Dubai Family Visa: How to Sponsor Your Spouse and Children (2026)

In broad terms, an expatriate who holds a valid UAE residence visa and Emirates ID can sponsor immediate family members to join them. According to the UAE Government portal (u.ae), employees can generally sponsor their family regardless of job title once they meet the income condition, though some professions and circumstances are treated differently in practice.

The sponsored family's residence permits are linked to the sponsor's own visa. If your residence permit is cancelled, your dependents' visas usually have to be cancelled too, so it is worth keeping your own status valid and up to date.

Female sponsors can sponsor family, but the conditions and income thresholds are often different and can be higher. If you are a wife sponsoring a husband and children, confirm the specific requirements with GDRFA or ICP, as they differ from the general figures quoted for a male sponsor.

The headline requirement is a minimum income. As an indicative figure, a resident sponsor is commonly cited as needing around AED 4,000 per month, or roughly AED 3,000 per month plus employer-provided accommodation. Please treat these as guideline numbers rather than fixed guarantees, because the authorities can and do update them.

Where the lower salary plus accommodation route is used, the housing element usually needs to be documented. A simple allowance may not be enough on its own unless your employer formally certifies that accommodation is provided, so check exactly what evidence your case requires.

You will also typically need to show suitable housing through a registered tenancy contract (Ejari) or proof of property ownership. The authorities want to see that the family has an appropriate place to live, alongside proof of steady income such as a salary certificate or labour contract.

To sponsor a wife or husband, you generally have to prove a valid, existing marriage. The UAE Government portal notes that a resident sponsoring a spouse must submit an authenticated marriage certificate in Arabic, or an official Arabic translation certified by an approved translator.

If your marriage certificate was issued abroad, it usually needs to be attested so that it is recognised in the UAE. This attestation chain commonly runs through the relevant authorities in the country of issue and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, followed by legal translation into Arabic where needed.

Adults being sponsored normally have to pass a medical fitness test at an approved health centre in the UAE as part of the process. Timelines vary, so it is sensible to prepare the marriage certificate and attestations well before you plan to apply.

Parents can generally sponsor their children, subject to age and status rules. Unmarried daughters can usually be sponsored without a fixed upper age limit, and children with special needs are typically covered without the standard age cap.

For sons, sponsorship has historically been available while they are young, with study extending the eligible age for older sons. Some 2026 sources indicate sons can be sponsored up to around age 25 where they are enrolled in accredited study, while official guidance has in the past referred to lower ages with a study extension. Because this detail has changed over time, confirm the current son age limit directly with GDRFA or ICP for your situation.

You will normally need each child's birth certificate, attested and translated into Arabic where required, showing the parental relationship. Older children may also need to complete medical fitness tests in line with the rules for adults.

Sponsoring parents is possible but comes with stricter conditions. In particular, the income threshold to sponsor parents is significantly higher than for a spouse and children, and additional requirements such as medical insurance and a deposit may apply. If sponsoring parents matters to you, verify the exact current threshold and conditions with GDRFA before committing.

A UAE Golden Visa can make family sponsorship considerably more generous. Golden Visa holders generally do not have to meet the standard minimum salary condition to sponsor family, and can often sponsor a spouse and children on longer-term residency aligned with their own visa.

Golden Visa holders are also commonly able to sponsor domestic workers and, in some cases, extend sponsorship more flexibly to family members. For many property investors and professionals, this long-term stability for the whole household is a key reason to consider a Golden Visa route, which we are happy to discuss alongside your real estate plans.

Typical documents include your passport and residence visa, Emirates ID, a recent salary certificate or labour contract, bank statements, a registered tenancy contract (Ejari) or title deed, attested marriage certificate for a spouse, attested birth certificates for children, passport photos and, in most cases, valid medical insurance.

A common sequence is: confirm you meet the income and housing conditions; gather and attest the required certificates; apply for an entry permit if the family member is outside the UAE; complete the medical fitness test for adults inside the UAE; apply for the Emirates ID; and finally have the residence visa stamped or issued. Applications are generally made through GDRFA in Dubai or the ICP smart channels.

Costs vary by emirate, visa length and service used, and typically bundle several items such as the entry permit, status change where relevant, medical test, Emirates ID and visa stamping, plus any deposit and insurance. As a rough indication, budget for several hundred to a few thousand dirhams per family member, and check the live official fees before you start. This article is general information, not legal or immigration advice, so please confirm all current rules, figures and fees with official UAE sources such as GDRFA and ICP.