Residents of the UAE with specific visas may sponsor family members to reside there without employment.
You need to be sponsored by a family member to stay at the Emirates all year round if you are unemployed or a student under 18.
After the law was changed in October 2022, residents were no longer required to prove that they were the only source of support when bringing their parents or the parents of their spouse.
However, a minimum monthly salary is still required.
Everything you need to know about sponsoring family members is provided here.
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What monthly income is required to sponsor parents or underage siblings?
The minimum salary threshold needed to sponsor parents or younger siblings is higher than what is required in order to sponsor a wife or child.
If a resident makes a minimum monthly salary of Dh10,000, they may sponsor up to five family members.
If they make at least Dh15,000 per month, this number rises to six family members. More than six family members require a dispensation.
In addition to the Dh1,750 sponsorship fee, there is a Dh5,000 refundable deposit.
According to Nida Al Masri, a legal consultant at Justitia Advocates and Legal Consultants in Dubai, “setting a minimum salary as a condition for expatriates wishing to sponsor family members are only to ensure they will be properly provided for.”
The UAE is committed to supporting its expat community and fostering a more inclusive society, so the terms and conditions are crucial in governing this procedure.
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Which accommodation is required to sponsor parents?
The law mandates that sponsors move into suitable housing before submitting an application for a family visa.
In order to qualify for the family visa, they must first purchase a home or apartment with at least two bedrooms.
At residency centers, they must also provide proof of family ties through supporting documentation.
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What documents do you need to sponsor parents?
The following documentation must also be submitted:
- A family member’s passport-size photo
- A copy of the relative’s current passport
- Copy of the resident’s residency page, passport, and Emirates ID.
- A lease agreement or other form of residency proof
- Labor agreement
- Bank statements for the resident’s last three months
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Can a woman sponsor her family?
According to a customer service representative for the Federal Authority For Identity and Citizenship – ICA, a woman can sponsor her husband and children in Abu Dhabi if the request is granted by the authorities.
She should earn at least 5,000 dirhams per month and have a work visa that is currently valid. The one-year visa costs Dh2,575 and can be extended for an additional year, according to the executive.
In order to sponsor her family in Dubai, a woman must have a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000 and have her application approved by the GDRFA, the immigration authority.
“A wife can sponsor the family, but she needs the husband to sign a no-objection certificate. According to a representative of Amer customer service, the NOC must be notarized by the Dubai court notary service. Additionally, a single mother may support her child.
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90-day visit visa for family members
Before the sponsorship is confirmed, UAE citizens can apply for 90-day entry permits rather than a 60-day visa for family members.
The Amer Centre representative stated that in order to issue a visitor visa for family members, the resident must have a refundable deposit of Dh1,000.
An entry permit costs Dh1,020, and the following paperwork must be provided:
- Photo of the family member the size of a passport
- Copy of the family member’s valid passport
- The resident’s Emirates ID copy
- Evidence of residency, like a lease agreement or hotel reservation
- Copy of a return ticket
Visas can also be applied online at the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security website, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs website, or the department’s app.
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Need more help?
A feedback portal and a toll-free number are both available from the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (600 522222).
Check out https://www.gdrfad.gov.ae/en or call 800-5111 for information in Dubai.
