At a glance
- Local name
- Family Visa
- Country
- United Arab Emirates
- Process steps
- 8
- Fee items
- 9
- Online portals
- 9
- FAQs
- 8
- Pitfalls covered
- 8
- Last verified
- 2026-06
What is Family Visa in UAE?
Family sponsorship in the UAE lets a resident expat bring in a spouse, biological or legally adopted children, and (with a higher threshold and a sole-support justification) parents. The 2022 reforms removed the previous gender-based salary thresholds, and as of 2026 any resident earning at least AED 4,000 per month, or AED 3,000 plus employer-provided accommodation, can sponsor a spouse and children. Both married fathers and married mothers can be the sponsor, although in practice the higher-earning spouse usually files. Parents require a much higher threshold (around AED 20,000 per month or AED 19,000 plus accommodation) and proof that the resident is their primary financial support.
Visas are issued through ICP in every emirate except Dubai, where GDRFA handles them under the Smart Services portal and Amer centre network. The federal residency law treats family dependants as a derivative of the sponsor's file: their visa duration mirrors the sponsor's, their renewal triggers when the sponsor's does, and a cancellation of the sponsor's visa cancels the dependants automatically with the standard 30-day grace period. Golden and Green Visa holders can sponsor family members for the full duration of their own visa (five or ten years), which is one of the most valuable practical benefits of those categories.
The biggest delay in a family visa application is almost never the UAE side; it is the home-country attestation chain. Marriage certificates, birth certificates and (in a few cases) adoption decrees must be attested in the issuing country by a notary, the relevant ministry (Civil Registry, Home Department, Ministry of Education), the home country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then by the UAE embassy in that country. The full chain typically takes two to six weeks depending on the country, and skipping a single step results in rejection at the UAE MOFA counter. After arrival in the UAE the document is re-attested by UAE MOFA online through mofa.gov.ae for AED 150 per document.
Housing is the second filter. ICP and GDRFA expect a tenancy contract that matches the family size: a studio almost never qualifies for a spouse-plus-child sponsorship, a one-bedroom Ejari is the practical floor for spouse-only sponsorship, and two bedrooms become important for families with school-age children. Dubai uses the Ejari system run by RTA Smart Rental for tenancy registration; other emirates use Tawtheeq (Abu Dhabi), Ejar (Sharjah's variant) or simple notarised contracts. The contract must be in the sponsor's name or jointly with the spouse; subletting arrangements are rejected.
Salary and income proof gets re-examined at every renewal, not just on first issuance. A salary certificate from the employer (Arabic or English, dated within the last 60 days, on company letterhead with the establishment card number) is the standard proof. For self-employed sponsors (trade licence holders) the proof is the trade licence plus the last three months of bank statements showing recurring inflows above the threshold. For free zone employees, the contract registered with the free zone authority is accepted in place of a salary certificate.
Each dependant goes through the same in-country flow as the main sponsor: entry permit issued through ICP/GDRFA, status change if already in the UAE on a tourist visa (AED 650), medical fitness test at DHA/SEHA or an approved centre, Emirates ID biometric capture if required, health insurance linked to the file, and finally electronic visa stamping plus Emirates ID printing. The full cycle takes three to six weeks once the attested documents are ready, with most of the actual UAE-side processing happening in the final five to ten working days.
What documents do I need for Family Visa?
Bring originals AND coloured photocopies of every item. Files are rejected at counter for a single missing page or unattested certificate.
Documents required
- ✓Sponsor's passport, Emirates ID and current UAE residence visa
- ✓Sponsor's salary certificate dated within the last 60 days, or trade licence plus three months of bank statements for self-employed
- ✓Tenancy contract registered with Ejari (Dubai), Tawtheeq (Abu Dhabi) or the relevant emirate equivalent, showing rooms suitable for the family size
- ✓Marriage certificate attested by the home country MOFA and the UAE embassy abroad, then re-attested by UAE MOFA
- ✓Children's birth certificates with the same full attestation chain
- ✓Family member passports valid for at least six months and passport-style colour photos with white background
- ✓Medical fitness certificate for each sponsored member aged 18 and above (HIV, hepatitis, syphilis, TB screening)
- ✓Health insurance policy in each dependant's name covering the full residence period
- ✓Adoption decree or guardianship order (where applicable), fully attested
- ✓No-objection from the husband for a working mother sponsoring children, in some practical edge cases (rare in 2026)
Eligibility
- →Sponsor earns at least AED 4,000 per month, or AED 3,000 plus employer-provided accommodation, to sponsor spouse and children
- →Sponsor earns at least AED 20,000 per month (or AED 19,000 plus accommodation) plus proof of sole financial support, to sponsor parents
- →Suitable housing (typically 1-bedroom for spouse-only, 2-bedroom for family with children)
- →Marriage and birth certificates fully attested through the home country and UAE chain
- →No active absconding report or unpaid fines on the sponsor's file
- →Sponsor's residence visa valid for at least three months at the time of dependant entry permit issuance
- →Parents over 60 typically need health insurance plans rated for senior dependants (often higher premiums)
How much does Family Visa cost in UAE in 2026?
Government fees current to 2026-06. All payments via the relevant portal wallet or SADAD-equivalent rail; service-centre cash counters typically charge a small extra typing fee.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Entry permit (per dependent) | 1,170 AED | Standard family entry permit through ICP or GDRFA. Slightly higher for outside-country issuance and for certain consular categories. Confirm current amount on ICP. |
| Status change (in-country) | 650 AED | Paid per dependant when they are already in the UAE on a tourist or visit visa and want to change to a family residence visa without leaving. |
| Residence visa stamping (two years) | 300 AED | Plus AED 20 each in knowledge and innovation fees. Three-year stamping for public sector and certain family categories runs higher. |
| Medical fitness test | 320 to 750 AED | Per adult dependant; children under 18 are exempt. Varies by emirate and by standard/express tier. |
| Emirates ID (two years, per dependent) | 270 AED | AED 100 per year card fee plus AED 70 service fee through the ICP app. Children's cards cost the same. |
| MOFA attestation per document | 150 AED | Per certificate at the UAE side. Home country embassy fees abroad usually AED 400 to 1,200 equivalent depending on country. |
| Health insurance (per dependent) | from 1,000 AED | Basic plans start around AED 1,000 per year for younger dependants; family plans for two adults plus two children typically AED 5,000 to 12,000. |
| Parent refundable deposit | 2,500 AED | Per parent, held by ICP/GDRFA against possible overstay or unpaid medical fees. Refunded on visa cancellation. |
| Tenancy registration (Ejari, Dubai) | 220 AED | If not already in place; renewed annually. |
Rather not do this yourself?
Skip the ICP queue. The UAE desk files this end-to-end for a fixed fee, with email updates the whole way.
Fixed desk fee · Email updates · No surprise add-ons.
How do I apply for Family Visa step by step?
The end-to-end flow for Family Visa in UAE. Total wall-clock time: Three to six weeks once attested documents are ready and dependants are inside the UAE. The attestation chain itself can add 2 to 6 weeks depending on home country, which is where most families lose time..
- 1
Attest documents in the home country
Have the marriage certificate, each birth certificate and any adoption decree attested by the local notary, the relevant ministry, the home country's MOFA and the UAE embassy or consulate there. Skipping any single link causes UAE MOFA to reject the document outright; this is the #1 cause of family file rejection. Most countries quote two to six weeks for the full chain. Hague Apostille countries get a shorter chain in some cases.
⏱ 2 to 6 weeks📍 center - 2
UAE MOFA re-attestation
Once you have the attested originals, scan and upload them to mofa.gov.ae or the MOFA Smart App. Pay AED 150 per document and receive the digital attestation the same day. The digital MOFA stamp is what ICP/GDRFA reads when verifying the documents.
⏱ Same day to 3 days📍 online - 3
Confirm tenancy and salary proof
Update Ejari, Tawtheeq or your emirate's tenancy registration so it shows the dependants' rooms. Get a salary certificate (Arabic or English, within 60 days, on letterhead) from the employer or, for self-employed sponsors, prepare the trade licence and last three months of bank statements.
⏱ 1 to 3 days📍 either - 4
File the family entry permit through ICP or GDRFA
Inside the ICP UAE Smart Services app (non-Dubai) or the GDRFA Dubai app (Dubai), the sponsor opens 'Residency > Issue Entry Permit (Family)' and uploads the dependant's passport, photo, the attested marriage or birth certificate, the salary certificate and the tenancy contract. Each dependant is a separate application. Approval usually arrives in three to seven working days; the e-permit PDF is emailed and saved to the app.
⏱ 3 to 7 working days📍 online - 5
Status change or travel into the UAE
If the dependants are already in the UAE on a tourist or visit visa, the sponsor submits a status change (AED 650 per dependant) inside the same app. If they are abroad, they fly in on the entry permit which is valid for 60 days. Airlines now read the e-permit directly; carrying a printed copy is optional but recommended.
⏱ Same day📍 either - 6
Medical and Emirates ID biometrics
Each adult dependant attends a DHA, SEHA or approved private centre for the standard fit-to-residence medical (about AED 320 to 750 per person, results within hours to three days). Children under 18 skip the medical. Each dependant aged 15 or above attends a Customer Happiness Centre for Emirates ID biometric capture; children under 15 only need a fresh photo.
⏱ 1 to 2 weeks📍 center - 7
Link insurance and pay stamping fees
Buy a health insurance policy in each dependant's name (the insurer pushes the certificate electronically). Pay the AED 300 residence stamping plus the AED 270 Emirates ID per dependant inside the app. The cashier requires all clearances to be green first.
⏱ 1 to 2 days📍 online - 8
Stamping, card delivery and dependent registration
ICP/GDRFA issues each dependant's residence visa electronically, and Emirates Post couriers each Emirates ID within three to seven working days (or same day with Fawri express). Once the cards arrive, the sponsor adds each dependant inside UAE Pass as a family member, registers them with the school (if applicable), buys SIM cards under their own names and updates banking and DEWA contact lists.
⏱ 1 to 2 weeks📍 online
Already lost a half-day to this?
Hand the Family Visa file to our UAE desk. We chase ICP, the typing centre, and the renewal clock so you can stop refreshing your phone.
Fixed desk fee · Email updates · No surprise add-ons.
Which portal do I use for Family Visa in UAE?
These official portals handle Family Visa for UAE. Each page on Wathim has the login flow, common errors and sibling fallback when one is down.
Family entry permits, status change, residence stamping and Emirates ID for dependants in every emirate except Dubai.
Portal guide →All family visa services for Dubai residents, through the Smart Services portal and the Dubai Amer app.
Portal guide →Authorised Amer centres in Dubai that submit family files on behalf of sponsors; particularly useful when document checks are complex.
Portal guide →Employer-side WPS confirmation that the sponsor's salary is being paid on time, which is a quiet prerequisite of any family renewal.
Portal guide →Federal SSO that the sponsor and dependents use to sign in to ICP and GDRFA for family-visa steps.
Portal guide →Abu Dhabi family-visa, dependent-EID and tenancy services in one workflow.
Portal guide →Dubai family-visa status, dependent-EID and tenancy linkage in one wallet.
Portal guide →Mandatory Dubai tenancy registration that the family-visa application checks before approval.
Portal guide →Abu Dhabi tenancy registration that the family-visa application checks for AD-issued sponsorships.
Portal guide →💡 Amer centres in Dubai and Tasheel centres elsewhere process family visa applications, document checks and biometric captures together for AED 200 to 500 in service fees on top of the government fees. They are the right choice for first-time family files (where document mistakes are most common), for sponsoring parents (where deposit and insurance arrangements have to be coordinated), and for non-standard cases (second marriages, step-children, single-parent custody). For straightforward two-year renewals where the family is already on file, the in-app flow is faster and cheaper.
How do I renew Family Visa and what are the penalties?
Family visas are typically valid for two years and are renewed alongside the sponsor's residence visa, although they can also be renewed independently if the sponsor's file remains active. The same 30-day grace period applies after expiry before the AED 50 per day overstay fine starts. Green and Golden Visa holders can renew dependants for the full duration of their own visa (five or ten years), so a Golden Visa parent does not have to re-do the family file every two years. Insurance must be renewed in parallel; an expired policy blocks the visa renewal at the cashier step.
Fines & penalties
- ⚠Overstay after grace period: AED 50 per day per dependant
- ⚠Sponsoring without meeting the salary threshold: application voided and entry permit fees forfeited
- ⚠Unattested marriage or birth certificate: rejected at UAE MOFA, family application stalled until fixed
- ⚠Failing to insure a dependant: AED 500 per month per uninsured person in Dubai and most emirates from 2025, plus a block on visa renewal
- ⚠Failure to notify ICP of changed family status (divorce, death of dependant, child reaching age limit): the file gets out of sync and the next renewal is blocked
- ⚠Parent visa: the AED 2,500 refundable deposit is forfeited if overstay or unpaid medical costs are not settled at cancellation
- ⚠Working on a family visa without an MOHRE work permit: AED 5,000 fine on the worker and possible cancellation of the family visa
What goes wrong with Family Visa applications?
These failures repeat across every Family Visa case Wathim sees in UAE. Catch them before submitting to save a counter rejection.
- !Skipping a step in the home-country attestation chain: notary, ministry, home MOFA and UAE embassy all have to stamp before UAE MOFA will re-attest
- !Salary certificate older than 60 days: the cashier rejects it even if the salary itself has not changed
- !Tenancy contract in a studio for a family of three: ICP and GDRFA will not approve unsuitable housing regardless of how much you earn
- !Forgetting health insurance before stamping: the medical certificate is valid for only three months, so a stalled insurance step can force a re-medical and a second fee
- !Trying to sponsor parents without proof of sole financial support: a single statement from a sibling abroad continuing to send money can be enough to derail the application
- !Mismatched names in Arabic between marriage certificate and passport: ICP rejects the file silently and the sponsor only finds out at the cashier
- !Sponsoring a working mother's family without confirming the husband's NOC is no longer needed in your specific category: a few free zones still ask for it as an internal policy
- !Missing the renewal window on a parent visa: the AED 2,500 deposit can be at risk if overstay accrues before the cancellation is filed
Where can I file Family Visa in person in UAE?
Multiple networks handle this: Ajman Government Services, Amer.
Frequently asked questions about Family Visa in UAE
AED 4,000 per month, or AED 3,000 plus employer-provided accommodation, to sponsor a spouse and children. Parents require AED 20,000 per month or AED 19,000 plus accommodation, plus proof you are their sole financial supporter. The 2022 reforms removed the previous gender-based thresholds, so either parent can sponsor.
Yes, but with stricter conditions: the higher salary threshold (AED 20,000 per month or AED 19,000 plus accommodation), proof you are their primary financial support, a refundable deposit of about AED 2,500 per parent held by ICP/GDRFA, and senior-tier health insurance that runs more expensive than standard adult plans. Parent visas are typically issued one year at a time and renewed annually rather than every two years.
Yes. The full chain is: local notary, the relevant ministry in the issuing country (often the Civil Registry or Home Department), the home country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UAE embassy or consulate in that country, then re-attestation by UAE MOFA at AED 150 per document. There is no shortcut for Hague Apostille countries on the UAE side; the apostille shortens the home-country chain but you still need UAE MOFA.
About 3 to 6 weeks once attested documents are ready and dependants are inside the UAE. The attestation chain itself adds 2 to 6 weeks depending on country and embassy backlog. The UAE-side processing (entry permit, medical, biometrics, stamping) is typically the fastest part, usually under two weeks.
Yes; AED 5,000 is comfortably above the AED 4,000 threshold. You will still need a tenancy contract that ICP or GDRFA considers suitable (a 1-bedroom is the practical floor for spouse-only, a 2-bedroom if you also have children) and the standard set of attested documents.
Government fees per dependant typically land around AED 2,500 to 3,500: AED 1,170 entry permit, AED 650 status change if applicable, AED 300 to 340 stamping, AED 320 to 750 medical, AED 270 Emirates ID, AED 20 to 35 Emirates Post delivery. MOFA attestation is AED 150 per document. Health insurance runs from AED 1,000 per dependant per year. The home-country attestation chain has its own costs (often AED 400 to 1,200 per document at the UAE embassy abroad).
Yes. Since 2022 dependants on a family visa can take any job for which they have qualifications, after the employer files a separate MOHRE work permit. The family visa itself is not cancelled by employment; it runs in parallel with the work permit. Free zone employment is also fine but goes through the zone's labour file.
Yes, in stages. The dependants' visas remain technically valid until the sponsor's visa is fully cancelled, then the dependants automatically enter the same 30-day grace period before the AED 50 per day overstay fine starts. If you secure a new job during that window, the new employer can re-sponsor you and you re-sponsor the dependants, but their files have to be re-issued (with fresh entry permits and Emirates ID printing).
