Thanks to better career opportunities, growth prospects and a better lifestyle, the UAE is home to a number of expatriates. Now, naturally, they have family back home who ultimately also want to settle in the UAE. Let’s have a detailed look at the process and requirements of sponsoring family members in the UAE.
Who Can Sponsor Family in the UAE – Requirements and Criteria
Expatriates with a valid residency permit/visa can sponsor their families in the UAE. To put it simply, you can sponsor your family as long as you fall under a certain income bracket. Previously, the requirements for sponsoring family in the UAE were such that the sponsor had to belong to certain professions or hold a certain educational background to obtain a family visa in the country. That is not the case anymore.
Regardless of you being an employer or employee, you can easily sponsor your spouse, parents or children as long as you meet the required criteria of a minimum salary to sponsor family in the UAE.
Male candidates with a minimum salary of AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus accommodation can sponsor their families to the country.
As for female candidates, the eligibility criteria for sponsoring family in the UAE differs. Women in Abu Dhabi willing to sponsor families and husbands must have a residence permit stating their professions are that of a doctor, teacher, engineer, nurse or any other professional from the field of medicine are permitted for sponsoring family members in the UAE. Moreover, the earning bracket for women also differs. Women willing to sponsor their families in the UAE must have a salary AED 10,000 or AED 8,000 with accommodation.
Whereas in Dubai, women who even don’t belong to the aforementioned categories but have a monthly income of over AED 10,000 can sponsor their families to the Emirate. Women in Dubai with over AED 10,000 income will also need to ask for permission from the Department of Naturalisation and Residency Dubai (DNRD).
Duration and Time Limit of Sponsorship
After family members arrive in the UAE, the sponsor has a time limit of 60 days to apply for the residence visa of their family members in the UAE. To put it simply, a family is provided with an entry permit upon arrival. The sponsor has a time duration of two months to get the permit converted into a valid visa.
In all other emirates apart from Dubai, this entry permit or e-visa is known as “Tasheera.” To start the process of sponsorship, you can fill out the document for AED 50 at a typing centre.
The duration of the residence visa majorly depends on two things: the type of sponsor and the person sponsored. The visa validity is for one, two or three years. That said, the exact duration depends on the sponsor.
To put it simply, sponsoring family members in the UAE is directly linked to the sponsoring expatriate’s residence permit. For instance, if the sponsor’s visa gets cancelled, the visas of all dependents will also get cancelled. On the other hand, if the sponsor has a visa for three years, his/her dependents are also likely to get a visa for the same duration.
If or when the visa of the dependent members expires/gets cancelled, they get a 30-day grace period to obtain a new one. The 30-day grace period starts from the date of expiry/cancellation of visa. If the sponsor fails to get this done, their dependents are deemed illegal residents and may be liable to pay an overstay fine.
Where to Get Family Visa Process Started in Dubai
Those in Dubai, can get the process for obtaining or renewing visas for family members in the UAE through the Amer Centres based in the Emirate. Amer Centres are under direct government supervision and are responsible for helping out people with the visa application process. People can make requests for most of the government services including visa services at Amer Centres supervised by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (GDRFA). All you need to do is fill out an application and submit it in the same place, this saves time and increases the efficiency of work.
At Amer Centres, people in Dubai can apply for visa renewals and also apply for entry permits and they can also get visas cancelled.
Location: 17 A Street, Al Khabaisi, Deira, Behind Abu Baker Al Siddique Metro Station, Dubai
Contact number: 04-2300500
Timings: Open 24/7
Required Medical Fitness Criteria
Please keep in mind that the UAE government only allows and renews residence visas for individuals who are up to 18 years of age after taking a medical fitness test. The required medical tests include a blood test and an X-ray.
These tests are taken at government-approved health centres. Dependents can also be tested for other health conditions. Clearing the medical fitness test is critical for obtaining a UAE visa.
If any individual is declared medically unfit, they will not be given a visa for the UAE. That said, residents with dormant or inactive pulmonary tuberculosis are not going to be considered medically unfit and are granted a one-year ‘Health Fitness Certificate for Residence’.
However, this is subject to treatment and follow-up by the Department of Preventive Medicine or an equivalent government health authority. Government medical fitness centres include Abu Dhabi Disease Prevention and Scanning Centre, Dubai Health Authority and Ministry of Health and Prevention.
Document Required for the UAE Family Visa
Submission of the following documents is mandatory for sponsoring family members in the UAE.
- A salary slip or certificate from the employer
- Registered tenancy contract
- Utility bill (latest)
- Marriage certificate (this should be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in your home country and in the UAE)
- Attested birth certificates of children
- Passport copies of family members being sponsored (passports should have a validity of at least six months)
- Photos of family members being sponsored (these should be passport size, taken against a white background)
- Medical clearance certificates
- Copy of employment contract or the company contract
Sponsoring your family in the UAE
Following are the details pertaining to sponsoring family members in the UAE including spouses, parents and children.
Sponsoring spouses in the UAE
To sponsor his wife, the expatriate resident has to show proof of relationship via an authenticated marriage certificate. The marriage certificate must be in the Arabic language – if it isn’t, it needs to be translated in Arabic by a certified translator.
A Muslim expatriate resident with two wives can sponsor both the wives, subject to meeting terms and conditions set by the GDRFA for such cases.
Moreover, as mentioned earlier, women can also sponsor their husbands in the UAE. To sponsor her husband, the expatriate resident woman has to meet certain requirements.
For example, the woman sponsor based in Abu Dhabi has to be a doctor, engineer, teacher or working in the medical sector and must have a minimum earning of AED 10,000 or AED 8,000 with accommodation.
As for Dubai, the woman expatriate sponsor is not limited by any profession, as long as she earns over AED 10,000. That said, the woman has to take permission from the GDRFA.
Sponsoring children in the UAE
As for residence visas for children in the UAE, the requirements are slightly different for sons, daughters and stepchildren.
- For daughters, an expatriate resident could previously only sponsor unmarried daughters in the UAE, that has changed and daughters who are not married can be sponsored for an indefinite time period.
- For sons, the resident could previously sponsor his son/sons only till they are 18 years old. That has changed now and sons can be sponsored up to the age of 25. If the son is studying abroad, for the UAE visa to stay valid, he will have to enter the country at least once every six months. Such a residence visa is granted yearly and has to be renewed till the son finishes his education.
- Expatriate residents can also sponsor stepchildren subject to the conditions laid out by GDRFA. These include paying a deposit for each child and obtaining a no-objection certificate from biological parents. Residence visas for stepchildren are valid for one year and are renewable annually.
- Single mothers can also sponsor their children in the UAE. The single mother needs to provide a no-objection certificate from the father and may be asked for documents similar to those asked for step children sponsorship.
Sponsoring parents in the UAE
To sponsor parents in the UAE, the expatriate employed resident also has to fall under a certain salary bracket. The minimum salary requirement to sponsor parents in Dubai is AED 20,000 or AED 19,000 plus two-bedroom accommodation.
Additionally, the sponsor must also obtain a medical insurance policy for their parents.
As per the GDRFA, both parents can be sponsored together. You cannot sponsor just one except in cases of divorce or death, subject to provision of necessary documentary evidence.
Furthermore, sponsoring parents in the UAE is only allowed if the sponsor proves they are their only support.
Cost for Obtaining Family Visa in the UAE
- The cost per person for sponsor registration file service is AED 268.90
- The cost per person for Tasheera (wife/children outside the UAE) is AED 488.90
- The cost per person for Tasheera (wife/children inside the UAE) is AED 1,1389.90
- The cost per person for Tasheera (parents inside the UAE) is AED 488.90
- The cost per person for normal medical test is AED 322.50
- The cost per person for a 1-year Emirates ID is AED 250
- The cost per person for 2-year Emirates ID is AED 350
- The cost per person for 3-year Emirates ID is AED 450
- The cost per person for transfer of new residence to a passport is AED 259.9
That is all the pertinent information on sponsoring family members in the UAE. When your family members finally arrive in the UAE, you will naturally want them to live in a great neighbourhood. Explore this list of properties available for sale in the UAE and buy a unit keeping your family’s preferences and ease in mind.
Stay tuned to your favourite property blog for more on everything pertaining to real estate in the UAE.
