Expatriates seeking to resettle their elderly parents in the UAE, must first bring them over on a visit visa to undergo medical check-ups.

Once the expatriate has secured health insurance for the parent, the residency application should be submitted to the Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD).

A source from the department said that an agreement has been reached with insurance companies to facilitate bringing elderly parents into the UAE.

"Insurance companies had refused to insure old people for less than Dh8,000 per annum. This posed a real problem for those who wanted to bring their parents over," he said.

The DNRD and the insurance companies have agreed that the DNRD is to issue visit visas for the father and/or mother of an expatriate. The parents will then be subject to check ups by a specialised medical commission.

The results of the check-ups will be submitted to the insurance company, which will determine the premium in coordination with the DNRD.

The DNRD recently issued a decision that expatriates may sponsor their parents against a guarantee of Dh5,000, but insurance companies have objected to setting a unified rate of insurance.