UAE Family Visa, who can apply for it and how?

Eligibility for members of one’s family

A male expatriate has an advantage when it comes to sponsoring family members to move to the UAE. As a man with a Residence Visa in the UAE, you are permitted to bring the following family members into the country with you:

Spouse

The GDRFA allows Muslims to sponsor two wives, but they must meet certain requirements in order to do so.

Sons

Your sons, of course. Only sons under the age of 18 can be sponsored by their fathers. Sons over the age of 18 may be sponsored, but only if they are still in school, and only for a limited time, until they turn 21. To avoid losing their UAE visa, sons must return to the UAE at least once every six months while studying abroad.

Daughters

Only unmarried daughters are eligible for sponsorship.

Parents

If you meet the following requirements mentioned below, you can sponsor your parents as well:

• You sponsor both parents unless one of them has passed away
• You put down a deposit for each parent as a guarantee.
• You purchase health insurance for your parents.
• Say you make AED 19,000 a month and have a two-bedroom apartment.

Stepchildren

If the biological parent signs a No Objection Certificate, you can sponsor your stepchildren. Stepchildren are eligible for a one-year renewable visa.

 What are the requirements for a UAE family visa?

In order to support an application for a UAE Family Visa, the following documents are required:

1. Application for a Visa to Enter the United Arab Emirates (online or through a registered typing office)
2. Original passports and photocopies of those of the sponsored family member(s).
3. Photographs of the sponsored family member(s)
4. Any family member over 18 years old must have a medical clearance certificate
5. A duplicate of the sponsor’s contract of employment or agreement with the company
6. Proof of the sponsor’s monthly salary
7. Certificate of legalization of marriage
8. Evidence of habitation, such as a registered tenancy agreement
9. The most recent utility invoice

A medical examination

Males and females over 18 years old must take and pass medical fitness tests at government-approved health centers in the UAE before the government grants or renews a residence visa for family members.

All visa applicants will be tested for HIV (via blood testing) and pulmonary tuberculosis, two communicable diseases (by taking an x-ray of their chest). Medically unfit individuals, such as those with HIV or tuberculosis, will not be granted a residence visa. The UAE authorities will deport them right away.

Inactive pulmonary tuberculosis in residents is also considered medically fit. Upon treatment and follow-up by the Department of Preventive Medicine or equivalent government health authority, they are granted a one-year ‘Health Fitness Certificate for Residence.’ As a result, if you have any reason to believe you may be infected with an infectious disease, you should get tested in your own country first.

How to Apply for a UAE Family Visa?

The UAE allows expatriates and their employers to sponsor each other for family visas. You have to apply for a UAE Family Visa if you are a foreign resident within 60 days of receiving your UAE Residence Visa.

Submitting an application for an entry

You (or your employer) must first apply for an entry permit for your family members before they can come to the UAE to join you. You can apply for an entry permit for your family members at any of the following emirates online.

The websites of the GDRFA in each emirate:

• Abu Dhabi
• Dubai
• Sharjah
• Ajman
• Ras Al Khaimah
• Fujairah

GDRFA Dubai mobile apps for following” Apple and follow” Android are also available.

Submitting an application for UAE Family Visa

You must apply for the UAE Family Visa on behalf of your family members who are already inside the country on an entry permit because it is a type of residence visa. You can apply for a family visa at the relevant emirate’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) office.

Providing financial support for your parents

In order to sponsor your parents for a year of stay, an expatriate employee must pay a deposit to the appropriate immigration department for each parent.

Only one of the employee’s parents can be sponsored by an expatriate employee. He’ll have to cover the costs of both parents’ education together. He must also show that he is the only one supporting them and that no one else is looking after them back home.

It is necessary to show official documents as proof that he can sponsor only one of his parents if one of them has died or if his parents are divorced or separated.

Employed expatriate residents who wish to sponsor their parents must first earn the required minimum salary and then obtain a medical insurance policy for their parents that includes the required minimum coverage for both parents, and that must be renewed annually.

According to the Amer website, in Dubai, the DNRD stipulates a minimum sponsorship salary of AED 20,000. Other emirates may have different terms and conditions.

Can a woman sponsor her family through a UAE family visa?

To sponsor your husband and children, a woman in Abu Dhabi needs to earn at least AED 10,000 or AED 8,000 per month plus accommodation and be one of the following job titles in order to qualify:

• Engineer
• Teacher
• Doctor
• Nurse
• Work in the medical field

She’ll be asked for more documentation by the appropriate authorities.

As long as she earns more than AED 10,000 a month and has special permission from the DNRD, women who don’t fall into one of these categories in Dubai can still sponsor their families.

The child of a single mother can be sponsored. Authorities may ask for documents that are similar to those required for stepchildren to be sponsored.

How long is a UAE Family Visa valid?

Visas for UAE families can be issued for a period of one, two, or three years and can be renewed thirty days before their expiration date. Because Family Visas are tied to the sponsor, they will be null and void if the sponsor’s visa expires or is canceled. 

Let’s sum up…

You can sponsor your family and bring them to the UAE through a family visa. The article explained who is eligible to apply for a UAE family visa, the requirements, and the application process. It’s the full guide you need to sponsor your family in the UAE.

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