Can I Apply Family Visa In Uae
UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation is the government agency responsible for handling immigration matters in Dubai. Any foreigner who wishes to bring family members should visit this ministry to obtain a visa before they travel with their families. It is one of the most critical aspects of mobility as UAE citizens can easily bring their foreign relatives in almost all other GCC countries including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain. The visa applications are assessed by the concerned immigration department within AED 5 days while securing a decision requiring at least 7 days.
Are you trying to file family visa with your family in UAE and have no idea how to go about it? Yes, we are here to help you with your process. If you want to take your baby and your spouse with you, you must complete the process by providing a valid reason behind it. We offer all kinds of immigration services and keep in touch. We will base our discussion today on – Can I Apply Family Visa In Uae. But, other resources which you can find on our website include some frequently asked questions such as: how to apply family visa in uae online and family visa uae without tenancy contract
Obtaining a family visa for UAE does not have to be difficult. Below you will find all the information you need about how to apply for a family visa in UAE.
Can I Apply Family Visa In Uae
When you get a residency visa for the UAE, your family and children under 17 years of age are also allowed to stay along with you. But make sure that your family members intend to stay in the UAE permanently, before applying for the same. It is possible to work, study or even have business visas while on the family visa. However, the UAE has specific rules and regulations that your family must adhere to in order to avoid complications later.
As of late, there’s been a lot of buzz around this visa. The U.A.E. has become a hot spot for families migrating to the region…and it’s not hard to see why. Here is a compilation of the top 7 frequently asked questions and answers regarding family-related visas in the U.A.E.
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.
Subscribe toSUBSCRIBE
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.
