Sponsoring your family on a UAE visa as a business owner

· 3 min read · By the Biznexa team

Father and daughter at an airport gate looking at a plane

One of the big reasons founders move their company to the UAE is to bring their family too. Once you hold a UAE residence visa through your own company, you can usually sponsor your spouse and children on residence visas of their own.

First, you need your own residence visa

You sponsor your family as an individual resident, so your own visa must be in place first — normally as an investor or partner through your company, or as an employee of it. Your family's visas are linked to yours, so they renew and end with it.

Who you can sponsor

  • Your spouse — with an attested marriage certificate
  • Your children — sons are generally eligible up to 25 years old, and unmarried daughters regardless of age; children with a disability can usually be sponsored beyond these limits
  • Your parents — possible, but with stricter income and housing conditions decided case by case

Exact age and eligibility rules can change, so we confirm them against the current immigration requirements when you apply.

The income test

To sponsor a spouse and children, the commonly applied requirement is a monthly income of about AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation. As a business owner, you show this through your company documents and salary records. Golden Visa holders are generally not held to the same salary test. Higher thresholds apply to sponsoring parents.

Documents you will need

  • Your passport, residence visa and Emirates ID
  • Passports and passport photos for each family member
  • Attested marriage certificate for your spouse
  • Attested birth certificates for children
  • Proof of income — for owners, typically the trade licence and a salary certificate or employment contract from your company
  • A tenancy contract (Ejari in Dubai) in your name
  • Health insurance for each family member

Certificates issued outside the UAE usually need attesting in the country of issue and then by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Start this early — it is often the slowest part.

The process

  1. Entry permit for each family member (or change of status if they are already in the UAE)
  2. Medical test for family members aged 18 and over
  3. Emirates ID biometrics
  4. Residence visa issued, linked to your own visa's validity

From complete documents, a family visa typically takes two to four weeks.

Costs to plan for

Budget for the entry permit, medical tests, Emirates ID, visa stamping, health insurance for each person and document attestation. Totals depend on the emirate, the number of family members and their ages, so we give you a written figure before you start.

Common pitfalls

  • Unattested or mismatched certificates (spelling of names must match passports)
  • A tenancy contract that doesn't meet the requirements
  • Letting your own visa approach expiry while the family visas are in progress
  • Forgetting that family visas need renewing when yours does

How we help

We sponsor-proof your setup from day one — company, your investor visa, then your family's visas — and handle the attestations and appointments. Read about UAE golden and investor visas, see our PRO and government services, or book a free 20-minute call.

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