Table of Contents
- Family visa Dubai requirements
- Documents required for a family visa in Dubai
- How much does a family visa cost in Dubai?
- How to apply for a family visa in Dubai, step by step
- How long does a family visa take in Dubai?
- How long is a Dubai family visa valid?
- Family visit visa vs family residence visa
- Can you work on a family visa in Dubai?
- Why Dubai family visas get delayed or rejected
- What employers and HR teams handle
- Get your family visa filed right the first time
- FAQs on family visas in Dubai
Last updated: 5 November 2026 | Reviewed by: M. A. Farahat, ACPA, CFE, CICA
Short answer: To sponsor your wife and children on a Dubai family visa, you need a UAE residence visa and a monthly salary of at least AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 if your employer provides accommodation. To sponsor your parents, GDRFA Dubai asks for AED 10,000 a month and a home with at least two bedrooms. Expect to pay roughly AED 2,000 to AED 2,500 per adult in government and typing fees, a little less per child, plus health insurance, and allow two to four weeks from application to Emirates ID.
Most family visa applications that get stuck in Dubai aren’t rejected over salary. They stall on paperwork: a marriage certificate that was never attested by the UAE embassy, a tenancy contract in someone else’s name, or a salary certificate that doesn’t match the labour contract. Sort those three out before you apply, and the rest is mostly waiting.
Family visa Dubai requirements
| Who you’re sponsoring | Minimum monthly salary | Main conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Wife or husband | AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 with employer accommodation | Attested marriage certificate |
| Sons | AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 with employer accommodation | Up to age 25 |
| Unmarried daughters | AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 with employer accommodation | No age limit |
| Children of determination | AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 with employer accommodation | No age limit |
| Parents | AED 10,000 (GDRFA Dubai) | Ejari for a home with at least two bedrooms, recent bank statement; visa issued for one year at a time |
Your job title no longer matters. The UAE dropped the profession requirement, so only your salary and residence status count. Men and women sponsor on the same salary terms. A mother sponsoring her children may need extra papers, such as the father’s no-objection letter or proof of custody after a divorce.
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Documents required for a family visa in Dubai
| From the sponsor | For each family member |
|---|---|
| Passport and residence visa details | Passport copy, valid for at least six months |
| Emirates ID | Recent passport-size photo |
| Salary certificate or labour contract (partnership documents if you own the business) | Attested marriage certificate (spouse) |
| Tenancy contract or Ejari in your name, plus a utility bill where asked | Attested birth certificate (children) |
| Recent bank statement (needed for parents) | Health insurance policy |
| Medical fitness certificate (age 18 and over) |
Marriage and birth certificates issued abroad need the full attestation chain: the issuing country’s authorities, then the UAE embassy in that country, then MOFA attestation in the UAE. They must be in Arabic or English, or come with a legal translation. This is the step most people underestimate, because it happens in the home country and can take weeks.
How much does a family visa cost in Dubai?
There’s no single official price list for the whole process, because the total depends on whether your family is inside or outside the UAE, the medical test speed you choose and the insurance you buy. Typical figures reported by Amer and typing centres in 2026 are:
| Item | Approximate cost (AED) |
|---|---|
| Entry permit (family outside the UAE) | 490 to 550 |
| Change of status (family already in the UAE on a visit visa) | About 750 |
| Medical fitness test (age 18+) | 320 (standard) to 750 (fastest) |
| Emirates ID (2 years) | About 370 |
| Residence visa issuance | 560 to 610 |
| Typing and service fees | 100 to 300 |
| Health insurance | From about 700 a year (basic) |
| Refundable deposit | Commonly about 2,500 per parent |
Adding up those figures, a wife and two young children applying from outside the UAE come to roughly AED 4,900 to AED 5,800 in government and typing fees, plus about AED 2,100 a year for basic insurance for all three. Children under 18 skip the medical test, so they cost a little less than adults. Faster medicals and better insurance push the total up. Get an exact quote from GDRFA or an Amer centre before you pay, because fees change.
How to apply for a family visa in Dubai, step by step
- Check that your salary and tenancy meet the thresholds above, and get your marriage and birth certificates fully attested.
- Apply for the entry permit through GDRFA Dubai’s website or app, an Amer centre, or UAE PASS. If your family is already in Dubai on a visit visa, apply for a change of status instead.
- Once your family enters the UAE, you have 60 days to complete the residence process.
- Buy health insurance for each family member.
- Book the medical fitness test at an approved centre for anyone aged 18 or over.
- Complete Emirates ID biometrics.
- Receive the residence visa. Dubai no longer puts a visa sticker in the passport, so the Emirates ID is the proof of residence.
How long does a family visa take in Dubai?
From entry permit application to Emirates ID, most families get through in two to four weeks if the documents are right first time. Medical results usually take 24 to 48 hours on the standard service, and the Emirates ID is typically issued within about a week of biometrics. The wait that runs to months is almost always attestation in the home country, which happens before you apply.
How long is a Dubai family visa valid?
A family member’s residence visa runs for the same period as the sponsor’s visa. Parents are the exception: their visa is issued for one year at a time, regardless of the length of the sponsor’s visa. If you hold a Golden Visa, your sponsored family’s visas match its 5- or 10-year term.
Family visit visa vs family residence visa
They’re different products, and people often search for one when they need the other. A visit visa is for short stays. A residence visa lets your family live in the UAE, get an Emirates ID, open bank accounts, and enrol in school.
| Visit visa sponsored by a Dubai resident | Minimum sponsor salary |
|---|---|
| First-degree relatives (parents, spouse, children) | AED 4,000 |
| Second and third-degree relatives (siblings, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins) | AED 8,000 |
| Friends | AED 15,000 |
Visit visas are issued for 30, 60 or 90 days, up to 120 days a year. Single-entry fees are AED 200, AED 300 and AED 400, with a refundable AED 1,000 deposit. Multiple-entry visas cost AED 300, AED 500 and AED 700, with an AED 2,000 guarantee. These fees exclude VAT, insurance and service charges.
Can you work on a family visa in Dubai?
Yes, but not on the visa alone. A family member on your sponsorship can take a job once their employer gets a work permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE). They stay on your visa, and the employer handles the permit. Their pay then goes through the employer’s payroll and the Wage Protection System like any other employee’s.
Why Dubai family visas get delayed or rejected
- The marriage or birth certificate is missing the UAE embassy or MOFA stamp.
- The tenancy contract isn’t in the sponsor’s name, isn’t registered with Ejari, or isn’t suitable for a family. Parents need at least two bedrooms.
- The salary on the salary certificate doesn’t match the labour contract.
- Health insurance wasn’t bought before the application.
- A family member aged 18 or over fails the medical fitness test.
- The 60-day window after entry runs out before the residence process is finished.
What employers and HR teams handle
Every family visa in Dubai starts with paperwork from the sponsor’s employer. HR issues the salary certificate, and the figure on it has to match the labour contract registered with MoHRE. If you’ve given an employee a pay rise but haven’t updated their contract, their family visa can stall on that mismatch. Our UAE payroll team keeps salary records, contracts and salary certificates consistent so this doesn’t happen.
Companies that relocate staff with families often add family visa support to their onboarding. It’s one of the most common requests our PRO services team handles alongside employment visas and HR onboarding.
Also read: Benefits of Hiring PRO Services in Dubai | UAE Labour Law 2027 Guide
Get your family visa filed right the first time
Our PRO team checks your salary, tenancy and attestation before anything is submitted. We then file the entry permit or change of status, book medicals and Emirates ID appointments, and track the application through to the residence visa. For companies, we can do this for every relocating employee in one batch. Send us your family’s details for a quote.
Looking for Expert Support?
Connect with our experienced team for trusted advice and dedicated assistance. We’re committed to supporting you throughout the entire process.
FAQs on family visas in Dubai
Sources:
UAE Government Portal: Family sponsorship requirements
