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Sponsor parents for a Dubai residence visa

Sponsoring parents is not guaranteed, it's at the discretion of the UAE immigration department, and approval conditions might vary depending on which emirate you live in. This information is for Dubai but should be similar for other emirates.

It is possible to sponsor your parents, and/or parents-in-law, for a residence visa in Dubai and the UAE. Note that a residence visa is not the same as a family UAE visit visa. The residence visa process involves 2 steps. First obtaining an entry permit, second step is to convert entry permit to a residence visa after parents arrive in the UAE. New UAE visa rules from July 2008 have the following requirements and restrictions for sponsoring parents.

• Both mother and father must be sponsored, unless one is dead, or they are divorced.
• You should be the only provider supporting them (if they live with other children in another country then you'll have a tough job proving that).
• Minimum salary for sponsor is AED 6000 per month if in company provided accommodation, or AED 7000 month if paying for own accommodation.
• Medical insurance for parents is required.
• Your accommodation should be at least 2 bedrooms.
• AED 5000 deposit for each parent requried.
• Residence visa is limited to one year at a time (renewable).
• Your sponsorship is only for a residence visa. Your parents are not allowed to work. But don't tell them that otherwise they'll never do the dishes.

Documents required for sponsoring parents residence visa

• Your passport with residence visa.
• Copy of your parents passport for entry permit, original passport for residence visa.
• Photograph of each parent (one specified by immigration department but bring a spare).
• Letter attested by your embassy to verify your relationship, and that you are the sole provider.
• Salary certificate, or labour contract (salary needs to be specified).
• Tenancy contract, attested by the Dubai Land Department in Dubai. If the number of bedrooms is not stated, then you'll need a letter from your landlord stating the number of bedrooms. This might not apply to professional employees on high salaries (unconfirmed).
• Application form - get this at the typing center when you apply.
• Cost of parents entry permit is AED 110 (add 100 dhs for urgent applications) and typing center fees - should be less than 50 dhs.
• Cost of parents residence visa is AED 110 per year (add 100 dhs for urgent applications), Empost fees (10 dhs?), and typing center fee.

Procedure to sponsor parents for UAE residence visa

• Visit the Naturalization and Residence Department of the emirate which issued you your residence visa e.g. Dubai NRD. If you live and/or work in a different emirate, you could try there - bring labour card and/or tenancy contract to prove it - but don't be surprised if you get shooed away.
• Bring all documents to the DNRD and submit them. An Approval Committee will decide whether or not you will be allowed to sponsor your parents (takes about 2 weeks).
• If yes then go to the typing center with the approval letter and your documents to fill in the visa application.
• Pay your fees and they'll fill in the application form.
• Take the application form back to the DNRD (ask the typing center for directions).
• If you've paid urgent processing fees, you should be issued with an entry permit (entry visa) for your parents while you wait, otherwise it should be ready in a couple of days.
• Send the entry permit or a copy to your parents. If you send the copy, you'll need to deposit the original at the airport a few hours before they arrive.
• After your parents arrive, take them, or send them, to a medical clinic to do the blood test and x-ray required of all UAE expat residents.
• Bring the entry permits and original passports, the deposit receipt, another 3 photos, and all previous documentation (or whatever's left of it) back to the typing center of the immigration department to convert their entry permit to a residence visa. A second 5000 dhs deposit is not required.
• You need to do this within 60 days of their arrival (DNRD information) but that sounds generous. Allow 30 days maximum to avoid surprise overstaying fines.
• Your parents passports should be sent back within a week or two with the new residence visa pasted in, sooner if you pay the urgent fees.
• If your parents arrive in the UAE on another entry permit of some sort - UAE tourist visa, visit visa on arrival, or sponsored visit visa, you might be able to transfer them to a residence visa but you'll still need all the other documentation.
• It is not necessary to depart and re-enter the UAE when changing entry permit to residence visa.

Renewal of parents residence visa

Visit the typing center at the immigration department with your passport, your parents passports, deposit receipt, and fees (same as application fees the first time). Get the form filled in, head over to the residency department, hand in all the documents and wait a week or two.

Abu Dhabi family sponsorship

• According to Khaleej Times reports in November 2005, Abu Dhabi residents needed no minimum, or AED 2500/3200 (with/without accommodation provided) minimum salary to sponsor family members, and family members (parents, brother, sister) are given 1 year visas. For close family (spouse, children), 2 year visas are issued.
• Deposit needed is AED 5000 per family member, or AED 20,000 if the sponsor is holding a UAE investor visa.
• Reports not confirmed by UAE government website visa information www.government.ae (last checked 22 November 2005).
• Check with the Abu Dhabi immigration office for more details.

Last update Wednesday 11-Nov-2009

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