To bring your spouse and children to live with you in Dubai, the process runs in one fixed order: prove you meet the salary rule, attest your family certificates, get entry permits, bring your family in (or change their status if they are already here), then complete medical tests, Emirates ID biometrics and residence issuance for each person. In Dubai you will do most of this through Amer centres under GDRFA; the same steps run through ICP in the other emirates.
Quick facts
- Salary rule: For sponsoring a spouse and children, the commonly applied minimum is around AED 4,000 per month, or AED 3,000 plus company accommodation — confirm the current threshold with Amer/GDRFA before applying
- Time needed: Typically 2–3 weeks end to end once documents are attested
- Where it happens: Amer centres, medical fitness centres and ICP Emirates ID centres
- Visa length: Usually matches your own residence (commonly 2 years; 1 year in some cases)
- Order matters: Entry permit first, then entry/status change, then medical, then Emirates ID
Step by step: entry permit to Emirates ID in order
- Confirm you qualify. Check your contract salary, and make sure you hold a valid residence visa and Emirates ID yourself. Your tenancy should be registered as an Ejari in your name.
- Attest family certificates. Your marriage certificate and each child’s birth certificate must be attested in your home country, by the UAE embassy, and by MOFA in the UAE, with certified Arabic translation where needed.
- Open the sponsorship file and apply for entry permits. At an Amer centre, submit your documents plus family passports and photos. One permit is issued per family member.
- Family enters the UAE. They travel on the entry permit. If they are already in Dubai on visit visas, file the status change instead so they do not need to exit.
- Medical fitness tests. Your spouse and any children aged 18 or over attend a medical fitness centre (DHA centres in Dubai) for screening. Children under 18 skip the medical.
- Buy mandatory health insurance for each family member, meeting DHA requirements for Dubai visas.
- Emirates ID applications and biometrics. Apply at Amer/typing or online; first-time applicants aged 15 and over give fingerprints at an ICP centre. Younger children are usually exempt from biometrics.
- Residence issued and IDs delivered. The residence is electronic; Emirates ID cards arrive by courier or post office collection. Update school, bank and clinic records with the new ID numbers.
Documents needed
Prepare: your passport, Emirates ID and labour contract (or salary certificate); your Ejari tenancy contract; three months of bank statements if asked; attested marriage and birth certificates; family members’ passports with at least six months’ validity; and passport photos with white backgrounds. If you are sponsoring stepchildren or are a mother sponsoring children, extra documents such as a No Objection Certificate from the other parent are usually required — ask Amer for the exact list for your situation before you start attesting, because re-attestation is slow and costly.
Costs in AED
Per family member, budget for the entry permit fee, status change fee if applicable (typically around AED 750 — check the official app/portal for the current fee), medical test for adults (typically around AED 300–700), Emirates ID fees (charged per year of validity), and health insurance. Basic DHA-compliant insurance for dependants typically starts around AED 650–1,000 per person per year, with children sometimes cheaper on family plans. Add attestation and translation costs per certificate, plus Amer service fees. A family of three often spends roughly AED 6,000–10,000 in total for a two-year cycle excluding premium insurance — treat this as a planning estimate and confirm live government fees in the Amer quote.
Common mistakes
The biggest delay is certificates attested in the wrong order or missing the MOFA stamp — the file simply stops. Second is a tenancy that is not an Ejari in the sponsor’s name, for example a room in a shared flat, which does not qualify. Third, booking flights before the entry permits are issued: permits occasionally need corrections to names matching passports letter-for-letter. Fourth, forgetting that your own visa and Ejari must remain valid throughout — if yours expires mid-process, your family’s applications pause with it. Finally, daughters and sons have different age rules in some cases, and adult sons are generally not sponsorable except in specific study or humanitarian situations, so check older children’s eligibility first.
FAQ
Can a wife sponsor her husband and children in Dubai?
Yes, women can sponsor their families if they meet the salary and profession conditions set by GDRFA, which can differ from the standard rule. Amer will confirm the current threshold for your job category.
Do my children need a medical test and fingerprints?
Children under 18 do not take the medical fitness test. Fingerprint biometrics for Emirates ID generally start at age 15; younger children are issued IDs without them.
Can my family enter on visit visas and convert later?
Yes, that is common. They enter as visitors, you obtain the entry permits, and you pay the status change fee so they convert to residence without exiting — as long as everything is filed before their visit visas expire.
