How women can sponsor residence visas for their husband, children in Dubai
UAE family residence visa: Find out the documents, salary criteria and application process
Dubai: Are you considering sponsoring your husband and children on your visa? Whether you are employed full-time in the UAE or run your own business, you can sponsor your family’s residence visas, provided you meet the necessary eligibility criteria. In Dubai, residence visas are issued by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to sponsor your husband and family in Dubai.
Can a wife sponsor her husband and children?
Yes, as long as you meet the salary criteria.
"A wife sponsoring her husband and children, should have a salary of Dh4,000 plus proof of accomodation or Dh3,000 if they have company accomodation," Abdulhusen Munpurwala, Business Development Manager at PRO Deskk Document Clearing Services LLC, said. He added that some applicants may be required to pay a security deposit in certain cases.
He added that the requirement for a deposit depends on the profession or designation of the sponsor. For example if it is an investor visa, then they will need to provide a security deposit for each dependent.
This is not always required, and the decision is taken on a case-to-case basis by the authority and each application is reviewed by the immigration authorities. To know more about when you might need to put in a warranty deposit for a visa, read our detailed guide here.
A wife sponsoring her husband and children, should have a salary of Dh4,000 plus proof or accomodation or Dh3,000 if they have company accomodation.
Where can I go to apply for the visa?
You can apply for the visa through:
1. Amer centres
2. A registered typing cenre
3. Online, through DubaiNow
4. GDRFA Dubai website - gdrfad.gov.ae
If you do use DubaiNow or the GDRFA website, you must have a UAE Pass account to access the visa application. Click here to find out how you can create an account.
Which documents do I need to sponsor my husband and children?
Before applying for the visa, you first need to ensure you have the following documents with you:
• Emirates ID of the sponsor (wife).
• Passport copies of the husband, wife and children.
• Wife’s bank statement and labour contract. If it is a free zone visa, then the wife will need to provide an attested salary certificate.
• Tenancy contract or Ejari registered under the wife’s name.
• Passport photo with white background of the husband and children.
• Attested marriage certificate, translated in Arabic. How do I get documents translated in Arabic in the UAE? Click here to find out. The marriage certificate must also be attested by the UAE embassy in your home country and the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA).
• Attested birth certificate for children, legally translated into Arabic.
• Copy of husband’s and your children's entry permit or residence visa, as applicable.
• International Bank Account Number (IBAN).
It is important to note that you maybe required to provide additional documents during the application process.
How to apply for the visa
Step 1: Apply for an entry permit
If your family is outside the UAE, you will first need to visit an Amer centre or a registered typing centre and apply for an entry permit. Your family can travel to the UAE on this entry permit, and you can then complete the steps to apply for a residence visa. If they are in the UAE, you can still apply for an entry permit and then complete a process called ‘change status’, which allows an applicant to receive an entry permit from the immigration authorities while he or she is already in the country.
Step 2: Fill out the visa application
You then need to apply for a visa application, which can also be done at the Amer centre or typing centre. While filling out the visa application, you can also get the application for your medical fitness test typed out, which will assist you in the next step.
Step 3: Get a medical fitness test done
The your children (who are above the age of 18) and husband need to get a medical fitness test done at a government medical fitness test centre near you. Read our deatiled guide here on how to apply for a medical test in the UAE.
Step 4: Apply for Emirates ID
You then need to fill out an Emirates ID application form, which can be done at an Amer Centre or typing centre. However, if this is the first time that your husband is getting a residence visa in the UAE, he would need to provide his thumb print for the biometric data. If he has a previous visa issued in the UAE, he would not be required to provide his biometric data, as it would already be available in the ICP database. Children need to provide their biometric data only if they are 15 years old or older.
When applying for the Emirates ID, you will be asked to provide your address for the Emirates ID to be delivered to you or the nearest post office where you would like to pick up the ID from.
Step 5: Apply for health insurance
Health insurance is mandatory in Dubai, after the Dubai Health Insurance Law that came into effect in January 2014. According to the law, the health insurance is supposed to be provided by the sponsor.
However, if you are working with a company in Dubai, you may also check your employment contract to find out if your company offers spouse insurance, as part of its company policy. If it does, you can ask them to apply for your spouse’s health insurance. If not, you would need to apply for the insurance policy yourself. To know more about how you can apply for health insurance in the UAE, read our guide here.
Step 6: Receive your Emirates ID
Once the process is complete, you will receive your Emirates ID and your visa application process is complete.
What is the cost of residence visa application process?
• Entry permit if the dependents is in the country – Dh1,138
• Entry permit for outside the country – Dh492
• Cost for changing status – Dh642
• Medical Fitness Test – approximately Dh300
• Health insurance – varies depending on your policy coverage
The article was first published on June 29, 2022 and has been updated since.