There are many incredible benefits to starting a business in the UAE. For one, you are welcomed into one of the most thriving and exciting corporate landscapes in the world.

Dependent Visa Dubai

You can benefit from 0% tax on corporate and personal income, and trade from the UAE’s strategic location at the centre of the world’s largest and growing markets. But there are also plenty of personal advantages too.

As the owner of a UAE business, you are welcome to live as well as work here in the UAE. Dubai often ranks highly as one of the safest and highest quality places to live. And with expatriates making up over 80% of the population, you’ll be far from alone.

But there’s more. As the holder of a UAE visa, you can also sponsor others for their visas too. This could be a spouse, parent or child, or a domestic worker such as a housekeeper.

While the visa process is time tested and built with simplicity in mind, it’s a good idea to partner with an expert like Set Hub to ensure a swift and smooth service.

We can manage the entire process for you, liaising with all government bodies on your behalf. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about dependant visas in the UAE.

How to get a dependent visa in Dubai

Applying for a dependent visa in the UAE follows much the same process as applying for your own. And just as with a personal visa, there are eligibility criteria that all applicants must meet.

They must meet minimum salary criteria to ensure they can support their dependents.

Currently, male residents who are employed in the UAE can sponsor their immediate family members, such as wife and children, if they meet the minimum salary of AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus accommodation. Conditions for female sponsors vary between emirates.

Previously, visa sponsorship was only available to those in certain professions. However, in 2019, the UAE government amended its previous provision under which only listed professions could apply for family sponsorship visa. Now, a foreign worker can bring over family members to the UAE and sponsor their residence visas regardless of his profession as long as they maintain the income criteria.

When applying for a spouse visa in Dubai, the sponsor must be able to prove “an existing marital relationship”. This can be done by submitting an authenticated marriage certificate in Arabic or a marriage certificate from another country, as long as it is translated into Arabic by a certified translator.

When applying for a spouse visa in Dubai, or indeed any other dependent visa in the UAE, you must provide several relevant pieces of documentation. This may include:

• A copy of your company license
• Birth certificate
• Colour copy of passport of sponsor and dependant
• Emirates ID card copy of sponsor
• Marriage certificate
• Salary certificate of sponsor
• UAE residence visa copy of sponsor
• Visa application

 

The dependant visa application process

The UAE visa application process consists of four key stages – entry permit, status change, medical test and visa stamping.

Entry permit

The first step is to apply for an entry permit. This is essentially a temporary visa that allows the holder access to the UAE for up to 60 days. Once you have obtained an entry permit you can enter the country to make your full visa application. It is best not to leave the UAE and re-enter until you have obtained your residency visa. Doing so can cause difficulties with immigration.

Status change

The entry permit must now be activated. This is known as a status change and can be done in one of three ways. You can opt for an in-country status change which requires the applicant to send their passport to UAE immigration services who will stamp and activate the visa.

Alternatively, you can activate an entry permit via an out of country status change – this is an option if the applicant is out of the country when making the visa application. Here you simply present the passport and entry permit to immigration at a UAE airport. It is then stamped and activated.

Finally, the entry permit can be activated via what is known as a border run. Here, the applicant would leave the UAE by land and then re-enter, once again presenting the visa to an immigration official who will stamp and activate it.

Medical test

With the entry permit activated, applicants then need to undergo a standardised medical test. This includes a blood test and x-ray.

Provided they pass the medical, they can apply for an Emirates ID card. As part of this process, they may be required to visit an immigration centre to submit biometric information such as fingerprints and an eye scan.

Visa stamping

Finally, the residence visa will need to be issued and stamped. To complete this final stage, the passport must be submitted to immigration. They will then affix and stamp the visa in the passport before sending it back. This process usually takes around two weeks.

What is the cost of a dependent visa in Dubai, UAE?

The price of a dependent visa comprises several parts and will depend on whether you are sponsoring parents, a spouse, children, or domestic staff.

As a general rule of thumb, you should expect to pay a deposit of around AED 2,000 per applicant plus an annual fee somewhere between AED 100 and AED 200.

For a personalised quote, talk to Set Hub.

Apply for dependent visas with Set Hub

If you’re armed with the right expertise, applying for a dependant visa in Dubai doesn’t have to be overly complicated.

That being said, it does require a level of prior knowledge of the process, as well as a level of focus that most entrepreneurs simply do not have the time to give it.

What’s more, it is important to note that the process is only straightforward if your account application is complete at the time of submission and free from errors.

To help you ensure that this is the case, it’s a good idea to work with a company formation specialist such as Business Incorporation Zone. Get in touch today for a personalised quote.

We are a team of company registration professionals who are passionate about bringing the dreams of aspiring entrepreneurs and SMEs to life.

As well as handling visa applications, we can also handle all government formalities, permissions, work permits, and visa applications required to trade in the UAE.

In short, our experts can establish your company on your behalf, make your license, visa, and bank account applications, and take care of all the necessary admin – leaving you free to get on with running your business.