How to Sponsor Your Child in the UAE (Residence Visa)

If you have been living in the UAE for some time, you might have thought about bringing your children to the country as well. To do this, you need to get them a residence visa through sponsorship. We’ve discussed before how you can sponsor your spouse in the UAE. In this article, you will learn about the qualifications, requirements, procedure, and other information regarding sponsoring your child in the UAE.

Disclaimer: Information posted in this article serves as a tip. Please be advised that there may be changes without prior notice. This experience was shared to us by one of our readers for your reference as well. We advise you to contact DNRD for questions and other concerns.

If you’ve been living in the UAE for some time, you could consider bringing your children to the country as well.

How to Apply for a UAE Residence Visa for Your Child / Children

In a regular scenario, it is the father (head of the family) who is ideally the one to sponsor the child in the country. But there may be certain cases wherein a mother may need to sponsor the child such as when the father has lost his job.

A parent residing in the UAE can sponsor her children who are below 18 years old and not married. This does not include university or college students, unless a certificate proving that they are below 18 and not married is submitted.

Requirements/Qualifications
In any case, a mother who wants to sponsor her child in the country must meet the following conditions / requirements:

  • Valid employment visa
  • Monthly salary of at least AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus accommodation allowance from her company (NOTE: Nurses and teachers who want to sponsor their children are exempted from the salary qualification.)
  • Birth certificate of the child attested by the UAE Embassy in the Philippines and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE
  • Marriage certificate attested by the UAE Embassy in the Philippines and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE
  • No Objection Certificate (NOC) in Arabic from the husband regarding the mother’s petition to sponsor their child. If the husband is not in the UAE, the NOC must be attested by the UAE Embassy in the Philippines and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE. (NOTE: If the NOC is not written in Arabic, it should be translated into Arabic).
  • If the husband is in the UAE, his labour contract must be attached to the application.
  • Tenancy contract or accommodation rental agreement attested through the Ejari online system of Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA)
  • University degree attested by the UAE Embassy in the Philippines and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE (if the mother is not a doctor, engineer, nurse, or teacher)
  • Bank statement for the last three months (if the mother is not a doctor, engineer, nurse, or teacher).

Conditions for specific cases:

  • A divorced mother needs to submit a child custody verdict from a court. This should be attested by the UAE Embassy in the Philippines and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE
  • A single mother needs to submit a child custody verdict from a court, a certificate from a local authority, or an affidavit from the Philippine Consulate. Certificates issued in the Philippines must be attested by the UAE Embassy there and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE.

Documents for Visa Sponsorship

In addition to the above conditions / requirements, the sponsor or applicant needs to submit the following:

  • Colored passport copy and one photo of the child
  • Sponsor’s original passport and Emirates ID
  • International Bank Account Number (IBAN) of the sponsor

Step-by-Step Procedure in Acquiring a Visa for Your Child

1. Fill out an Application Form at the nearest Typing Center.

2. Submit all your documents to the nearest General Department for Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) office. Upon approval, they will give you a temporary residence permit for your child, during which he or she can get a medical exam and clearance.

3. Apply for a medical exam at the Typing Center. You will be given documents to present to the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) clinic for the test. Medical results are often finished after two working days.

4. After getting the medical results, go to the Typing Center to change the status of the visa from “temporary residence visa” to “permanent residence visa.”

5. Apply for an Emirates ID for your child at the Typing Center.

6. Return to the GDRFA office for the stamping of the visa in the passport.

Application Fees
The fees involved in applying for child sponsorship are as follows

Application Fee — AED 360 
File Opening Charge — AED 220
Medical Exam — AED 420
Change of Visa Status — AED 550
Emirates ID Application — AED 370
Passport Visa Stamping — AED 510

Note: Fees above may vary depending on the Typing Centre where you had your papers set-up, as well as the current fees.

Special Cases:

  • If the applicant is a government or semi-government staff, the application fee is AED 310.
  • If the applicant is an investor or partner, she must provide AED 3,040 deposit for each child (to be refunded after the visa is canceled), trade license copy and partners list, and LLC agreement (of which the share value is not less than AED 70,000).
  • If the child is already in the UAE on a Tourist Visa or Visit Visa, the applicant needs to pay AED 1230 for changing the status (AED 680 for issuing the visa inside the country and AED 550 for amending the status).

Note: Please be reminded that this article is simply a guide. Information here (requirements/fees/etc.) may change without priot notice. If you have more questions about sponsoring your child in the UAE, kindly inquire with the GDRFA though the following contact details:
Postal Address: P.O. Box 4333, Dubai, UAE
Phone Number: 800-5111
Email: info@dnrd.ae
Website: https://ednrd.ae/