The short answer
A UAE resident can sponsor their spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25 and children with special needs. You need a monthly income of at least AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation from your employer, suitable housing and proof of the relationship. Family members aged 18 and over take a medical test, and you apply for their residence visas before the stay allowed by their entry permit ends. Parents can be sponsored in some cases, with extra conditions.
Who you can sponsor
| Family member | Rule |
|---|---|
| Wife or husband | Yes, with an attested marriage certificate. Some emirates set extra conditions when a woman sponsors her husband. |
| Sons | Until 25 |
| Daughters | While unmarried, no age limit |
| Children with special needs | At any age |
| Step-children | Possible with extra documents, such as consent from the other parent |
| Parents | In some cases, with extra income, housing and a guarantee; see below |
Income and housing rules
- Income: at least AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 a month plus accommodation from your employer.
- Housing: suitable accommodation for the family, usually shown with a tenancy contract registered with Ejari in Dubai.
- Proof of relationship: marriage and birth certificates, attested and translated where needed.
- Your own visa: you must hold a valid UAE residence visa.
The rules for sponsoring parents, and for women sponsoring their husbands, can be stricter and differ by emirate. We check the current rule for your case before you apply.
Family visas for company owners
If you hold an investor or partner visa through your own company, you sponsor your family as the visa holder. Instead of a salary certificate, you show your income with company documents and bank statements. Many of our clients set up the company, get their own residence visa and then bring the family a few weeks later; we plan both together.
Golden Visa holders can also sponsor their family. See UAE Golden Visa.
Sponsoring your parents
Parents can be sponsored in some cases, usually when you have a higher income, suitable housing and pay a refundable deposit or guarantee for each parent, often for one year at a time. Golden and Green Visa holders have their own rules for first-degree relatives. Because the conditions differ by emirate and change often, we confirm them for your case on the call.
Documents you usually need
From you (the sponsor)
- Passport, residence visa and Emirates ID
- Salary certificate or employment contract, or company documents if you own the company
- Bank statements
- Tenancy contract (Ejari in Dubai)
For each family member
- Passport copy
- Passport-format photo
- Marriage or birth certificate, attested and translated
- Medical test result (18 and over)
Sometimes
- Consent from the other parent (step-children)
- Medical report (children with special needs)
- Health insurance, where required
How to get a family visa, step by step
- Check the rules. Income, housing and documents for each family member.
- Attest the certificates. Marriage and birth certificates issued abroad.
- Entry permit. Your family enters the UAE on it, or changes status if already here.
- Medical test. For family members aged 18 and over.
- Biometrics and Emirates ID.
- Residence visa issued, within the stay allowed by the entry permit.
With us, we book the medical tests and biometrics, follow every step and deliver the Emirates IDs to you.
Attestation: the step that delays most families
Marriage and birth certificates issued outside the UAE usually need to be attested in the country that issued them, then by the UAE, and translated into Arabic. Start this before you travel: it is the step that most often adds weeks. We tell you exactly which documents need it and in what order.
What decides the cost of a family visa
Each family member has their own set of fees, so the total depends on:
- How many family members you sponsor.
- Entry permit or status change, depending on whether they are already in the UAE.
- Medical tests for those aged 18 and over.
- Emirates ID for each person.
- Attestation and translation of certificates.
- Any deposit required, for example for parents.
We don't publish a total that may be wrong for your family: after a free call you get the exact amount, line by line.
Family visa or visit visa?
| Family residence visa | Visit visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Living in the UAE with you | A stay of weeks or a few months |
| Emirates ID | Yes | No |
| School, bank, healthcare | Yes, as a resident | Limited |
| Length | Follows your own visa | Short, with a fixed end date |
Visiting first is fine, and family members can often change status to residence without leaving the UAE.
Renewal and cancellation
- Renewal: family visas are renewed together with yours, with a new medical test where required.
- If your visa ends: your family's visas depend on yours, so plan any job or company change in advance.
- Cancellation: family visas must be cancelled, or moved to a new sponsor, before your own is cancelled.
- Time outside the UAE: long absences can put a residence visa at risk. Golden Visa families have more flexibility.
School and health insurance
Once your family has residence visas and Emirates IDs, you can enrol the children in school and open bank accounts. In Dubai, health insurance is needed for residents, including family members, so arrange it as soon as the visas are issued. Ask schools early: popular schools have waiting lists, and they usually ask for the child's Emirates ID or visa.
Common mistakes
- Arriving without attested certificates. The entry permit expires while documents are still in process.
- Housing that doesn't match. A tenancy contract that is not registered, or too small for the family.
- Income shown the wrong way. Allowances or company income not documented as the authority expects.
- Missing the entry permit deadline. Family members who entered on an entry permit must get their residence visa before their allowed stay ends.
- Sons turning 25. Plan their own visa route before they reach the limit.
How we help
We check the rules for your family, tell you which documents need attestation, apply for the entry permits or status changes, book the medical tests and biometrics, and deliver the Emirates IDs. If you are setting up a company, we plan your own visa and your family's together. Gold package clients get a chauffeur to the medical test and biometrics.
Sources
Rules checked on 29 October 2026. Family visa rules change and differ by emirate, so we confirm them for every client.