If you are working in the UAE and want your family to live with you, you will need to sponsor their residence visas yourself. It is one of the most common questions expats ask: how much salary do I need to sponsor my wife and kids, what papers are required, and how much does the whole thing cost?
This guide walks through the process in plain English — who can sponsor, who can be sponsored, the documents you will need, the steps in order, and a realistic cost breakdown. Figures here are approximate and based on what government portals and typing centers typically show; fees and rules change, so always double-check before you pay anything.
Quick Answer
To sponsor your family in the UAE, you generally need a valid UAE residence visa, a monthly salary of at least AED 4,000 — or AED 3,000 plus company-provided accommodation — and a proper tenancy contract in your name. Sponsoring parents is harder: it usually takes a higher salary (roughly AED 20,000 in many cases), a bigger apartment, and a refundable deposit per parent. The total cost per family member typically lands somewhere between AED 3,000 and AED 7,000+, depending on the visa duration, emirate, and insurance. From entry permit to stamped residence visa, the process usually takes two to four weeks.
Who Can Sponsor a Family Visa?
Not everyone living in the UAE can sponsor family members. The right to sponsor comes with your own residence visa, so you have to be a legal resident first — holding just a visit visa or tourist visa does not qualify you as a sponsor.
Employment vs self-employed and investor sponsors
The most common sponsors are salaried employees. If you hold a standard employment residence visa — which most people on a work visa in the UAE do — you can apply to sponsor your family once your own visa and Emirates ID are issued.
Self-employed people, freelancers, and investors can also sponsor their families, but the paperwork is heavier. You will typically need your trade license (and proof it is active), recent bank statements showing regular income, and in some cases proof of accommodation and income through your company. Free zone employees and freelancers on free zone permits sponsor through their own zone’s or emirate’s channels in some cases, so check the exact route before you start — the general rules on salary still apply, but the documents asked for can differ slightly.
The salary threshold
This is the number everyone asks about. The widely applied minimum is:
| Condition | Minimum salary |
|---|---|
| Without company accommodation | AED 4,000 per month |
| With company-provided accommodation | AED 3,000 per month |
These are the standard thresholds used across the UAE. Some job categories may face additional requirements, and the rule of thumb is simple: if your salary is well above the minimum and your contract shows it, you will not have problems at this stage.
One important detail: the salary on your employment contract and labour card is what matters, not what you actually receive informally. If your contract says AED 5,000 but your offer letter says AED 8,000, the figure that counts is the official one.
Accommodation requirement
Along with salary, you need to show you have somewhere suitable for your family to live. That means a tenancy contract (Ejari in Dubai, Tawtheeq in Abu Dhabi, or the equivalent in other emirates) registered in your name. Sharing a villa or apartment with other bachelors will not be accepted for family sponsorship purposes — the authorities expect a family-suitable residence.
Who Can Be Sponsored?
The UAE’s rules cover the standard family circle: spouse, children, and parents. Each category has its own conditions.
Sponsoring your spouse
A husband can sponsor his wife with the standard documents and the usual salary threshold. A wife can also sponsor her husband — this has been allowed for years and the conditions were simplified further, generally requiring that she earns at least the standard minimum salary and holds a valid residence visa.
You will need an attested marriage certificate. If you married outside the UAE, the certificate must be attested by your home country’s foreign ministry and the UAE embassy there, then by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This attestation step is one people often underestimate — get it done before you start the visa process, not during.
Sponsoring your children
You can sponsor both sons and daughters. Daughters can usually be sponsored until they marry, regardless of age. Sons can be sponsored up to age 18, or up to 21 if they are students (with proof of enrolment). Some recent rule updates have extended flexibility for sons up to 25 in certain cases, so confirm the current rule when you apply.
For children born in the UAE, you have a limited window — roughly 120 days from birth — to get the child a passport and visa, otherwise fines start to apply. Do not leave a newborn’s paperwork for later; it is one of the easiest ways people rack up overstay fines without realizing it.
Sponsoring your parents — the stricter category
Sponsoring parents is possible but it is a different league of difficulty:
- Higher income required: typically a salary of around AED 20,000 per month (or AED 19,000 plus a two-bedroom accommodation, in some interpretations). This threshold is noticeably higher than the family minimum.
- Both parents together: as a rule, you must sponsor both parents at the same time. Sponsoring only one parent is allowed only in limited situations — for example, if the other parent has passed away or the parents are divorced, with documents to prove it.
- Refundable deposit: a deposit per parent is commonly required, often cited around AED 5,000 each. It is refundable when the visa is cancelled.
- Bigger accommodation: a two-bedroom apartment is generally expected.
- Health insurance: mandatory, and at their age it will be the most expensive line in your budget.
Parent visas are usually issued for one year and renewed annually, rather than the two-year cycle common for spouse and children visas.
Can you sponsor stepchildren or domestic workers?
Stepchildren can be sponsored in some cases, usually with a no-objection certificate from the biological parent and the usual conditions met. Domestic workers (maids, drivers, nannies) are a separate category entirely — they are sponsored under a domestic worker visa, not a family visa, with its own salary and accommodation requirements for the sponsor. If you need household help, treat that as a different process from your family sponsorship.
Documents Checklist
Get these ready before you visit a typing center or start online — missing one paper is the most common reason applications stall.
Documents of the sponsor (you)
- Passport copy and visa page copy
- Emirates ID copy
- Labour contract / salary certificate showing your monthly salary
- Tenancy contract in your name (Ejari/Tawtheeq or equivalent)
- Recent utility bill (DEWA/SEWA/FEWA depending on emirate) in your name
- Bank statements for the last 3 months (sometimes requested)
Documents of the family members being sponsored
- Passport copies (valid at least 6 months)
- Passport-size photos with white background
- Attested marriage certificate (for spouse)
- Attested birth certificates (for children)
- For parents: proof of relationship and, if sponsoring one parent only, death certificate or divorce decree of the other
A note on attestation
Any document issued outside the UAE — marriage certificates, birth certificates, degrees — needs the full attestation chain: home country foreign ministry, UAE embassy in that country, then the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Documents in any language other than Arabic or English need a legal translation as well. Do this first; it is slow and you cannot skip it.
Step-by-Step Application Process
The sequence matters. Here is the usual order:
1. Entry permit (if family is outside the UAE)
If your family is abroad, you first apply for their entry permits (also called e-visas or pink visas in older terminology). You can apply through Amer centers (Dubai) or ICP typing centers (other emirates) or the official portals. Once approved, your family can enter the UAE.
2. Status change (if family is already inside the UAE)
If your family entered on a visit visa, you apply for a change of status instead of an entry permit — no need to exit the country. A fee applies for the status change, typically a few hundred dirhams per person.
3. Medical fitness test
Everyone aged 18 and above must pass a medical fitness test at a government-approved medical center. It is a blood test and chest X-ray, mainly screening for communicable diseases like TB and HIV. Results usually come in one to two working days. This step is mandatory — no medical clearance, no residence visa.
4. Emirates ID application
Apply for each family member’s Emirates ID. Biometrics (fingerprints and photo) are taken at an ICP service center. The Emirates ID is now deeply tied to the residence visa — in fact, in recent years the physical visa sticker in the passport has been replaced by the Emirates ID as the main proof of residency.
5. Residence visa issuance
With the medical cleared and Emirates ID applied for, the residence visa itself is issued. The older “visa stamping” step — physically stamping the passport — has largely been phased out in favor of the electronic residence permit linked to the Emirates ID. Your family’s legal residency is then active.
Typical total time: two to four weeks from entry permit to finished residence visa, assuming documents are complete and medicals come back clean.
Cost Breakdown: What You Will Actually Pay
Fees vary by emirate, visa duration, and whether you use a typing center or apply online. The table below gives realistic approximate ranges per person so you can budget properly. For a deeper look at the residence side of the equation, see our UAE residence visa cost guide.
| Item | Approximate cost (AED) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Entry permit / e-visa | 400 – 1,200 | Per person; varies by duration and emirate |
| Status change (if inside UAE) | 500 – 750 | Instead of exit/re-entry |
| Medical fitness test | 300 – 700 | Normal vs VIP/urgent service |
| Emirates ID | 100 – 200 per year | Multiplied by visa duration |
| Residence visa issuance | 500 – 1,500 | Per person; 1- or 2-year option |
| Health insurance | 650 – 5,000+ | Mandatory; cheapest basic plans to comprehensive cover |
| Typing center / service fees | 100 – 300 | Per application if you use one |
| Document attestation & translation | 200 – 600 | One-off, per document |
Realistic total per person: roughly AED 3,000 to AED 7,000+ for a spouse or child on a two-year visa, and noticeably more for parents because of the higher insurance premiums and the refundable deposit. A family of four can easily be looking at AED 15,000 to AED 25,000 all-in — budget for the upper end so there are no surprises.
Health Insurance: Mandatory, Not Optional
Health insurance is mandatory for every sponsored family member — the residence visa will not be issued or renewed without valid cover. In Dubai and Abu Dhabi this has been enforced strictly for years, and the requirement now applies across the UAE.
As the sponsor, you must arrange the insurance, and it must meet the minimum standards of your emirate. Basic plans for young, healthy adults start around a few hundred dirhams a year, but cover for parents can run into several thousand. If your employer provides family medical cover, get written confirmation of exactly who is covered before you assume you are sorted — many company policies cover the employee only. Our UAE health insurance plans guide breaks down what to look for.
Practical tip: buy the insurance early in the process. Some applications get held up at the final step because the policy details do not match the visa application exactly — name spelling, passport number, dates. Check these match before you submit.
Common Rejection Reasons
Applications do get rejected. The usual causes are avoidable:
- Salary below the threshold on the official contract or salary certificate — the single most common reason.
- Tenancy contract not in your name, expired, or for shared/bachelor accommodation.
- Unattested or missing documents — especially marriage and birth certificates from abroad.
- Name mismatches across passport, marriage certificate, and application forms (even small spelling differences).
- Failed medical test — certain communicable diseases lead to visa denial.
- Sponsor’s own visa issues — expired visa, expired Emirates ID, or an employer with immigration blocks.
- Overstayed visit visa for family members already in the country, with unpaid fines.
If rejected, read the reason carefully — most are fixable. Correct the document or salary issue and reapply rather than guessing.
Renewing and Cancelling Family Visas
Family residence visas are typically issued for one, two, or three years (parents usually one year) and must be renewed before expiry. There is a grace period after expiry, but do not rely on it — start the renewal at least a month early.
Renewal repeats most of the original steps: renewed health insurance, a fresh medical test for adults, Emirates ID renewal, and the residence visa renewal itself. If you have moved house, your new tenancy contract needs to be updated first. Our visa renewal guide covers the timing and grace-period details.
Cancellation is required if your family leaves the UAE permanently or if you change jobs and your own visa is cancelled — dependents’ visas are linked to yours. When you cancel, any refundable deposits (such as the parent sponsorship deposit) can be claimed back.
Important: if you lose your job, your family’s visas are affected too. You generally get a grace period to find new employment or arrange for your family to exit or transfer sponsorship. Plan for this scenario before it happens.
Myths and Mistakes to Avoid
- “My salary slip is enough.” It is the official contract/labour card figure that counts, not informal payslips.
- “I can sponsor my parents on a normal salary.” Parent sponsorship has a much higher income bar and a deposit — budget and check eligibility first.
- “The visa sticker in the passport is everything.” The physical stamp is largely phased out; your Emirates ID is now the key document. Keep it valid and on you.
- “Insurance can wait until later.” No — it is required for issuance and renewal. No policy, no visa.
- “My newborn doesn’t need a visa yet.” You have roughly 120 days from birth to sort the passport and visa. After that, fines apply per day.
- “Any typing center quote is final.” Get the fee breakdown in writing and compare — service charges vary, and government fees are fixed regardless of who files.
Official Sources & Useful Links
For the final word on any rule or fee, go to the source:
- UAE Government Portal — u.ae/en: the official portal with pages on sponsoring family members, required documents, and procedures.
- Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) — icp.gov.ae: applications, Emirates ID, and residence services outside Dubai.
- General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA) — gdrfadubai.gov.ae: Dubai-specific visa and Amer center services.
- Your emirate’s health authority (DHA in Dubai, DoH in Abu Dhabi) for the current mandatory insurance rules.
Rules and fees change — what was true last year may have shifted. Verify critical details on these official portals before you act.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the minimum salary to sponsor family in the UAE?
Generally AED 4,000 per month, or AED 3,000 per month if your employer provides accommodation. This is the standard threshold used across the UAE for sponsoring a spouse and children. Parent sponsorship requires a much higher salary, typically around AED 20,000.
Can a wife sponsor her husband for a UAE family visa?
Yes. A wife holding a valid UAE residence visa and meeting the minimum salary requirement can sponsor her husband. The process and documents are essentially the same as when a husband sponsors his wife.
How long does the family visa process take?
Typically two to four weeks from entry permit to issued residence visa, assuming all documents are in order and medical results come back clean. Delays usually come from unattested documents or mismatched names, not from the government processing itself.
How much does a UAE family visa cost in total?
Roughly AED 3,000 to AED 7,000+ per person for a spouse or child on a two-year visa, including entry permit, medical, Emirates ID, visa issuance, and mandatory health insurance. Parents cost more due to higher insurance premiums and the refundable deposit. Fees vary by emirate and change over time, so treat these as planning figures.
Is health insurance mandatory for sponsored family members?
Yes — it is mandatory for visa issuance and every renewal. The policy must meet your emirate’s minimum standards, and the sponsor is responsible for arranging it. Employer-provided family cover counts only if it genuinely covers each dependent.
Can I sponsor my parents if I earn less than AED 20,000?
It is difficult. The parent sponsorship category carries a higher income requirement (often cited around AED 20,000), a two-bedroom accommodation expectation, and a refundable deposit per parent. If your salary is below the bar, the application is likely to be rejected — check the current threshold on the official portals before applying.
What happens to my family’s visas if I change jobs or lose my job?
Your family’s visas are tied to your sponsorship. If your own residence visa is cancelled, theirs must be cancelled or transferred too. You normally get a grace period to find new employment, during which you can keep things legal — but do not let visas lapse into overstay, because fines accumulate daily for each person.
The Bottom Line
Sponsoring your family in the UAE is a well-worn process — thousands of people do it every month — but it rewards preparation and punishes shortcuts. Get your salary documentation straight, make sure your tenancy contract is in your name, attest your marriage and birth certificates before you start, and buy proper health insurance early. Budget roughly AED 3,000–7,000+ per person, allow two to four weeks, and verify the current fees on the official portals before you file. Do that, and the process is straightforward rather than stressful.
Last Updated: 8 October 2026
About the author: Zaviyar Sultan is a UAE-focused writer at Asandada24, covering visas, banking, insurance and business setup. His guides are researched from official UAE government and regulator sources and updated regularly.
Asandada24 is an independent informational website, not affiliated with the UAE government or any agency mentioned; content is general information only, not legal, immigration or financial advice; verify critical details with official sources before acting.