Once you hold a valid UAE residency, you can sponsor your spouse, children and parents to live with you. Here's who you can sponsor, the income and document rules, what it costs, and how the process works.
Most UAE residents can sponsor immediate family once they meet the salary and housing rules. Some categories — parents especially — carry extra conditions.
An illustrative starting point per dependent sponsored inside the UAE. Your total depends on:
We check your eligibility and each dependent's documents first, then send a full written breakdown per person — government fees, our fee and any attestation — before you commit.
Split payments Setup fees can be paid in instalments with Tamara. Your advisor confirms eligibility and terms with your quote.
| Spouse | Children | Parents | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income needed | From AED 4,000 | From AED 4,000 | Set per emirate |
| Key document | Marriage certificate | Birth certificate | Proof of relationship |
| Age limits | None | Sons <25 (older if studying) | N/A |
| Refundable deposit | No | No | Yes |
| Medical test | Yes | Age 18+ | Yes |
| Both required | No | No | Both parents together |
In short: sponsoring your spouse and children is straightforward once you meet the salary and housing rules. Sponsoring parents is possible but needs a higher income (around AED 20,000/month), a refundable deposit and, in most cases, bringing both parents together.
As a resident you can generally sponsor your spouse, your sons under 25, your unmarried daughters at any age, and — under stricter conditions — your parents. Eligibility turns on your salary and accommodation; your profession is no longer a condition.
Sponsoring a spouse and children needs AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation — that is the federal figure published on u.ae. Parents need considerably more plus a refundable deposit each, and that bar is set by your emirate rather than federally: Dubai has applied around AED 20,000/month. We confirm the current figure for your emirate before you apply.
Yes, but it is the hardest category. You need a refundable deposit per parent, suitable housing, and in most cases both parents together. The permit is issued for one year at a time regardless of how long your own visa runs, so it is renewed more often than the rest of your family's. The income bar is set by your emirate — around AED 20,000/month in Dubai — and we confirm the current figure before applying.
Yes, up to the age of 25 — the limit was raised from 18 in 2022, so older guidance you may have read is out of date. Past 25 he can stay on your sponsorship only while enrolled at a higher education institute, with proof. Otherwise he needs his own residency, through employment or his own company.
Each dependent's visa usually takes one to two weeks once documents are ready, including the entry permit, medical test (for over-18s) and Emirates ID. Attestation of certificates, if not already done, can add time.
Yes. Dependents' visas are linked to your residency, so they're renewed alongside your own visa. If your visa is cancelled, theirs are cancelled too — we can advise on timing if you're changing status.
Yes, on the same terms as anyone else. The old rule limiting this to certain professions — teacher, doctor, engineer — no longer applies: u.ae states the type of profession is no longer a condition for sponsoring family. What matters is the income and accommodation test.
Self-sponsored residency with generous family sponsorship, including parents and sons with no age cap.
Get your own residency through a UAE company, then sponsor your family.
5-year, self-sponsored residency for skilled professionals and freelancers.
Ask AgentBiz who you can sponsor on your salary, or talk to a human advisor. Real requirements, honest guidance, no obligation.