Many people who work or run a business in the UAE want their family to live with them. In the UAE this is done through "family sponsorship": the resident becomes the sponsor of the residence of their family members. This article is based on the "Residence visa for family members of employees" page of the official UAE Government portal (`u.ae`), the "Issue Residence Permit" service page of the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) and the family entry permit service page of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA), checked on 24 October 2026.
Who can be sponsored?
The UAE Government portal and ICP name these people for a foreign resident:
| Family member | Stated condition |
|---|---|
| Spouse | With an attested marriage certificate |
| Daughters | Unmarried |
| Sons | Under 25 |
| Children of determination | No stated age limit, with proof of the disability |
| First-degree relatives | Only for Green Visa holders |
The pages we read state no condition for an ordinary foreign resident to sponsor parents; the UAE Government portal mentions sponsoring parents only in the section for UAE citizens and for Green Visa holders. If you want to bring your parents, ask the residency office of the emirate where you live about the current condition.
Income and housing condition
| Condition | What the official pages say |
|---|---|
| Monthly income | At least AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus housing provided by the employer |
| Job | The UAE Government portal says employees with this income can sponsor their family "regardless of their job title" |
| Housing | ICP says suitable housing in proportion to the property's capacity, owned or rented, is required |
| Sponsor's residence | The sponsor must hold a valid UAE residence permit |
| Business partner (Dubai) | GDRFA says the partner's share under the partnership contract must be at least AED 48,000 |
Documents
ICP names these documents for the family of a foreign resident:
- passport and personal photo;
- a water and electricity bill;
- proof of the family relationship: an attested marriage certificate and the children's birth certificates;
- proof of the children's age or proof of the disability;
- an employment certificate showing the monthly income and the housing provision;
- valid health insurance;
- a copy of the national identity card, only for nationals of Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq.
For the family entry permit in Dubai, GDRFA also lists: a passport with at least 6 months of validity, the employment contract, a salary certificate for employees of government, semi-government and free zone entities, the partnership contract for a partner, an attested birth certificate, an attested marriage certificate, and, if the sponsor is the mother, the father's consent letter.
Documents issued outside the UAE, such as the marriage and birth certificates, usually have to go through the attestation chain; the article on attesting foreign documents for the UAE explains that chain.
Medical examination
The UAE Government portal says family members aged 18 and over must take a medical examination at approved health centres in the UAE and be found medically fit.
Fees in Dubai
GDRFA states these fees for the service "Issue entry permit for residence without work — family sponsorship":
| Line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Permit fee | AED 200, plus 5% value added tax |
| Knowledge Dirham | AED 10 |
| Innovation Dirham | AED 10 |
| Fee for applying from inside the country | AED 500 |
GDRFA gives 48 hours for this service and notes that the final amount may differ depending on the person's circumstances. This entry permit allows a stay of 60 days from the date of entry to complete the residence formalities. After entry, each member's residence permit and identity card carry their own fees; the ICP "Issue Residence Permit" page lists fees of AED 100 application fee, AED 100 for each year of residence and AED 100 smart service fee, but the page lists them for all categories together and does not attribute them to families separately, so check the exact amount when applying. The medical examination and insurance are also separate costs.
Validity of the family's residence
| Subject | Stated rule |
|---|---|
| Length of the family's residence | Matches the sponsor's residence and does not exceed it (ICP) |
| Cancellation of the sponsor's residence | The family members' residence must also be cancelled (UAE Government portal) |
| Period after expiry or cancellation | 6 months to obtain a new residence permit (UAE Government portal) |
| Family of a UAE citizen | 5-year residence without the need to work, with a citizen sponsor |
An example
This example is hypothetical and only puts the official fees above side by side. An employee in Dubai with a monthly salary of AED 5,000 and a two-year residence wants to bring a spouse and a 12-year-old son who are outside the UAE:
| Line | Per person | For two people |
|---|---|---|
| Entry permit (AED 200 + 5% tax) | AED 210 | AED 420 |
| Knowledge and Innovation Dirhams | AED 20 | AED 40 |
| Residence permit for 2 years, estimate from the ICP list (100 + 2 × 100 + 100) | AED 400 | AED 800 |
| Total | AED 630 | AED 1,260 |
If one of them applies from inside the UAE, the AED 500 fee for applying from inside the country is added. The identity card, the spouse's medical examination (18 and over), insurance and document attestation are not in this table. This employee's salary is above the AED 4,000 threshold.
Practical points
- Attest the marriage and birth certificates in the issuing country before travelling; this usually takes time outside the UAE.
- The employment certificate must clearly show the monthly income and the housing situation.
- Track the expiry of your residence and your family's together; the family's residence does not outlast yours.
- If you plan to change jobs or cancel your residence, weigh the 6-month period and your family's residence in advance.
- If you hold a Green Visa, check separately whether you can sponsor first-degree relatives.
Royal Golden does not give legal or immigration advice. This article is general information, and the decision on any residence rests with the official UAE authorities.
Sources
- UAE Government portal, Residence visa for family members of employees — https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/visa-and-emirates-id/Types-of-visas/Residence-visa/residence-visa-for-family-members (checked on 24 October 2026)
- Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), Issue Residence Permit — https://icp.gov.ae/en/services-details/?serviceid=64afe3c1035448005bd52e64 (checked on 24 October 2026)
- General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (GDRFA), Issue entry permit for residence without work, family sponsorship — https://gdrfad.gov.ae/en/services/d551ce7b-52e8-11ea-0320-0050569629e8 (checked on 24 October 2026)