Did you know you could sponsor your grandparents in Dubai? Here’s how.
Which relatives can you sponsor for a residence visa through the DubaiNow app?
Dubai: If you are living in the UAE and wish to invite your family members – like your parents, or other relatives – on a residence visa, did you know that you could start their visa application process online through the DubaiNow app?
In fact, the app allows users to apply for a residence permit for any of the following relatives:
• Husband
• Daughter
• Son
• Newborn
• Mother
• Brother
• Sister
• Father
• Grandfather
• Grandmother
• Father-in-law
• Mother-in-law
• Brother-in-law
• Sister-in-law
• Uncle
• Aunt
• Co-brother (the husband of your wife's sister)
• Stepfather
If you wish to apply for your grandparents visa, you can do so whether they are currently inside or outside the UAE. However, there are certain additional documents that you would be required to submit. Here are the steps you need to follow.
Sponsoring your grandparents has a procedure which is very similar to when you sponsor your parents.
Step 1: Entry permit
To apply for an entry permit, you can start the application on DubaiNow or visit an Amer centre.
Shafiq Muhammad, Public Relations Officer with Muhaisnah Documents Clearing Services in Dubai, said: “Sponsoring your grandparents has a procedure which is very similar to when you sponsor your parents.”
If you wish to apply for the permit through DubaiNow, download the application and sign in using your UAE Pass.
1. Tap on ‘Residency’ services.
2. Click on ‘Get residency’.
3. Provide your monthly salary and select the details of your relationship with the individual you wish to sponsor.
4. Choose the option of whether the dependent is inside or outside the UAE.
5. Enter the passport details of the dependent, submit the necessary documents and make the fee payment to apply for the approval.
If entry permit is approved, the dependent will have to apply for ‘change of status’ at an additional fee of approximately Dh600. This way the dependent will not have to leave and re-enter the country with a new entry permit.
If you wish to apply for the permit through an Amer centre, Sirajudeen Ummer, a Public Relations Officer at First Gate Business Services, recommended that applicants visit the Humanitarian Department of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai at the Dubai Festival City.
“When grandchildren are sponsored by their grandparents, their parents must be present with them under their sponsorship,” he said.
Ummer also provided the list of documents that need to be submitted, whether the application is made online or in person.
Required Documents
• Passport copies (colour) of grandparents and one photo with white background
• Original passport of sponsor and spouse.
• Original Emirates ID of sponsor.
• Monthly salary should be Dh20,000 or above.
• IBAN (International Bank Account Number) of the Sponsor (applicant).
• Bank Account Statement for the last Three months with bank's seal. Online copy will not be accepted.
• Partner/Investor visa holders should attach the company’s and their personal account statements for the last six months, a trade licence copy, list of partners and the LLC agreement.
• Original Tenancy Contract (consisting of a minimum two bedroom apartment). It has to be attested through the Ejari online system of Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA).
• If you live in outside Dubai, you will need to submit the municipality attested tenancy contract and electricity bill.
• Original Electricity Bill for the last month.
• Labour Contract copy.
• Original Salary Certificate, if the sponsor is a Government/Semi-government/Free zone Employee.
• You would need to bring both your grandparents when submitting the request at the Amer centre. You should also bring both your parents or attested death or divorce certificates or any other reason that needs to be submitted. Such certificates must be attested from UAE Embassy in your home country and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC) in the UAE.
• Affidavit – a Dependency Certificate attested from your consulate stating that you will take care for the sponsored parents and be responsible for their well-being.
When grandchildren are sponsored by their grandparents, their parents must be present with them under their sponsorship.
Cost:
Visa fees
As mentioned earlier, the visa fee will depend on whether the dependent is inside the UAE or outside.
Visa application government fee outside country: Dh486
If your grandparents are inside the country, you will need to pay a status change fee and an ‘Inside country’ visa fee: Dh1,136 + Dh636
File opening government Fee: Dh255
Deposit: Dh2,561
After approval, Dh2,561 for each grandparent should be deposited at Immigration through the Amer centre. You may need to pay additional typing charges. This amount is refundable after cancellation and exit. If the application gets rejected, you can get the amount refunded to your bank account, without visiting the Immigration office.
“Once the entry permit approved, you will get an SMS from GDRFA to visit the Amer Centre and pay the security deposit of Dh2,561 for each parent. After a few hours, a visa copy will be emailed to applicant's registered e-mail address,” Ummer said.
He added that the visa copy which is emailed is a black and white copy, if you need a colour copy, which is required for immigration clearance from some countries, you can visit any GDRFA Dubai branch and request for the copy, for no extra fee.
How long does the process take?
It can take up to a maximum of one week.
Step 2: Travel to Dubai
If the applicant is not in the UAE, they can now travel to Dubai. This must be done within 60 days after the entry permit is approved.
Step 3: Medical Test
Go to a medical test centre (no appointment needed) and do the tests required for your residency application.
Cost: Dh300 to Dh1,000 (depending on normal, urgent or VIP service)
Also read
Step 4: Emirates ID
Cost: Dh375
Go to an Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) centre (no appointment needed) and submit the biometric information required for your Emirates ID application.
Step 5: Residency stamp
Cost: Dh375
As the validity of the visa is for one year, the visa stamping fee is Dh357.
For an urgent stamping service request, the cost is Dh436.
How long does the process take?
Maximum one to two weeks