Relocating with your family

A move with a family has more parts than a licence. This guide lists them so that none surprises you late.

Sponsoring family members

Family visas are linked to the sponsor's own residency. According to the UAE Government portal:

• Employers and employees who hold valid UAE residence visas can sponsor residence visas for their families. An employee must meet a minimum salary condition; the portal states the figure, and says the conditions can change.
• A resident may bring in a spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25, and children with special needs. Holders of the Green visa can also sponsor first-degree relatives.
• Family members aged 18 and over must pass a medical fitness test at an approved health centre.
• A dependent's visa cannot run past the sponsor's. If the sponsor's visa is cancelled, the dependents' visas must be cancelled too, and the dependents have a six-month grace period from the expiry or cancellation to obtain a new residence permit.

The portal's page is written for employees and their employers. The visa you hold as a founder or investor may follow a different route, so ask the immigration authority of your emirate which applies to you. The portal also says the conditions change from time to time and tells readers to check with the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) or the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA).

Schooling

Ask early about curriculum, location and fees: the answers shape where you live.

Housing

Where you live affects the commute, the school and the paperwork. The documents the portal lists for a family residence visa include a certified housing lease contract or proof of owning a residence, and medical insurance or a health card. Allow time to arrange both.

Budgeting time

Each person has their own set of steps. For example, family members aged 18 and over need a medical fitness test, and the documents the portal lists include the entry permit, the Emirates ID application receipt and, for children, an attested birth certificate. Add up the time for the longest set of steps, not the average.

Living outside the UAE

The portal gives a general rule: a resident who lives outside the UAE for more than 180 days continuously has their residence visa cancelled automatically, and must apply for a new entry permit to return. It lists exceptions, and says to check with ICP whether they apply in your emirate. If you plan to spend long periods abroad during the move, ask the authority before you do.

A simple structure

Keeping the company simple helps setup not take over the move. See How to choose a UAE free zone.

What we will not tell you

We do not give immigration advice and cannot promise that any visa will be approved. Rules can change, so check official sources before you commit to dates.