professions are Eligible for Family Visa in UAE?
As of 2019, there are no specific professions that are eligible to sponsor their family members for a UAE Family Visa. Any foreign worker who meets the salary requirements can bring their family members to the UAE.
Who Can you Sponsor for a UAE Family Visa?
It is easier for a male expatriate to sponsor his family members to the UAE than it is for a woman. If you are a man who is on the UAE on a Residence Visa, you can bring the following family members on a Family Visa to the UAE:
- Your wife. If you are a Muslim resident, you may also sponsor two wives but you must meet certain terms set out by the GDRFA.
- Your sons. You can sponsor your sons only if they are 18 or under. If the sons are over 18, you can still sponsor them but only if they are students, and only up to the age of 21. Additionally, if the sons are over 18, they must enter the UAE at least once every six months if studying abroad otherwise their UAE visa will be canceled.
- Your daughters. You can sponsor your daughters only if they are unmarried.
- Your parents. You can also sponsor your parents, provided you meet the following conditions:
- You sponsor both parents unless one of them has passed away
- You pay a deposit as a guarantee for each parent
- You get your parents a medical insurance policy
- You have a monthly salary of AED 20,000 or a AED 19,000 plus a two-bedroom accommodation
- Your stepchildren. You may also sponsor your stepchildren if you get a written No Objection Certificate from the biological parent. The visa for stepchildren is valid for one year and renewable.
Can a Woman Sponsor Her Family Members for a UAE Family Visa?
Yes, she can but the criteria for a woman to sponsor her family to the UAE are higher than for a man:
- The family members she can sponsor are her husband and her children.
- She has to earn a monthly salary not lower than AED 10,000 or alternatively AED 8,000 plus accommodation
- She must work as an engineer, teacher, or a profession related to the medical sector (doctor, nurse etc)
- In certain cases (and only with approval from the DRND), if the woman has a sufficient monthly salary, she could qualify for sponsorship even if she isn’t employed in one of the aforementioned categories
- If she has a husband who can sponsor the children instead, she is not allowed to do it herself. It must be the husband.
Documents Required for a UAE family visa
The documents needed for support a UAE Family Visa application include:
- UAE Visa Application Form (online or through a registered typing office)
- Passport copies of the family member/s being sponsored
- Passport-size pictures of the family member/s being sponsored
- Medical clearance certificate for any family member over the age of 18
- Copy of the sponsor’s employment contract or company contract
- Proof of the monthly salary the sponsor earns
- The legalised marriage certificate
- Proof of accommodation, such as the registered tenancy contract
- The latest utility bill
How to Apply for UAE Family Visa?
Family visas for the UAE can be sponsored by either the expatriate or his/her employer. As a foreign resident, you must submit a UAE Family Visa application within 60 days of receiving your own UAE Residence Visa.
Applying for the entry permit
Before your family members travel to the UAE to join you, you (or your employer) must apply for an entry permit to allow them in the country in the first place. You can apply for your family members’ entry permit at one of the following:
- The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – GDRFA either online (see the websites below) or in-person. If you apply in-person you must do so through one of the licensed typing centres of the GDRFA in each Emirate or through one of the Amer centres in Dubai.
- The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship
Applying for the UAE Family Visa
The UAE Family Visa is a type of residence visa, and as such, you have to submit it on behalf of your family members after they are already in the country on an entry permit. You can submit the family visa application at the offices of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) of the relevant emirate.
The websites of the GDRFA in each emirate:
How long is a UAE Family Visa valid?
A Family Visa for the UAE can be issued for 1, 2, or 3 years and can be renewed at least thirty days before expiry. Family Visas are dependent on the sponsor, so if the sponsor’s visa expires or is canceled, then the Family Visas will also be void.
However, dependent family members get a 30-day grace period during which time they may see if they can get their own Residence Visa renewed.
Applying for a Family Visa Dubai
Since Dubai is part of the UAE, if you are living in Dubai as an expatriate, and you want to bring your family members with you, you must meet the same sponsorship requirements as set out above. You can apply for your family members’ Dubai Family Visa at the local GDRFA office in Dubai. You can also apply through Amer, a website that Dubai citizens and residents can use to apply for family reunion and visitors can use to extend their Visa On Arrival.
How to sponsor your family in the UAE – A complete guide
The UAE population, especially its workforce, consists of a majority of expatriates. We have prepared this guide on sponsoring family members in the UAE, to help you understand the rules and procedures of obtaining residency for your dependents. The latest regulations make the UAE family sponsorship process easy, provided that the sponsors fall under a specified income bracket. Here is everything you need to know about sponsoring your family in the UAE.
REQUIREMENTS FOR SPONSORING FAMILY MEMBERS IN THE UAE
ELIGIBILITY
Any expatriate can sponsor his or her family, as long as they have a valid residency permit. Last year, the UAE government updated family visa rules and as of March 2019, one can sponsor their spouse, parents or children as long as they meet the requirement of a minimum salary for sponsoring their family in UAE.
The minimum salary for sponsoring your family in Dubai/UAE is AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus accommodation for male sponsors. So, there is no longer any restriction on the type of profession one has, as long as they match this earning limit. To know more about the new rules for wives sponsoring husbands in the UAE, take a look at our detailed post on UAE work permits for husbands on wives sponsorship.
While there are other conditions that will also be taken into account, the main eligibility criteria for obtaining a family sponsorship visa UAE is related to whether you can take care of the sponsored person’s needs.
DURATION OF SPONSORSHIP AND TIME LIMIT
When you are sponsoring your relatives, you have a 60 day-window to apply for their residence visa in the UAE after they arrive in the country.
Upon arrival, they are provided with an entry permit. The sponsor has two months to convert this permit to a valid residence visa.
In emirates other than Dubai, the entry permit is known as ‘tasheera’. You can obtain this online, but there are several details involved. You can start the process by visiting a typing centre to fill the document for AED 50.
The validity of the visa is for up to two years, but the exact duration depends on both the nature of the job of the sponsor as well as his or her labour contract.
For instance, if the sponsor’s visa is for three years, the sponsored relatives are likely to get the same duration. This excludes parents and adult sons, who get a residence visa in the UAE for one year. Likewise, if the sponsor’s visa is cancelled for any reason, the dependents’ visas will be cancelled as well.
When the dependent’s visa expires or gets cancelled, s/he has 30 days to obtain a new one. If they fail to do this, they will become illegal residents and may also have to pay an overstay fine.
MEDICAL FITNESS
The UAE government grants and renews residence visas in the UAE for individuals 18 and above only after taking a medical fitness test at a government-approved health centre. This involves a blood test and an X-ray. Dependents may also be tested for other health conditions.
If a person is declared medically unfit, they will not be given a visa.
UAE FAMILY VISA: DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
When sponsoring a family in Dubai or the other emirates, you have to submit the following documents with the application:
- Salary slip or certificate from the employer
- Registered tenancy contract
- Latest utility bill
- Marriage certificate (attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in your home country and in the UAE)
- Attested birth certificates of children
- Passport copies of those being sponsored (passports should be valid for at least six months)
- Photos of those being sponsored (passport size against a white background)
- Medical clearance certificates
- Copy of employment contract/company contract
SPONSORING FAMILY MEMBERS IN THE UAE
HOW TO SPONSOR SPOUSES
To sponsor wives, residents have to show proof of the relationship through a marriage certificate (in Arabic).
As mentioned earlier, wives can also sponsor husbands in the UAE. In fact, sponsored husbands are now eligible for work permits as well. However, there are certain requirements.
In Abu Dhabi, the sponsor has to be a teacher, engineer or work in the medical sector and earn a minimum of AED 10,000 or AED 8,000 plus accommodation.
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There are no occupational limitations for sponsoring a family in Dubai, as long as the sponsoring wife earns more than AED 10,000. However, she will have to take special permission from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (GDRFA).
HOW TO SPONSOR CHILDREN
When it comes to obtaining the UAE residence visa for a child, the requirements are slightly different for sons, daughters and stepchildren. For instance, one can only sponsor daughters if they are unmarried.
For sons, the age limit for sponsorship is 18 years, unless the son is studying in the UAE or abroad. In this case, residents can sponsor their sons up to the age of 21. This can be done only after submitting proof of education (attested certificates from universities and schools). This is because the residency visa for sons is valid for a year and continues to renew until they complete their education. So they have to visit the UAE (if they are studying elsewhere) at least once every six months for their residency visa to remain valid.
Expats can also sponsor stepchildren under the conditions laid out by GDRFA. These include paying a deposit for each child as well as obtaining a no-objection certificate from the biological parent. For stepchildren, the government grants residence visas valid for one year, which are renewable annually.
Note that single women can also sponsor their children in the UAE. A single mother sponsoring a child in UAE also has to provide a no-objection certificate from the father, along with other necessary documents listed below.
SPONSORING PARENTS IN THE UAE
There is also a minimum salary requirement for sponsoring parents in the UAE. In Dubai, it is AED 20,000 or AED 19,000 plus two-bedroom accommodation. Moreover, the sponsor has to also obtain a medical insurance policy for the parents.
In case you want to sponsor your parents for a year’s stay, you will also have to pay a deposit for each parent.
As per the GDRFA, you have to sponsor both parents together, except in case of death or divorce, for which you need to give documentary evidence. Furthermore, you can only sponsor parents if it can be proved that you are their sole support.
FAMILY VISA UAE: COST
| SERVICE TYPE | COST (PER PERSON) |
|---|---|
| Sponsor Registration File | AED 268.90 |
| Tasheera (Wife/Children Outside the UAE) | AED 488.90 |
| Tasheera (Wife/Children Inside the UAE) | AED 1,138.9 |
| Tasheera (Parents Inside the UAE) | AED 488.90 |
| Normal Medical Test | AED 322.50 |
| Emirates ID (1 Year) | AED 250 |
| Emirates ID (2 Year) | AED 350 |
| Emirates ID (3 Year) | AED 450 |
| Transfer Of New Residence to a Passport | AED 259.9 |
FAQS
CAN SPONSORS APPLY FOR EMIRATES ID FOR FAMILY MEMBERS?
Expat residents can easily apply for their dependents’ Emirates ID online through the FAIC website or Smart App. You need to submit your valid Emirates ID as well as passport-size photos of applicants.
WHO CAN SPONSOR FAMILY IN THE UAE?
Employers as well as employees who have a valid UAE residence can sponsor their families, given that their minimum salary is AED 4k or AED 3k plus accommodation.
HOW TO SPONSOR FAMILY IN THE UAE?
To sponsor your family in the UAE, you must:
- Have a valid residence visa
- Meet the criteria for minimum salary to sponsor a family in Dubai/UAE (AED 4k or AED 3k plus accommodation)
- Pass a fitness test at a government-approved health centre
- Submit essential documents
- Pay the visa fees
CAN A DUBAI FREELANCER SPONSOR FAMILY IN THE UAE?
Yes, a freelance visa in Dubai allows the holder to sponsor his/her family in the country. However, this would be considered a family visa and expire after two years.
This concludes our guide on sponsoring family members in the UAE. By now you will have a fairly comprehensive understanding of the family visa procedure in the UAE. Like fathers, mothers can also sponsor their children in the UAE. However, there is a certain eligibility criteria for mothers sponsoring their kids to Dubai.
We have also compiled a list of Amer Centres in Dubai where you can complete the visa applications smoothly. You can also find a list of medical centres for visas in Dubai and Abu Dhabi on the blog as well.
Do note that immigrations rules in the UAE are subject to change. Subscribe to MyBayut to keep yourself updated on all things UAE.