In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), expatriates outnumber UAE nationals. A microcosm of the country’s demographic landscape, Dubai is witnessing a surge in foreigners relocating to the UAE’s most populous emirate. If you’re already living there and you want to sponsor your family to Dubai, this is your comprehensive guide.
What makes Dubai attractive
Dubai is many things. It’s the financial capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is often hailed as the “City of Gold” and the “Jewelry Destination of the World.” It’s the top city for remote workers, and it ranks eighth in the Global Power City Index by Japanese urban developer Mori Building.
For expatriates, Dubai has become their home. Tax-free earnings, a cosmopolitan lifestyle, top-tier attractions and people-friendly government initiatives are among the things that make Dubai enticing to live in.
And the numbers prove it. According to the Dubai Statistics Center, about 100,000 people moved to Dubai from July 2022 to the same month in 2023. As of July this year, the emirate’s population is at 3.6 million.
In the next 20 years, the government aspires for this number to grow to 7.8 million. Along with this goal is Dubai’s ramped-up efforts to adapt. The Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan endeavors the city to offer great living conditions to its growing population. Specifically, the plan eyes for 55 percent of the population to live near a public transport station. It also includes public beach expansion by 400 percent.
“We will continue to provide the best standard of living for individuals and families in services and projects globally,” stated Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. He is the ruler of Dubai and UAE’s vice president and prime minister.
Read: Dubai’s economy soars: 3.2 percent growth in H1 2023, reaching AED223.8 bn
Planning to sponsor your family in Dubai?
If you have a valid UAE residence visa, then you can sponsor your immediate family members’s residence visas. With a recent rule amendment, you can sponsor your family regardless of job title as long as you meet the minimum required salary of $1,090 (if you’re a male) and $2,700 (if you’re a female). Alternatively, it can be around $820 with accommodation for males and about $2,180 for female expats. For female expats, getting special permission from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs Dubai (GDRFA) is also part of the requirement.
Apart from these, other basic requirements include the following:
- Your valid Emirates ID
- Your passport
- A copy of your employment or company contract
- A payslip or certificate from your employer
- Your registered tenancy contract
- Your recent utility bill from Dubai Municipality
For your family members, they must provide copies of passports that are valid for at least six months and passport-sized photos. Undergoing a medical test at a government-approved center is also required by the family members that you plan to sponsor.
Sponsoring different family members
The government of Dubai has various provisions for sponsoring different types of family members.
- Wife/Spouse. Prepare a proof of relationship, such as a marriage certificate. Note that it must be duly translated into Arabic by a certified translator. Muslim expats can sponsor two wives, subject to the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICP)’s terms and conditions.
- Children. You will need to prepare attested birth certificates of the children you’re sponsoring. Note that you can only sponsor unmarried daughters of any age. For sons, they must be under 25 years old. For sons with special needs, there are no age restrictions.
- Parents. You’re required to sponsor both your parents (you can’t sponsor just one). If a parent has passed away or of divorced, you must present relevant documents. To qualify, you must earn around $5,450 (or $5,170 with two-bedroom accommodation). Additionally, you must provide each parent with a medical insurance policy. You can only sponsor parents once proven that they fully rely on you.
Currently, foreign residents in Dubai cannot sponsor visas for their siblings. However, they can sponsor a 90-day visitor visa for them.
Things to keep in mind
The family visa application commences when your family members arrive in the UAE with an entry permit. You have 60 days upon their entry to apply for the said visa.
If the family member is already in Dubai after the entry permit has been granted, the next step is to complete a status change application. However, if the family member is currently outside the UAE, they need to enter Dubai using the entry permit that was issued for them.
Following a mandatory medical check approved by the Dubai Health Authority and Ministry of Health and Prevention, they can proceed to apply for an Emirates ID on the ICP website. The required documents include their original passport, entry permit, birth certificate, and duly approved medical insurance.
Once all documents are gathered, including the medical insurance certificate, medical check certificate, entry permit or status change application and Emirates ID application, your relative can have their visa stamped.
As the entire process is intricate, you can tap third-party consultants and businesses to help you sponsor your family in Dubai.
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