How to Sponsor Family Members in the UAE: The Complete Guide

If you’re a UAE resident and want your family to live with you, you’ll need to sponsor them on a family residency visa. The process is manageable once you understand the requirements, but there are salary thresholds, housing requirements, and a specific document chain to follow.

This guide covers everything: eligibility, costs, process, and timelines.

Who Can You Sponsor?

UAE residents can sponsor the following family members on a family residence visa:

• Spouse (husband or wife)
• Children (sons up to 18 years old, unmarried daughters of any age)
• Parents (subject to specific conditions)

Important distinctions:

• Sons over 18 cannot normally be sponsored as dependants (exception: full-time students in UAE universities)
• Married daughters with their own husband’s sponsorship cannot be sponsored by their father
• Parents can be sponsored but the income requirement is higher and the process has more steps

Some categories have recently expanded under UAE policy updates — for example, brothers and sisters can be sponsored in specific circumstances, and some Golden Visa holders have broader family sponsorship rights.

Salary Requirements

The UAE doesn’t specify a single national minimum salary for family sponsorship, but there are common thresholds applied in practice.

General guidance (applied across most emirates and free zones):

These figures come from MOHRE (Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation) guidance and are applied fairly consistently. Some free zones have their own requirements that align closely with these.

Self-employed and business owners: If you own a UAE company, your salary requirements may be assessed differently. You’ll typically need to show your trade licence, company financials, and a bank statement showing consistent income above the threshold.

Golden Visa holders: Golden Visa holders can sponsor family members without a minimum salary requirement. This is one of the practical advantages of the 10-year visa.

Housing Requirements

You must have appropriate housing for the family members you intend to sponsor. MOHRE and immigration authorities consider:

• A valid tenancy contract (Ejari-registered in Dubai, Tawtheeq in Abu Dhabi, or equivalent in other emirates)
• The size of the accommodation must be appropriate for family size
• The contract must be in your name as the sponsor

A room in shared accommodation typically does not qualify. You need a dedicated apartment or villa with a clear tenancy contract.

Housing allowance: If your employer provides accommodation (either a company flat or a housing allowance included in your salary package), this can supplement your salary figures for eligibility purposes.

Documents You’ll Need

Your documents (as the sponsor):

• Valid UAE residence visa
• Valid Emirates ID
• Valid passport
• Salary certificate (on company letterhead, stamped, stating monthly salary)
• Bank statements (last 3 months, showing salary credits)
• Valid tenancy contract (Ejari or equivalent)

For your spouse:

• Valid passport
• Original marriage certificate (government-issued, not just religious certificate)
• Attested marriage certificate (attested in the country of origin + UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation)
• Recent passport-sized photos

For children:

• Valid passports
• Original birth certificates
• Attested birth certificates (same attestation requirement as marriage certificate)
• Recent passport-sized photos
• School certificates if applicable

For parents:

• Valid passports
• Original relationship documents (your birth certificate proving parenthood)
• Attested documents
• Medical fitness clearance (in some cases)

Document Attestation

This is the part that catches people out. UAE immigration requires attested versions of foreign documents — this means the document has been verified by:

1. The government authority that issued it (e.g., the registrar’s office in the country of issue)
2. The UAE Embassy or Consulate in that country
3. UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA)

For most countries, the process is:

1. Get the document legalised by the relevant government department in your home country
2. Get it authenticated by the UAE Embassy in your home country
3. Submit it for MOFA attestation in the UAE

Some countries have an apostille system (Hague Convention members) which simplifies step 2. Check whether your country of issue is an apostille country.

Translation: Documents not in Arabic or English must be translated by a UAE Ministry of Justice licensed translator before MOFA attestation.

Allow 2-4 weeks for the full attestation chain if doing it yourself. Attestation service companies can handle it faster (for a fee) — typical charges are AED 200-500 per document plus government fees.

The Application Process

Once you have all documents in order:

Step 1: Entry permit application

Apply through the relevant immigration authority (GDRFA in Dubai, ICP in Abu Dhabi and other emirates, or your free zone’s immigration department if applicable).

This can be done online via GDRFA/ICP portals or through a typing centre. The entry permit is usually issued within 3-5 working days.

Step 2: Family member enters UAE

Your family member travels to the UAE on the entry permit. They have 60 days from the permit issue date to enter.

Step 3: Status change (if already in UAE)

If your family member is already in the UAE on a tourist visa or visit visa, you can apply for a status change instead of an entry permit. This avoids them having to leave and re-enter. Status changes take 3-7 working days.

Step 4: Medical fitness test

Your family member undergoes a medical fitness test at a UAE Ministry of Health approved centre. This involves a blood test and chest X-ray (checking for TB). Results are usually ready within 24-48 hours.

Step 5: Emirates ID biometrics

Visit an ICP service centre for fingerprint and iris scan collection.

Step 6: Residency visa stamping

The residency visa is issued and stamped in the passport (or issued as a digital visa sticker). Processing time is typically 5-10 working days.

Step 7: Emirates ID card

Issued within 7-14 working days after biometrics. Delivered by courier to your registered address.

Costs

Government fees vary by emirate and change periodically. The figures below are approximate for Dubai and Abu Dhabi as of early 2026.

If you use a PRO or typing centre to handle the paperwork, add AED 500-1,500 for their service fees.

Children under a certain age may have reduced fees. Check current GDRFA/ICP fee schedules before you apply, as these change regularly.

Visa validity: Family visas are typically issued for 2-3 years aligned to your own residency visa. When you renew your visa, you renew your family’s visas.

Renewing Family Visas

Family visa renewals follow the same steps minus the initial document attestation (you won’t need to re-attest your marriage certificate or birth certificates on renewal, just update them if there are changes).

The key trigger is your own visa renewal. When your employer processes your visa renewal, ensure you simultaneously initiate family visa renewals. Overlapping the processes saves time and reduces the period your family members hold expired visas.

Sponsoring Parents: Extra Requirements

Parent sponsorship follows the same general process but with stricter criteria:

• Minimum salary requirement is significantly higher (AED 20,000/month is the commonly applied threshold)
• Some free zones require the sponsor to be UAE-based for a minimum period
• Parents must not have other means of support in their home country (this is assessed case by case)
• Medical insurance coverage must be confirmed
• Age of parents is not technically a barrier, but older applicants may face more scrutiny on medical grounds

Parent visas, once issued, are typically valid for 1-2 years and require renewal more frequently than spouse/children visas.

Health Insurance

Health insurance is mandatory for all UAE residents, including sponsored family members. In Dubai, the employer is legally required to provide health insurance to employees, but it does not cover sponsored family members — that’s the sponsor’s responsibility.

Typical costs:

• Basic health insurance (spouse + child): AED 2,000-4,000/year
• Comprehensive coverage: AED 5,000-15,000/year depending on age and plan

Factor this cost into your decision-making before sponsoring family members.

Common Issues and Delays

Attestation problems: Incorrect or incomplete attestation is the most common reason for application rejections. Double-check requirements before sending documents abroad for attestation.

Salary certificate format: MOHRE and GDRFA are strict about the format. The certificate must be on company letterhead, stamped, signed by an authorized signatory, and state the exact monthly salary and position.

Tenancy contract issues: The contract must be in your name, Ejari-registered, and valid for the foreseeable future. An expired contract will delay the application.

Status mismatch: If your family member entered on a visit visa and overstayed before you applied for sponsorship, you’ll need to resolve the overstay fines before the sponsorship application can proceed.

Summary

Sponsoring family members in UAE is a well-defined process. The documentation requirements are specific, but if you prepare properly — especially the attestation chain — the process moves reasonably quickly.

Total timeline from decision to family member holding a UAE Emirates ID is typically 4-8 weeks, assuming documents are already attested.

For related reading:

• UAE Visa Types Explained — background on the different residency categories
• UAE Emirates ID: How to Get It, Renew It, and Replace It — what happens after the visa is issued