All You Need to Know About UAE Family Visa Requirements

To sponsor family members in the UAE, individuals must first hold a valid residence visa, which can be a work visa sponsored by an employer or a self-sponsored visa like a Green Visa, Investor Visa, or Golden Visa. Meeting specific requirements is crucial to becoming eligible for family sponsorship.

Here are nine key requirements for UAE family visa:

1. Residence Permit/Visa: Expatriate residents need a valid residence permit/visa to sponsor their families.
2. Minimum Salary: The sponsor must have a minimum salary of Dh4,000 or Dh3,000 plus accommodation. Unlike before, the type of profession is no longer a condition for expatriates to sponsor family visas.
3. Medical Fitness Tests: Family members above 18 must undergo and pass medical fitness tests at approved health centers in the UAE. Medically unfit individuals will not be granted a residence visa.
4. Application Timeline: A resident sponsor has 60 days to apply for dependents’ residence visas after their entry into the UAE under an entry permit. For babies born in the UAE, a residence visa application must be submitted within 120 days of their birth.
5. Sponsoring Parents: Both parents must be sponsored together. In cases of divorce or a deceased parent, relevant official documents are needed for justification to sponsor only one parent.
6. Duration and Salary Requirement: When sponsoring parents, the residence visa is granted on a yearly basis, regardless of the sponsor’s visa duration. Meeting the salary requirement specified by the immigration department is essential.
7. Sponsoring Daughters: Expatriate residents can sponsor their unmarried daughters with no age restrictions.
8. Sponsoring Sons: Male or female residents can sponsor their sons until they reach 25 years old. If the son is a Person of Determination, there are no age restrictions.
9. Stepchildren Sponsorship: Expatriate residents can sponsor stepchildren, subject to conditions outlined by the emirate’s immigration department. For example, in Dubai, a deposit for each child and a written no-objection certificate from the biological parent are required.

Documents required for sponsoring a wife and children include an application form, passport copies, photos, medical clearance certificates, the sponsor’s employment or company contract, a salary certificate, an attested marriage certificate, and a registered tenancy contract.

It’s important to note that family residence permits are linked to the sponsoring family member’s residence permit. If the sponsor’s visa is canceled, the dependents’ visas must also be canceled. Dependents are given a six-month grace period from the expiry or cancellation of their visas to obtain a new residence permit. Failure to renew or cancel dependents’ visas within this timeframe may result in fines for the sponsor.