Dubai is more than just a luxury holiday destination. It is one of the world’s best cities to live and work in – with a population comprising more than 90% foreign nationals. The United Arab Emirate’s dependent visa (also known as a residence visa) allows immediate family, such as spouses, children and parents, to join a resident foreign national in Dubai. A business owner, investor or company employee may sponsor a family member’s visa.
If you are looking to relocate to Dubai to join your family, this article will help you with information and guidance in applying for a Dubai dependent visa:
- How can I get a dependent visa in Dubai?
- How much does it cost for dependent visa in Dubai?
- Who are eligible for dependent visas?
- What is the minimum salary for family visas in Dubai?
- Dependent visa Dubai – documents required
- Working with Trade License Zone
How can I get a dependent visa in Dubai?
Applying for a dependent residence visa in Dubai is a straightforward process – if you know what you’re doing, that is. There are different classes of residence visas available. Trade License Zone can guide you in applying for a valid UAE residence visa following all the UAE family visa rules to sponsor family members.
A male expatriate resident in Dubai can sponsor family members only if these residents meet the minimum salary of AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus accommodation as part of a monthly salary package.
Likewise, a female expatriate resident in Dubai can also sponsor residence visas for family members, but the minimum salary of AED 10,000 or AED 8,000 plus accommodation is part of a monthly salary package.
When sponsoring a spouse, the sponsor must provide a marriage certificate. For a child, the sponsor must provide a birth certificate even if they are the biological parent. Both such documents required must be translated into Arabic by a certified translator. The sponsor must also provide a tenancy contract for their apartment or house.
There are four primary steps to applying for a dependent residence visa in Dubai:
- Entry permit: The applicant must first apply for an entry permit. This UAE visa type can best be considered a temporary visa as it provides the visa holder with up to 60 days’ visa duration. This allows the visa holder sufficient time to apply for a full dependent residence visa from Dubai’s respective immigration department.
- Status change: There are three ways to activate an entry permit. This is called a status change when you enter the UAE and activate your entry permit. The applicant must send his/her passport to the UAE’s Immigration Services for it to stamp and activate the entry permit. Alternatively, for entry visa processing, you can activate an entry permit via an out-of-country status change. This can be completed if you are out of the country when applying for a full dependent residence visa. You can visit an airport and present your passport to immigration to stamp it to activate it. The final method of activating an entry permit is what is locally known as a border run: the applicant leaves the UAE by land to a neighbouring country, re-enters the UAE, and presents their passport and visa to the UAE immigration official to stamp and activate the entry permit.
- Medical test: Once your entry permit is activated, you’ll need to undergo a medical test. This includes blood tests and an X-ray. The results take less than a week to process. After passing the medical checks, you can apply for an Emirates ID Card for a full dependent residence visa. This process includes visiting Dubai’s Immigration Centre to submit biometric data, such as fingerprints and eye scans, to create a valid Emirates ID Card.
- Visa stamping: This is the final step in getting your dependent residence visa in Dubai: the residence visa needs to be issued and stamped. For this, the passport must be submitted to Dubai’s Immigration Centre, where they will affix and stamp the visa in the passport before sending it back to you. This procedure usually takes between 10 and 21 days.
How much does it cost for a dependent visa in Dubai?
The Dubai dependent visa costs AED 100 per year per person. The dependent residence visa sponsor will also be required to pay a refundable deposit of AED 2,000 per person.
Who are eligible for dependent visas?
The UAE family visa requirements stipulate that an expatriate resident can sponsor any immediate family members. This means a spouse, unmarried daughters, sons below the age of 18, and parents of the Dubai family visa sponsor. A valid residence visa also allows the visa holder to sponsor domestic workers, such as cleaning staff, drivers, childminders, and caretakers. A labour contract is required from the Immigration Department.
What is the minimum salary for a family visa in Dubai?
To sponsor residence visas, a male (such as a husband, father or son) that holds a residency visa in Dubai can sponsor family visas. The minimum salary to sponsor a family member visa is AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus accommodation.
As we have already mentioned, a female (such as a wife, daughter or mother) resident in Dubai can also sponsor a family visa. The minimum salary of AED 10,000 or AED 8,000 plus accommodation as a monthly salary is a requirement.
Dependent visa Dubai – documents required
The documents required for a dependent family visa application are:
- Completed application form
- Passport copies of the sponsoring family members
- Photos of family members applying for the visa
- Medical clearance certificate of the applicant (and medical insurance policy certificate if applicable)
- Authenticated marriage certificate
- Copy of the husband’s employment contract or the wife’s employment contract
- A salary certificate issued by the sponsor’s employer
- Birth certificate for a child (even if the applicant is the biological parent of the child)
- Registered tenancy contract
Working with Trade License Zone
Business setup in the UAE is straightforward when you partner with a team of experts, such as Trade License Zone. If you’re applying for a dependent residency visa, when you partner with Trade License Zone, we will save you from unnecessary delays and streamline the entire process for you and your family members.
The specialists at Trade License Zone can get started once you provide us with some basic documentation and a little information about your family members. Then, please sit back and let our team take care of the rest. It really is that simple.