Key takeaways
- A UAE resident can sponsor a family residence visa if they hold a valid residence permit and earn a minimum monthly salary of AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation (u.ae, checked 18 October 2026).
- The people a UAE resident can sponsor are a spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25, and children with special needs of any age (GDRFA Dubai and u.ae, checked 18 October 2026).
- Both employees and employers can sponsor a family visa on a company residence visa, and job title is no longer a sponsorship condition for expatriate workers.
- Company owners and partners who don't draw a salary can still sponsor in Dubai, but GDRFA Dubai asks for a partnership agreement showing a share of at least AED 48,000.
- GDRFA Dubai quotes 48 hours to process a family entry or residence application once the file is complete, with a government fee of AED 200 plus small add-ons (checked 18 October 2026).
- A dependant's visa is tied to the sponsor's own visa: if the sponsor's residence is cancelled, the family's visas must be cancelled too.
Who can sponsor a family member on a UAE company visa?
Any expatriate with a valid UAE residence permit can sponsor family if their salary meets the minimum. The u.ae portal says both employers and employees holding valid residence visas can sponsor their families, and that occupation is no longer a requirement for expatriate workers.
The income test is AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 a month plus accommodation. The wording differs slightly between pages: the GDRFA Dubai page says "AED4,000 or AED3,000, in addition to housing". Read together with u.ae, the AED 3,000 figure applies only where accommodation is also provided.
Sponsors on a Green visa can sponsor first-degree relatives too, according to the u.ae page on family residence visas.
Which family members can you sponsor?
You can sponsor your spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25, and children with special needs regardless of age. That is the list on the GDRFA Dubai family permit page and the u.ae page, both checked 18 October 2026.
| Family member | Can be sponsored? | Condition | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse | Yes | Certified marriage contract | GDRFA Dubai, u.ae |
| Unmarried daughter | Yes | Attested birth certificate | GDRFA Dubai, u.ae |
| Son | Yes, up to age 25 | Attested birth certificate | GDRFA Dubai, u.ae |
| Child with special needs | Yes, any age | Proof of kinship | GDRFA Dubai, u.ae |
| Parents | Yes, with a yearly visa | Separate conditions; check with GDRFA or ICP | u.ae |
A mother can sponsor children as well, but u.ae describes this as a special case approved by the ICP, and the Dubai entry permit page asks for a no-objection letter from the father when the guarantor is the wife. Treat a woman-led sponsorship as a case to confirm with the authority before you pay anything.
What documents do you need to sponsor family?
The GDRFA Dubai entry permit page lists eight items: a personal photo, a passport copy valid for at least 6 months, your employment contract, a salary certificate (for government, semi-government and free zone employees), a partnership contract for partners, an attested birth certificate, a certified marriage contract, and a father's no-objection letter if the wife is the sponsor.
Anyone aged 18 or over must also pass a medical fitness test at an approved UAE health centre. In Dubai, the residence permit page adds a recent colour photo on a white background and a passport copy for each sponsored person.
Two points catch people out. First, certificates issued abroad usually need attestation before they're accepted; the GDRFA list says "attested" and "certified", so confirm the exact chain for your country before you travel with originals. Second, the salary certificate is listed for free zone employees, so a free zone company needs to be ready to issue one on letterhead.
How much does it cost and how long does it take?
GDRFA Dubai shows a government fee of AED 200 for the entry visa (plus 5% VAT) and AED 200 for the residence permit, with processing quoted at 48 hours. Extra charges apply in some cases, as the table shows.
| Fee item | Amount (GDRFA Dubai, checked 18 October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Entry visa fee | AED 200 plus 5% VAT |
| Residence permit fee | AED 200 |
| Knowledge Dirham | AED 10 |
| Innovation Dirham | AED 10 |
| Fee if the person is already inside the UAE | AED 500 |
| Delivery | AED 20 |
| Residence over two years | Issuance fee increases by AED 100 annually (GDRFA wording) |
| Processing time | 48 hours |
These pages don't publish medical test, Emirates ID or insurance prices, so we've left them out; ask the approved health centre and your insurer for current quotes. GDRFA says the total "may vary depending on the circumstances".
How do you apply, step by step?
The process in Dubai runs entry permit first, then medical test, then residence permit, and each of the two applications can be filed online or at a service centre.
- Confirm your own residence permit is valid and that your salary or partnership share meets the minimum.
- Gather the passports, photos, attested certificates, contract and salary certificate listed above.
- Apply for the entry permit on the GDRFA Dubai website or smart app with UAE Pass, or at a Customer Happiness Centre or Amer service centre. Outside Dubai, u.ae points to the ICP.
- Your family enters the UAE on the entry permit, which allows a stay of 60 days while residency is arranged.
- Each person aged 18 or over takes the medical fitness test at an approved centre.
- File the residence permit application with the photo and passport copy; GDRFA says approval is notified and emailed if nothing is missing.
- In Dubai, arrange health cover: Dubai Health Insurance Law No. 11 of 2013 places the duty to insure dependants on the sponsor.
A family member already inside the UAE on another status can be switched to a dependant permit, which is why the inside-country fee exists. If you'd rather not track these dates by hand, the free UAE compliance calendar lists them for your company.
AED 4,000: minimum monthly salary to sponsor family in the UAE, or AED 3,000 where accommodation is also provided. Source: u.ae, family residence visa sponsorship requirements, checked 18 October 2026.
What happens to your family's visa if your own visa changes?
Dependants' residence permits are linked to the sponsor's permit, so cancelling yours means cancelling theirs. u.ae says dependants then get a 6-month grace period to obtain a new residence permit, and that sponsors who fail to renew or cancel dependants' visas may be fined.
The GDRFA Dubai family permit page states a 60-day grace period after expiry or cancellation instead. The two pages disagree, and we couldn't reconcile them from an official source, so plan on the shorter figure and confirm with GDRFA before relying on the longer one.
What most guides don't tell you
- Owners who pay themselves no salary are the awkward case. A salary certificate is one route; for partners, GDRFA Dubai asks for a partnership contract showing a share of at least AED 48,000. Say a founder holds 100% of a SHAMS company with AED 10,000 of share capital: that share would sit below the figure, so a salary on contract is the safer route to plan around. This is our reading of the rules, so confirm it with GDRFA first.
- Free zone and emirate processes differ. u.ae names both the ICP and GDRFA as the authorities to confirm with, and Dubai has its own service pages, so a Dubai-visa holder and an Abu Dhabi-visa holder shouldn't assume identical fees or document lists.
- The 60-day entry permit is a deadline, not a courtesy. If the family arrives before the medical tests and residence file are ready, the clock is already running; book the medical test before the flights.
- Sequencing matters for renewals. Your own visa renewal and your family's are separate files, but the family's permit rides on yours, so renew yours first and don't let it lapse.
Which deadlines apply to your company?
Your family's visas, your own renewal and your company's tax filings all run on different clocks. The free UAE compliance calendar is a calendar of your company's UAE tax and compliance deadlines, personalised from a few questions, as a PDF and calendar file.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sponsor my parents in the UAE?
Yes, u.ae says a resident can sponsor his parents, and their residence visa is issued yearly regardless of how long the sponsor's own visa runs. Salary and housing conditions for parents are set separately by GDRFA or the ICP, and we couldn't verify the figure from an official page, so check with the authority.
What is a PRO service and do I need one?
A PRO (public relations officer) service files government paperwork such as visas and permits on a company's behalf. It isn't a legal requirement for family sponsorship, because GDRFA Dubai lets you apply yourself online with UAE Pass or at a service centre.
What are overstay fines in the UAE?
Fines can apply when a visa holder stays on after expiry or cancellation, and u.ae says sponsors who don't renew or cancel dependants' visas may be fined. We couldn't verify the daily amount from an official source, so we haven't quoted one; check it on the ICP or GDRFA fines service.
What happens if I don't cancel a visa after an employee leaves?
The permit stays active against your company file, and u.ae says sponsors who fail to cancel visas may be fined. Cancel it on the GDRFA or ICP service once the person has left, and cancel linked family permits at the same time.
About Qawi · Qawi is a corporate services firm licensed in the Sharjah Media City (SHAMS) free zone, handling company formation, visas and PRO, bookkeeping, VAT and corporate tax for UAE businesses. Guides are researched from FTA, Ministry of Finance and free zone sources. Qawi on LinkedIn
Sources
- u.ae: Sponsorship requirements for family residence visas
- u.ae: Residence visa for family members
- GDRFA Dubai: Entry visa for residence without work (family sponsorship)
- GDRFA Dubai: Issuance of a residence permit for foreigner family members
- Dubai Health Authority: notice on sponsors' health insurance duties under Law No. 11 of 2013
Last checked: 18 October 2026
This is general information, not tax or legal advice for your specific situation.