Everything you need to know about family visas

Expatriate residents in the UAE are eligible to sponsor their families for residency if they possess a valid residence permit/visa. The sponsor must meet the minimum salary requirement of AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus accommodation. Family members over the age of 18 must undergo and pass medical fitness tests at approved health centers in the UAE. A mother can sponsor her children in special cases approved by the ICP. The sponsor has 60 days to apply for dependents’ residence visas after their entry into the UAE. Parents can also be sponsored by residents, with the residence visa being granted annually regardless of the sponsor’s visa duration. The profession of the expatriate worker is no longer a condition for family visa sponsorship. Individuals deemed medically unfit will not be granted a residence visa. Residents with dormant or inactive pulmonary tuberculosis are considered medically fit and can receive a one-year ‘Health Fitness Certificate for Residence’ upon treatment and follow-up by the health authority. These conditions are subject to change, so it is advisable to verify with the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICP) or GDRFA.

To sponsor the wife, the expatriate resident must prove an existing marital relationship by submitting an attested marriage certificate in Arabic or duly translated into Arabic by a certified translator.

Sponsoring two wives

In strict cases, a Muslim resident may be allowed to sponsor his two wives, if he meets certain terms and conditions set by ICP.

An expatriate resident can sponsor his daughter/s only if she/they is/are unmarried, with no restrictions with regard to her/their age/s.

A male or female resident can sponsor his/her son/s until he is 25. Sons of determination (those with special needs) can be sponsored with no restrictions with regard to his/ their age/s.

For babies born in the UAE, a residence visa must be applied for, within 120 days of its birth to avoid getting fines. 

An expatriate resident can sponsor his stepchildren, subject to GDRFA’s conditions which include a deposit for each child and a written no-objection certificate from the biological parent. Their residence visas are valid for one year; renewable annually.

An expatriate employee can sponsor his parents for a year’s stay by paying a deposit as a guarantee for each parent as stipulated by the respective immigration department.

An expatriate employee cannot sponsor only one of his parents. He needs to sponsor both parents together. He also needs to provide proof that he is their sole support and that there is no one to take care of them back home.

If one of the parents has passed away or if the parents are divorced, related official documents would be needed as justification to sponsor only one of the parents. 

To sponsor parents, the employed expatriate resident must earn the minimum salary stipulated and obtain a medical insurance policy for parents with the minimum coverage stipulated for each, to be renewed each year.