Family Visa UAE: How to Sponsor Your Spouse, Children and Parents

Last updated: 25 October 2026

A family visa in the UAE lets a resident sponsor a spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25 and children with special needs, as long as the sponsor earns at least AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 plus housing provided by the employer. Both men and women can sponsor, and the family member gets a residence permit linked to an Emirates ID that runs no longer than the sponsor’s own visa.

Below: who you can sponsor, the documents, where to apply, each step, the official fees and the extra rules for parents. ICP or GDRFA Dubai confirms the final requirements for your file.

Family visa UAE: requirements at a glance

The core rules are the same in every emirate. ICP’s service card for family members of a foreign resident and the GDRFA Dubai family entry visa card set the same salary rule, the same age limits and the same 60-day window to finish the residence.

ICP’s card sets no condition on your job title. The test is income and housing, so a salary certificate that shows the right figure and a tenancy contract for a suitable home do most of the work.

Who you can sponsor on a family visa

A resident can sponsor close family: a spouse and children. Parents, sons over 25 and other relatives fall under stricter rules, and in Dubai they go through a separate committee.

Wife or husband

Both male and female residents can sponsor their spouse. GDRFA Dubai’s family residence card says this in plain terms, and ICP’s card uses “his/her spouse”. You need a marriage certificate attested in the country where it was issued and then by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with an Arabic translation where the authority asks for one.

Daughters and sons

Unmarried daughters can stay on a parent’s visa at any age. Sons can be sponsored until they turn 25. Children with special needs can be sponsored regardless of age, with documents that prove the condition.

For sons who reach 25, Dubai has a separate route. GDRFA’s humanitarian cases service accepts children aged 25 and over if the sponsor shows certified proof that the son is still studying, inside or outside the UAE, or an attested university graduation certificate. The committee decides each case, and approval is not automatic. Outside Dubai, ICP’s card lists only the under-25 rule, so ask ICP before your son’s birthday what options exist for your file.

When a mother sponsors her children, GDRFA Dubai asks for a no-objection letter from the father. If the parents are divorced or the father has died, expect to show custody or guardianship papers instead.

Parents

Parents are not on the standard family visa list for most residents. ICP’s card lets Green Residence holders sponsor first-degree relatives, and Dubai handles parents of other residents as humanitarian cases.

GDRFA Dubai’s conditions for sponsoring a mother and father are stricter than for a spouse:

• A minimum salary of AED 10,000, shown on a salary certificate (government sector) or employment contract (private sector).
• An attested tenancy contract for a home that fits the whole family. Gulf News reports that GDRFA expects at least two bedrooms.
• Bank statements for the last three months.
• A copy of each parent’s passport, and proof that the parent depends on you.

The permit is issued for one year and renewed each year. A committee reviews each request, and on approval GDRFA takes a financial guarantee of AED 5,000 per request, up to AED 15,000 in total. Parents-in-law can be sponsored on the same terms.

For residents of Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the northern emirates, ICP’s family card does not publish a salary figure for parents. Call ICP on 600522222 before you plan around a figure you have seen online. Many expats in the UAE bring parents on a visit visa instead: ICP lets a resident earning AED 4,000 sponsor a first-degree relative for 30, 60 or 90 days, extendable up to 120 days in total.

Documents for a UAE family visa

Gather these before you start. Certificates issued abroad usually need attestation in the home country and then by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and that step often takes longer than the visa itself.

From the sponsor:

• Passport copy with your valid UAE residence permit.
• Employment contract, or a salary certificate if you work for a government, semi-government or free zone employer. Partners need the partnership contract; GDRFA asks for a share of at least AED 48,000.
• An employer certificate that shows your monthly income and whether housing is provided.
• A certified tenancy contract or proof that you own the home. In Dubai this is the registered Ejari. ICP also asks for a recent water or electricity bill.

For each family member:

• Passport copy, valid for at least 6 months.
• Recent colour photo with a white background.
• Attested marriage certificate (spouse) or attested birth certificate (children).
• Medical fitness certificate for anyone aged 18 or over.
• Valid health insurance.
• Nationals of Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq: a copy of the national identity card.

Where to apply: ICP or GDRFA Dubai

Apply to the authority of the emirate that issued your own residence visa. Dubai residence files go to GDRFA Dubai. Files from Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah go to ICP.

In practice, many sponsors file through an Amer centre in Dubai or a typing centre elsewhere, because staff upload the documents and pay the fees in one visit. Their service charge comes on top of the government fees below.

How to sponsor your family step by step

The process has two stages: an entry permit that brings your family in, then a residence permit linked to an Emirates ID. If your family is already in the UAE on a visit visa, a change of status inside the country can replace the first stage.

1. Prepare documents. Attest the certificates, get your salary certificate and check your tenancy contract is valid.
2. Apply for the entry permit. On ICP this is the visa for residence without employment; in Dubai it is GDRFA’s entry visa for family sponsorship. Log in with UAE Pass, fill in the details and pay.
3. Family enters the UAE. The holder must enter within 60 days of the permit being issued, according to ICP’s card.
4. Medical test and insurance. Book the medical fitness test for anyone aged 18 or over at an approved health centre, and buy health insurance for each person.
5. Apply for residence and Emirates ID. Submit the residence application. On ICP, the residence permit and Emirates ID are one linked application. Both authorities require the residence to be completed within 60 days of entry, or overstay fines of AED 50 a day apply.
6. Receive the Emirates ID. Since April 2022 the residence is not a sticker in the passport; the Emirates ID carries the residence details. ICP sends a notice when the residence is issued, and the card is delivered by courier.

You can follow the card after you apply. Our Emirates ID status check guide shows how to track a family member’s application on the ICP website and app.

Family visa fees in the UAE

Government fees are low; the extra costs add up. The tables below show the fees listed on the official service cards. Medical tests, health insurance, certificate attestation and typing centre charges are paid separately and vary.

ICP fees (all emirates except Dubai)

GDRFA Dubai fees

A worked example using ICP’s listed fees: a Sharjah resident who sponsors his wife from abroad for two years and applies online pays about AED 300 for the entry permit (application, issuance and smart fee), AED 400 for the residence (AED 100 application, AED 200 issuance for two years, AED 100 smart fee) and AED 300 for the Emirates ID (AED 200 for two years plus the AED 100 smart fee). That is roughly AED 1,000 in ICP fees before the medical test, insurance and any typing centre charge.

How long a family visa takes

The government stage is quick once the file is complete. ICP lists a completion time of 2 days for both the entry permit and the residence permit. GDRFA Dubai expects 48 hours for the family entry visa and the family residence permit.

Parent applications and other humanitarian cases in Dubai take longer: GDRFA lists 14 days, because a committee reviews each one. Attestation abroad, the medical test and the ID courier usually take longer than the approval.

When your own visa is renewed, changed or cancelled

Your family’s visas follow yours. A dependant’s residence cannot run past the sponsor’s, so when you renew, renew the family visas and their Emirates IDs at the same time.

If you leave the UAE for good or change sponsor, cancel your family’s visas before your own. ICP and u.ae both require the dependants’ permits to be cancelled first. GDRFA Dubai gives family members 60 days to stay after their permit expires or is cancelled. For ICP files the grace period depends on the category, and our overstay fine guide lists each one with the AED 50 daily fine that follows.

Common mistakes that delay a family visa

• Salary certificate below the threshold. The figure on the certificate is what counts. If housing is not provided, AED 3,000 is not enough; you need AED 4,000.
• Unattested certificates. Both authorities ask for attested marriage and birth certificates, so a certificate from abroad without home-country and UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation holds up the whole file.
• Housing that does not fit the family. ICP asks for housing in proportion to the size of the home, so a shared room or bed space is unlikely to meet it. Keep the tenancy contract valid for the whole process.
• Letting the 60-day window pass. Book the medical test in the first week after arrival; fines start once the 60 days are up.
• Forgetting the son’s 25th birthday. Plan the renewal or a change of visa before he turns 25.

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum salary for a family visa in the UAE?

The minimum salary for a family visa in the UAE is AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 a month if your employer provides housing. ICP and GDRFA Dubai apply the same rule to sponsoring a spouse and children. You also need a valid residence permit and a home suitable for the family. Parents have a higher threshold, which GDRFA Dubai sets at AED 10,000.

Can I sponsor my son after he turns 25?

Generally no, because the standard family visa covers sons only until they turn 25, unless the son has special needs. In Dubai, GDRFA’s humanitarian cases service can accept sons aged 25 and over with certified proof of continuing studies or an attested graduation certificate, and a committee decides each request. Outside Dubai, ask ICP about your case.

How much salary do I need to sponsor my parents in Dubai?

You need a minimum salary of AED 10,000 a month to sponsor your parents in Dubai, according to GDRFA Dubai. You also need an attested tenancy contract that suits the family size and three months of bank statements. A committee reviews each request, the permit lasts one year, and GDRFA takes a guarantee of AED 5,000 per request.

Can a woman sponsor her husband and children in the UAE?

Yes, a woman resident can sponsor her husband and children in the UAE under the same salary rule as men: AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 with employer housing. GDRFA Dubai asks for a no-objection letter from the father when the mother sponsors the children. After a divorce or the father’s death, custody or guardianship papers are usually needed.

How long does a UAE family visa take?

A UAE family visa takes about 2 days at each stage once the file is complete, based on ICP’s service cards, and GDRFA Dubai lists 48 hours. The full process usually takes longer, because the family must enter, pass the medical test and receive the Emirates ID by courier. Everything must be done within 60 days of entry.

Can I change my family’s visit visa to a residence visa inside the UAE?

Yes, you can usually change a family member’s visit visa to a residence visa without leaving the UAE, for an extra fee. ICP lists a status adjustment fee of AED 500, and GDRFA Dubai charges AED 500 when the family member is inside the country. The same salary, housing and document rules apply as for a new application.

Key takeaways

• A family visa in the UAE needs a salary of AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 with employer housing, and a valid residence permit.
• You can sponsor a spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25 and children with special needs.
• Your family must complete the residence within 60 days of entering, including the medical test for those aged 18 and over.
• Parents in Dubai need a salary of AED 10,000, a committee approval and an AED 5,000 guarantee per request.
• ICP fees for a spouse sponsored from abroad for two years come to about AED 1,000; medical tests, insurance and attestation cost extra.

Sources

• Issuing Residency Permit, Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP)
• Issuance of a Visa, ICP
• New Identity Card Issuance, ICP
• Issuance of a residence permit for foreigner family members, GDRFA Dubai
• Issuing an entry visa for residence without work, family sponsorship, GDRFA Dubai
• Issuance of a residence permit for humanitarian cases, GDRFA Dubai
• Residence visa for family members, The Official Portal of the UAE Government (u.ae)
• General provisions for the residence visa, u.ae