Dubai Family Visa: Requirements, Cost, Documents & Apply Online

Salary thresholds, documents, and fees can change, so treat the figures below as a current, verified starting point — and confirm anything case-specific directly with GDRFA or ICP before you apply. Final approval always rests with UAE immigration, not with any visa service provider.

What Is Dubai Family Visa?

A Dubai Family Visa — also called a Dubai Family Residence Visa — is a UAE residence permit that lets an eligible resident sponsor specific family members to live with them in Dubai long-term. It's issued through GDRFA Dubai, the emirate-level authority that handles residency for Dubai (other emirates go through the federal ICP instead).

This is different from a short-term family visit visa, which allows a family member to visit for a limited period without residence status, an Emirates ID, or the right to stay long-term (see the comparison further down this page). The family residence route is the right one if your goal is to have a spouse, child, or parent actually living with you in Dubai, not just visiting.

Minimum Salary for Family Visa in UAE

This is the question most people ask first, so here's the direct answer: as of the most recent update to the official UAE government portal (u.ae, updated 27 February 2026), the minimum salary to sponsor a spouse or children is AED 4,000 per month, or AED 3,000 per month if your employer provides accommodation — and this threshold is stated without a gender distinction.

That's a meaningful update worth knowing about if you've seen older guides quoting a separate, higher figure (commonly AED 10,000, or AED 8,000 with accommodation) specifically for female sponsors. Some agencies and older articles still repeat that higher figure, so if you're a female sponsor and see conflicting numbers, it's worth confirming your specific case directly with GDRFA or ICP.

Parent sponsorship works differently. There's no single fixed federal salary figure published for sponsoring parents the way there is for spouse/children. It's commonly reported that the standard route expects a substantially higher income (frequently cited around AED 20,000/month), sometimes alongside a two-bedroom accommodation requirement, mandatory health insurance for the parent, and a refundable security deposit. Because this isn't published as a fixed rule the way the spouse/child threshold is, verify the current salary, deposit, and accommodation requirement directly with GDRFA or ICP before budgeting or applying.

Dubai Family Visa Documents Required

Documents split cleanly into two groups: what the sponsor needs to provide, and what's needed for each family member being sponsored.

Sponsor Documents

Family Member Documents

Dubai Dependent Visa

"Dubai Dependent Visa" is the broader term covering any family member sponsored under this route — spouse, children, or, under separate and stricter conditions, parents. Each dependent category has its own age limits, documentation, and (for parents) different salary expectations:

• Spouse — no age restriction, subject to marriage certificate attestation
• Sons — can generally be sponsored under 25
• Unmarried daughters — no upper age limit, provided they remain unmarried
• Children with special needs — may be sponsored regardless of age, with supporting medical documentation
• Stepchildren — typically require a No Objection Certificate from both biological parents, plus a deposit
• Parents — assessed under separate, generally stricter conditions; verify current salary/deposit/accommodation requirements directly with GDRFA or ICP

Dubai Family Visa Cost

Dubai Family Visa Cost isn't one flat number — it's a stack of government fees plus a few third-party costs (medical, insurance, attestation) that vary by provider. Here's how the components break down, using current published GDRFA fee schedule figures where available:

2 Years Family Visa Price in Dubai

This is one of the most common searches around family sponsorship, because most family residence visas in Dubai are issued for a 2-year term. The core government fee component for a 2-year residence permit is fixed and published by GDRFA (see the cost breakdown above), but the total price per dependent — once medical fitness, Emirates ID, mandatory health insurance, document attestation, and any typing/service charges are added — will run meaningfully higher than the government fee alone, and the exact total depends on:

• Which family member is being sponsored (children generally cost less than adults, since under-18s skip the medical fitness test)
• Whether documents need overseas attestation
• Which health insurance plan you choose
• Whether you file directly or use a typing/Amer centre

Dubai Family Visa Apply Online

Most of the family visa process can be started and managed online, through GDRFA Dubai's smart services (for Dubai) or ICP Smart Services (for other emirates), rather than requiring an in-person visit for every step. Online submission helps you organise documents in one place and reduces the chance of small errors that trigger rejections.

That said, online submission itself doesn't guarantee approval — the decision still rests with UAE immigration once your file is reviewed. Be cautious of unverified third-party websites or informal "agents" promising guaranteed outcomes; use official government channels or an authorised, reputable typing/service centre.

Dubai Family Visa Renewal

Family visas need to be renewed before they expire — don't wait until the last moment. Renewal generally mirrors the original application in terms of documentation and fee structure, minus the entry permit component (since the dependent is already in the UAE on an existing residence status). Expect to refresh:

• The sponsor's own valid residence status (if the sponsor's visa lapses, dependent visas are affected)
• Salary/accommodation evidence, if requested
• Medical fitness, for dependents 18+
• Emirates ID renewal
• Health insurance continuity
• The applicable renewal government fee

Family Visa Dubai Sponsorship

Sponsorship is never automatic. It depends on your salary meeting the current threshold, your residence status being valid, your accommodation being suitable and properly registered, and your relationship to the family member being properly documented and attested. Meeting every requirement improves your chances, but the final decision belongs to UAE immigration — no service provider can guarantee an outcome.

Is Dubai Family Visa Open?

Family visa sponsorship is a standing UAE immigration service, not a seasonal programme — so it isn't something that gets announced as formally "open" or "closed." If you're searching this, it's likely because you're checking whether you currently qualify, or whether current processing is running normally. The safest way to confirm current availability and processing status is directly through official GDRFA Dubai or ICP channels, or an authorised service provider — rather than relying on older blog posts or unverified social media updates, since eligibility rules and thresholds are revised periodically.

Why Use Dubai Visitor Visa Guidance?

Family sponsorship rules are detailed, change periodically, and carry real consequences if a document or threshold is misunderstood. Dubai Visitor Visa can help with:

Apply for Dubai Family Visa Support Online

Before you apply, it helps to:

• Confirm your sponsor eligibility and current salary threshold
• Verify the exact documents required for your family member's category
• Check the current cost, fees, and processing time
• Apply through official GDRFA/ICP channels or an authorised provider

Disclaimer: Dubai Visitor Visa is a private visa service provider, not a government authority. Final approval of any family visa application rests solely with GDRFA Dubai and UAE immigration authorities. Salary thresholds, fees, and eligibility rules referenced above are based on official ICP, GDRFA, and u.ae sources at the time of writing and are subject to change.