Bring Your Parents to Dubai Easily

How to Bring Parents to Dubai on a Residency Visa

Many people who move to Dubai for work or to start a business initially arrive alone. The first period is often about adapting, kick-starting a career, and achieving financial stability. However, over time, many wish for their family to join their new life—particularly parents, who would benefit from the safe environment, excellent healthcare, and pleasant climate that the UAE offers. Fortunately, there is an official way for Dubai residents to acquire a residency visa for their parents.

This article details how to sponsor your parents, the conditions that must be met, and what documents need to be submitted for the visa application.

Why Bring Your Parents to Dubai?

Dubai is becoming an increasingly popular destination for foreign workers and entrepreneurs, not just for economic opportunities but also due to public safety, developed infrastructure, and a well-functioning healthcare system. For older family members, the city can offer a quality of life that is often a significant step up from their home conditions.

Many parents are happy to relocate closer to their children, especially if they are no longer active in employment and prefer a quiet, comfortable environment where they feel safe and the family is nearby.

Sponsorship Conditions

To apply for a parental residency visa, various conditions must be met. Among the most important are:

At least 10,000 dirhams monthly income (must be documented via employment contract or pay slips)

A minimum two-bedroom apartment, with an official rental agreement (Ejari) to be submitted

The applicant must work or sponsor from within Dubai and not from a free zone

Applying for Entry Permit – The First Step

Before the residency visa itself is issued, an entry permit must be applied for your parents. The following documents are required for this process:

Original Emirates ID (from the sponsor)

Passport copy (from the sponsor)

Copy of the passport outer page (from the sponsor)

Employment contract or employer certificate indicating salary amount

Additional Documents Required for Sponsorship

Once the entry permit is in process, the following documents are needed for the residency visa application:

Copies of the parents’ passports

Passport-sized photo of the parents, with a white background

Proof of relationship, which can be:

a) Birth certificate, attested by the Foreign Ministry of the originating country, UAE embassy, and UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs;

or

b) Relationship certificate from the consulate of the originating country, verified by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the originating country’s consulate

Copy of Ejari agreement – for a minimum two-bedroom apartment

Applicant’s bank statements of the last three months, stamped

Costs and Fees

Sponsoring parents and applying for a visa involve not only administrative but financial obligations as well. The costs are as follows:

Security deposit: 5,000 dirhams (refundable upon parents' departure)

Processing fee (file opening): 283 dirhams (one-time fee)

Entry permit fee: 440 dirhams per person

Medical exam: 322 dirhams per person

Emirates ID: 317 dirhams per person

Residency visa fee: 410 dirhams per person

These costs are for a one-year visa, so renewal should be arranged in advance before expiration.

Important Information and FAQs

Many people ask if only one parent can be sponsored. The answer is: only in exceptional cases, such as if one parent has passed away or if they are divorced. In this case, additional documentation, such as a death certificate or divorce papers, will be required.

It is not necessary for parents to be married, but separate visa applications must be submitted for each parent.

Health Insurance and Medical Examination

Since health fitness is a requirement for the residency visa, a medical examination is mandatory, including a chest X-ray and tests for contagious diseases. Additionally, holding medical insurance is also essential—providers offer various packages suitable for the elderly.

Summary

Sponsoring parents in Dubai is a well-structured and transparent process that allows family members to be close without going through complex immigration procedures for citizenship or long-term residency. The visa is renewable annually and offers numerous advantages: a safe living environment, high-quality healthcare, and the opportunity for daily togetherness.

If the necessary conditions—income, housing, documentation—are met, multiple generations can live together in Dubai within a year. This can provide significant emotional and practical relief for both older and younger family members.

(Source of the article: based on the Federal Authority For Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security (ICP) announcement.)