UAE Family Visa: How to Sponsor Your Spouse and Children?

Last verified: September 2026

Key takeaways

To sponsor your spouse and children you generally need a minimum salary of AED 4,000 per month, or AED 3,000 plus employer-provided accommodation.
The authorities assess the basic salary on your attested employment contract, not your total package.
Marriage and birth certificates issued abroad must be fully attested and translated into Arabic before the UAE will accept them.
Expect around AED 4,500 to AED 6,500 per dependent for a standard two-year visa, and roughly two to three weeks once documents are ready.
Every dependent needs valid medical insurance, and adults over 18 must pass a medical fitness test.

Bringing your family to live with you is one of the biggest steps in settling into the UAE, and the UAE family residence visa is how you do it. The process is well defined and manageable, but it trips people up in predictable places: the salary the authorities actually count, the attestation chain on foreign certificates, and the order the steps have to happen in. This guide walks through exactly how to sponsor your spouse and children in 2026, what it costs, and how to avoid the delays that catch most first-time sponsors.

Any expatriate resident with a valid UAE residence visa can apply to sponsor immediate family, subject to a salary condition. A male resident can sponsor his wife and children directly. A female resident can also sponsor her family, and in practice this is straightforward for many professions, though some cases are assessed on the mother’s role and salary. The key point is that sponsorship is tied to your income and your valid residency, not to your job title.

Which family members qualify

You can sponsor your spouse, your sons under the age of 25, and your unmarried daughters. As of 2026, unmarried daughters can be sponsored with no upper age limit. Children with special needs can be sponsored regardless of age. Sponsoring parents is a separate, higher-threshold process and is not covered in depth here.

The salary requirement, and what actually counts

To sponsor your spouse and children, the standard requirement is a minimum salary of AED 4,000 per month, or AED 3,000 per month plus accommodation provided by your employer. This is the single most misunderstood part of the process.

Two things matter here. First, the authorities look at the basic salary stated on your attested employment contract, not your headline package with allowances added in. If your basic pay sits below the threshold even though your total salary is well above it, your application can be questioned. Second, the “plus accommodation” route requires your employer to formally provide housing. A cash housing allowance on your payslip does not automatically qualify unless your employer certifies that accommodation is provided. If you are checking your own eligibility, read the basic salary line on your labour contract first.

Documents you need to prepare

Getting the paperwork right before you start saves the most time. The core documents are:

Your own passport and valid UAE residence visa.
Your attested employment contract or an official salary certificate. Government, semi-government and free zone employees are usually asked for a salary certificate.
Your tenancy contract registered through Ejari in Dubai (or Tawtheeq in Abu Dhabi). If you have not registered yet, see our guide to Ejari registration.
An attested marriage certificate to sponsor your spouse.
Attested birth certificates for each child.
Passport-size photographs to the required specification.
Valid medical insurance for each dependent, which is mandatory for the visa. Compare options in our roundup of health insurance companies in the UAE.

Attestation is where most delays happen

Any marriage or birth certificate issued outside the UAE must be attested through the full consular chain and then translated into Arabic by a certified legal translator. In practice that means attestation in the country of origin, then by that country’s foreign ministry, then by the UAE embassy there, and finally by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs once you are in the country. Start this early, because it is the step you cannot rush at the end.

The step-by-step process

Once your documents are attested and ready, sponsoring your family follows a clear sequence, typically completed in two to three weeks:

Apply for the entry permit. This allows your family member to enter or remain in the UAE while the residence visa is processed. If they are already in the country on a visit visa, a status change may be possible without leaving.
Complete the medical fitness test. Every sponsored family member over the age of 18 must undergo and pass a medical fitness test at an approved health centre.
Apply for Emirates ID. Biometrics and registration are done at an authorised centre. The Emirates ID is issued for each dependent.
Stamp the residence visa. The final step places the residence visa in the passport or links it digitally, completing the sponsorship.

Applications outside Dubai are handled through the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship. If you live in an emirate other than Dubai, our guide to ICP Smart Services explains the platform you will use.

How much it costs in 2026

Total costs typically range from AED 4,500 to AED 6,500 per person for a standard two-year family visa, covering the entry permit, medical test, Emirates ID and visa stamping. Fees vary by emirate, by whether you use a typing centre or an Amer service centre, and by any urgent processing you choose. Medical insurance is an additional and unavoidable cost, priced per dependent based on age and cover level. Renewal is cheaper than the first issuance.

Family residence visa versus a visit visa

If your family is only coming for a holiday rather than to live here, sponsorship is not what you need. A short stay is covered by the UAE family visit visa instead, which has its own rules and costs. And if you qualify for long-term residency in your own right, sponsoring family can be simpler under the UAE Golden Visa, which extends residency to dependents on more generous terms.

Common mistakes to avoid

The delays that cost people weeks are almost always avoidable. Leaving certificate attestation to the last minute is the biggest one. Assuming your total salary qualifies when your basic pay does not is the second. Forgetting that a cash housing allowance is not the same as employer-provided accommodation is the third. Finally, letting your own residence visa lapse stops you sponsoring anyone, so keep your status valid throughout.

For the official requirements and the latest fees, check the UAE Government portal on the residence visa for family members and, for Dubai applications, the GDRFA.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the minimum salary to sponsor family in the UAE in 2026?

To sponsor your spouse and children you generally need a minimum salary of AED 4,000 per month, or AED 3,000 per month if your employer provides accommodation. The authorities assess the basic salary on your attested employment contract, not your full package.

Can a woman sponsor her husband and children in the UAE?

Yes. Female residents can sponsor their families. Many professions qualify straightforwardly, though some cases are assessed based on the sponsor's role and salary. The same salary condition and document requirements apply.

Do foreign marriage and birth certificates need to be attested?

Yes. Certificates issued abroad must be attested through the full consular chain and translated into Arabic by a certified legal translator before the UAE will accept them. This is the step that most often causes delays, so start it early.

How long does the UAE family residence visa take?

Once your documents are properly prepared and attested, the process usually takes about two to three weeks, covering the entry permit, medical fitness test, Emirates ID registration and visa stamping.

How much does it cost to sponsor a spouse or child?

Expect roughly AED 4,500 to AED 6,500 per person for a standard two-year visa, plus mandatory medical insurance for each dependent. Costs vary by emirate and service channel, and renewals are cheaper than the first issuance.

Until what age can I sponsor my children?

You can sponsor sons under the age of 25 and unmarried daughters, who as of 2026 have no upper age limit. Children with special needs can be sponsored regardless of age.