How to Sponsor Your Family in the UAE: Spouse, Children and Parents
- 24.10.2026
- Posted by: Uwe Hohmann
- Categories: Dubai, Middle East
Bringing your family to live with you is one of the first questions people ask when they move to the UAE for work or to run a business. The good news is that it’s straightforward when your residence status is in order, and your documents are attested on time. Sponsoring parents is possible too, but it comes with stricter conditions that are worth understanding before you apply.
Who You Can Sponsor
Any expatriate with a valid UAE residence visa can sponsor close family members, whether they are employed or own a company. The family members covered are your spouse, your unmarried daughters of any age, your sons up to the age of 25, and children with special needs regardless of age.
For business owners, this means your own residence visa is the foundation. If you are setting up a company in Dubai and plan to relocate with your family, the order matters: first your company license, then your investor or partner visa, and only then the residence visas for your family.
The Salary Requirement for Family Sponsorship in the UAE
To sponsor a spouse and children, you need a monthly salary of at least AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 if your employer also provides accommodation. Your job title does not matter.
Company owners and partners prove their financial standing through the partnership contract rather than a salary certificate, and the GDRFA (General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs) in Dubai sets a minimum partner share of AED 48,000 for this purpose.
Sponsoring Your Parents
Parents can also be sponsored, but the conditions are noticeably stricter than for a spouse or children. Authorities expect a considerably higher income, a tenancy contract for a home large enough for the whole family, and a letter from your home country’s embassy or consulate in the UAE confirming the family relationship.
If your parents only want to spend part of the year with you, visa-free entry or a visit visa is often the simpler route.
Documents and Process
The application is submitted online through the GDRFA website or app using UAE Pass, or in person at an Amer service centre. You will need passport copies valid for at least six months, personal photos, your employment contract and salary certificate or your partnership contract, an attested marriage certificate for your spouse, and attested birth certificates for your children. Where the mother is the sponsor, a no objection letter from the father is also required.
Documents issued abroad need to be attested in the country of issue and then by the MoFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) in the UAE. This step takes the longest, so it is worth starting before you move. Once submitted, the entry permit is typically issued within about 48 hours. If your family is already in the UAE, an additional in-country fee applies. The entry permit gives them 60 days to complete the medical fitness test, which is required for everyone aged 18 and over, the Emirates ID biometrics, and the residence visa itself.
What Happens When Your Own Visa Changes
Your family’s residence visas are tied to yours. If your visa is cancelled, for example because you change employer or close your company, your family’s visas must be cancelled too. They then have a six month grace period from the date of cancellation or expiry to obtain a new residence permit. If you fail to renew or cancel their visas on time, you as the sponsor can be fined.
For business owners – plan for this whenever you restructure, move your company to a different free zone or to the mainland, or change your visa category. Keeping your family’s visas aligned with yours avoids unnecessary fines and stress.
What Happens When Your Own Visa ChangesVisit Visas for Parents and Relatives
If your parents or relatives only want to visit, they may not need a sponsor at all. Citizens of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the other Schengen countries can enter the UAE without a visa and stay for up to 90 days within any 180 day period. For many European families, this covers the winter months or regular visits to children and grandchildren without any paperwork.
A residence visa only becomes necessary if your parents want to live with you for longer than that. For other nationalities, the UAE offers sponsored visit visas of 30, 60 or 90 days, with a maximum total stay of 120 days. The sponsor needs a monthly income of AED 4,000 for first-degree relatives such as parents, AED 8,000 for second- and third-degree relatives, and AED 15,000 for friends, and pays a refundable deposit of AED 1,000 for a single entry or AED 2,000 for multiple entries.
What This Means for Your Business
Family sponsorship in the UAE is straightforward when your own residence status is in order and your documents are attested in time. The salary rule for spouses and children is modest, while parents need more preparation and a closer look at the current conditions. For business owners, treat your family’s visas as part of your company planning, because any change to your visa directly affects theirs.
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