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The Gulf Expat

How do I sponsor my family for a UAE residence visa?

You can sponsor your family if you hold a valid UAE residence permit and have adequate housing. Income needed: AED 3,000 a month plus employer-provided housing, or AED 4,000 a month if housing is not provided.

Checked 7 November 2026

Outside Dubai, the ICP family residence service handles the application. In Dubai, use the GDRFA Dubai family residence service.

u.ae says the conditions are subject to change, so check them before you apply.

If this is you

You live in the UAE on a residence visa and want your spouse or children to live here with you.

If you miss it

Outside Dubai, a relative who enters to finish the process can stay only 60 days from the date of entry. Ask ICP what applies before those days end.

Official page: ICP family residence service. In Dubai, use the GDRFA Dubai family residence service at gdrfad.gov.ae.

What to do now

  1. Check that your own residence permit is valid, and note its expiry date.
  2. Read the income condition on the ICP family card, and compare it with your employment certificate.
  3. Gather the housing papers u.ae lists: a certified lease or proof of owning a home.
  4. Collect passports, photos, the attested marriage contract and the children's birth certificates.
  5. Apply on the ICP portal, or on the GDRFA Dubai portal if you live in Dubai.

This also affects

Who you can sponsor

You can bring your spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25 and children with special needs.

In Dubai, GDRFA says a resident may bring a husband, children under 25 or unmarried daughters. GDRFA also lists children with special needs at any age.

Holders of a Green residence can also sponsor first-degree relatives.

The ICP family card gives no rule for an ordinary resident sponsoring parents. Ask ICP or GDRFA before you apply for a parent.

Income and housing

  • Income: AED 3,000 a month plus employer-provided housing, or AED 4,000 a month if housing is not provided.
  • Job title: you can sponsor your family whatever your job title, if you meet the income condition.
  • Housing: you must show adequate housing for your family, owned or rented.
  • The ICP family card sets no minimum number of bedrooms or rent. It asks for proof of kinship.

The GDRFA family card states no salary figure. Ask GDRFA whether the same income condition applies in Dubai.

What to bring

The ICP family card lists, among others: passport, personal photo, water or electricity bill, proof of kinship, birth certificates, an employment certificate showing income and housing, and valid health insurance.

u.ae also lists a certified lease or proof of owning a home, a copy of your passport with a valid residence permit, and your job contract.

Health: family members aged 18 or over need a medical fitness test at an approved health centre.

Fees

  • ICP, outside Dubai: AED 100 application fee, AED 100 for each year of the permit and AED 100 smart service fee.
  • The ICP card also lists a Status Adjustment fee of AED 500. It does not say when this applies, so ask ICP.
  • GDRFA Dubai: AED 200 plus AED 10 Knowledge Dirham, AED 10 Innovation Dirham, AED 500 if you apply inside the country and AED 20 delivery.
  • The GDRFA card adds that the issuance fee increases by AED 100 annually whenever the residency is over two years.

How long the family's visa lasts

Your family's residence cannot outlast yours. If your visa ends sooner, theirs ends with it.