Dubai free zone family visa: sponsoring your spouse and children

Company owners often ask whether owning a licence is enough to bring a spouse and children to the UAE. It is not: family sponsorship is a separate application with an income test and a housing test, and it comes after you hold a residence visa of your own.

As an owner you do not have a salary slip in the usual sense, so the practical question is how you show income. This page sets out the rule, the documents that tend to be asked for and what to prepare.

Family visas are issued by UAE authorities (ICP, or GDRFA in Dubai). The conditions are updated from time to time, so confirm the current rule before applying.

Family visa requirements Dubai

The UAE government portal states the minimum for sponsorship as a salary of AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation (ICP's service card specifies accommodation provided by the employer). The sponsor must hold a valid residence permit and have suitable accommodation, and job title no longer decides eligibility for employees. Dependants aged 18 and over must pass a medical fitness test.

How a company owner proves income

Employees show a salary certificate or contract. Owners usually show their income through a labour contract with their own company, a salary registered in the company's payroll records, or other proof the authority accepts. For an investor or partner, GDRFA Dubai asks for the partnership contract and lists a partner share of at least AED 48,000 in it, and ICP's fee table adds a guarantee of AED 3,000 per family member, up to AED 15,000. Free zones can add their own proof: Meydan Free Zone, for example, asks owners for three months of bank statements instead of a salary certificate, an Ejari or proof of ownership, and an AED 3,000 deposit. The authority decides what is acceptable, so ask your PRO team what to bring before booking appointments.

Sponsor spouse visa Dubai

A spouse is sponsored with an attested marriage certificate. Documents issued abroad usually need attestation and, if not in English or Arabic, a legal translation. Your PRO team can coordinate the attestation chain for your country.

Children and parents

Children are sponsored with their birth certificates and passports. Age and marital-status limits apply to sons and daughters, and children of determination have their own provisions. Sponsoring parents has a higher income test and usually adds a health insurance requirement, so it should be checked separately.

Family visa cost

Typically AED 3,400–6,500 per person for the visa (October 2026), plus medical, Emirates ID and insurance costs. Ask for an itemised quote per family member.

How to sponsor your family

1. 1

   Get your own residence visa first

   You must be a resident with a valid permit before you sponsor.

2. 2

   Confirm you meet the income and housing test

   AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation, and a registered tenancy.

3. 3

   Gather attested family documents

   Marriage certificate, birth certificates and passports.

4. 4

   Apply for the entry permit or status change

   Dependants can enter on an entry permit or change status if already in the UAE.

5. 5

   Medical test, Emirates ID and visa

   Adult dependants complete a medical fitness test, then biometrics, and the residence permit is issued.

Documents you will usually need

• Sponsor's residence permit and Emirates ID
• Proof of income (labour contract or salary certificate, company records)
• Registered tenancy contract (Ejari in Dubai)
• Attested marriage certificate for a spouse
• Birth certificates for children
• Passport copies and photos for each dependant

Things to weigh up

• Income thresholds and who may sponsor are set by the authority and updated over time.
• A tenancy in your name at a registered address is usually part of the housing proof.
• Each family member needs their own visa, medical test and Emirates ID.