Advisory & Consulting
Apply for Family Visa in UAE
Find out how you can sponsor your family to come over to the United Arab Emirates.
Family Visa UAE
A family visa in Dubai lets you sponsor your spouse, children, or parents to live with you as legal residents. You apply through the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai, and the process runs through entry permit, medical test, Emirates ID, and visa stamping.
UAE Family Visa Rules
- Both employers and employees with a valid residence visa can sponsor their families, if they have a minimum salary of AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus accommodation.
- Since March 2019, the type of profession is no longer a criterion for family visa Dubai.
- If the father of the family is residing in UAE and meets the conditions for sponsoring his children, then the mother is not allowed to sponsor them.
- Family visa UAE is issued depending on the work nature and labour contract up to 3 years.
- Resident sponsors have 60 days time to apply for his dependents’ residence visa after they enter the UAE.
- In order to obtain your family visa in UAE, the applicant aged above 18 should undergo their medical fitness test at government approved health centres in the UAE.
- To sponsor your wife submit an authenticated marriage certificate duly translated into Arabic by a certified translator.
- In certain strict cases, Muslims are allowed to sponsor two wives, if they meet the required conditions.
- Resident can sponsor their daughter only if they are unmarried
- Residents can sponsor his or her son up to the age of 18. If your son is studying he can be sponsored till 21.
- An expatriate resident can sponsor their step children subject to GDRFA’s guidelines.
- An employee can sponsor both parents by submitting a guarantee for each parent stipulated by the respective immigration department.
- Woman can sponsor her family, if she holds a residence visa with a monthly salary not less than AED 8000 or AED 10,000 plus accommodation. The resident woman should be an engineer, nurse, teacher, doctor, or any other professional related to the medical sector.
How to Apply for UAE Family Visa?
Family visa UAE can be applied either online or offline. The documents required and conditions vary depending on whether you’re sponsoring your children, spouse, parents, or stepchildren.
After collecting all the necessary documents, start the application process for a UAE family visa. Submit the application and make the necessary payment to obtain your visa. The fees of a UAE residence visa may differ depending upon the category.
What are the documents required for a family visa UAE?
- Original or photocopy passport /visa of sponsor
- Original emirates id of sponsor
- 1 picture white background from the applicant
- Original or photocopy passport of applicant
- Salary certificate (if free zone company)
- 3 months bank statement and memorandum of agreement (if investor or partner)
- Labour contract (if private sector)
- If wife (marriage certificate attested by MOFA)
- If kids (birth certificate attested by MOFA)
- Ejari (if the sponsor is renting)
- Title deed (if owner of the house)
- Dewa bills
- Iban no
- Opening file no
- Medical result
- EIDA application
- Family medical insurance
How Much Does a Family Visa Cost in Dubai?
A new two-year family visa in Dubai costs roughly AED 2,200 to AED 4,700 per adult dependent and AED 1,900 to AED 3,900 per child under 18. That covers government fees, Emirates ID, typing charges and basic health insurance. On top of that, you pay a one-time sponsor file fee of about AED 230, plus attestation if your marriage or birth certificates were issued outside the UAE.
Fees per dependent (two-year visa)
| Fee item | Cost (AED) | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Entry permit (incl. 5% VAT) | 210 | Every new dependent |
| In-country fee (status change) | 520 | Only if the dependent is already in the UAE |
| Residence permit issuance, 2 years | 560–750 | Every dependent; add AED 100 for a third year |
| Medical fitness test | 320 standard, up to 750 VIP | Dependents aged 18 and above |
| Emirates ID, 2 years | 270–370 | Every dependent |
| Typing / Amer centre charges | 200–450 | Every dependent, across all applications |
| Health insurance, basic plan (per year) | 650–1,600 | Every dependent |
| Sponsor file registration | ~230 | Once per sponsor, not per dependent |
What it adds up to (per dependent)
| Dependent | Outside the UAE | Already in the UAE |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse or child aged 18+ | 2,210–4,130 | 2,730–4,650 |
| Child under 18 | 1,890–3,380 | 2,410–3,900 |
Example: Say you sponsor your wife and one child under 18, both outside the UAE, on standard services and basic insurance. That comes to about AED 3,410 for your wife, AED 2,290 for your child and AED 230 for the sponsor file, so roughly AED 5,930 before attestation.
Check out the approximate cost estimation,
- For a 2 year visa for applicant in Dubai without insurance will be approximately AED 3500
- Same for an applicant in Dubai with insurance will be approximately AED 5272
- For a 2 year visa for applicant out of Dubai without insurance will be approximately AED 2200
- Same for an applicant out of Dubai with insurance will be approximately AED 3972
- For a 3 year visa for applicant in Dubai without insurance will be approximately AED 3700
- Same for an applicant in Dubai with insurance will be approximately AED 5472
- For a 3 year visa for applicant out of Dubai without insurance will be approximately AED 2400
- Same for an applicant out of Dubai with insurance will be approximately AED 4172
Why choose A&A Associate for your UAE Family visa processing?
Visa processing is made easy with reliable and experienced PRO service providers. A&A Associate provide excellent service in analyzing your visa requirements and make it easy to obtain your family visa UAE.
We ensure hassle-free documentation by clearing them at the government offices. Our team members offer a centralized point of contact for all services. Save your precious time, while we work on obtaining your entry permit to visa stamping. Get in touch with us for further information!
FAQ's
You can apply for a UAE family visa through the GDRFA or ICA website. GDRFA deals with Dubai family visa applications, while ICA deals with every other Emirate.
The family visa UAE requirements dictate a minimum monthly salary of AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 with accommodation allowances for an individual to sponsor his family.
Passport, visa, Emirates ID, passport size photo, labor contract, salary certificate, bank statement, DEWA bill, Ejari, and Title Deed are some of the documents needed for a family visa UAE application.
You can follow up on your family visa UAE status by checking the status on the application portal: the GDRFA website or the ICA website, depending on which Emirate you applied from.
The UAE family visa can be issued for up to three years. The sponsor is required to have a valid residence visa throughout the duration of the family visa validity. The 2 years family visa price in Dubai is generally around AED 3,500 to AED 5,272, depending on whether your application includes insurance.
The UAE allows individuals to sponsor dependents like parents as long as they are eligible to the family visa UAE requirements.
A spouse living under a family visa UAE is allowed to work in the country but will need a work permit. A residence visa is not enough to legally work in the UAE.
There is no age limit to sponsor daughters under a UAE family visa as long as they are unwed. Sons can only be sponsored until they’re 25 years old. If your child has any disabilities, the age limit can be suspended.
The family visa Dubai does not allow for unmarried partners to be sponsored. The visa is only eligible for related dependents and/or spouses.
You can renew your family visa UAE when it expires, by resubmitting the application and paying the necessary fees. There is generally a 30-day grace period, after which you will be penalized.