Can one sponsor relatives through the DubaiNow app for a residence visa?

Did you know that you could apply for your relatives’ visas online through the DubaiNow application if you live in the UAE and would like to invite your parents or other family members for a residence visa?

The app allows users to apply for a residence permit for any of the following relatives:

• Husband
• Daughter
• Son
• Newborn
• Mother
• Brother
• Sister
• Father
• Grandfather
• Grandmother
• Father-in-law
• Mother-in-law
• Brother-in-law
• Sister-in-law
• Uncle
• Aunt
• Co-brother (the husband of your wife’s sister)
• Stepfather

Whether one’s grandparents are currently inside or outside the UAE, the person can apply for their visa. Additional documentation is required, however. Here’s how to do that.

Step 1: Entry permit

In order to apply for an entry permit, the person can start the process on DubaiNow or visit an Amer center.

One can apply for the permit through DubaiNow by downloading the application and signing in with the UAE Pass.

1. Tap on ‘Residency’ services.
2. Click on ‘Get residency’.
3. Select the details of the relationship with the person one wishes to sponsor, along with one’s monthly salary.
4. Select whether the dependent lives within or outside the UAE.
5. Enter the passport details of the dependent, submit the necessary documents, and make the fee payment to apply for the approval.

In order to apply for the permit through an Amer center, applicants are recommended to visit the Humanitarian Department of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai at the Dubai Festival City.

Also, when grandchildren are sponsored by their grandparents, their parents must be present with them at the time of the sponsorship.

Documents that must be submitted, whether an application is submitted online or in person.

Required Documents

• Copies of grandparents’ passports (color) and one photo with a white background.
• Original passports of the sponsor and spouse.
• Original Emirates ID of the sponsor.
• The salary should be at least Dh20,000 per month.
• The IBAN (International Bank Account Number) of the Sponsor (applicant).
• Statement of the bank accounts for the last three months with the seal of the bank. Online copies will not be accepted.
• Partners/Investors should enclose the company’s or their personal account statements for the past six months, a copy of their trade license, a list of their partners, and the LLC agreement.
• Original Tenancy Contract (for a minimum two-bedroom apartment). Attestation is required via the Ejari online system of the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA).
• If you live outside Dubai, you will need to submit the municipality’s attested tenancy contract and electricity bill.
• Original Electricity Bill for the previous month.
• Labour Contract copy.
• If the sponsor is a government, semi-government, or free zone employee, the original salary certificate is required.
• Both grandparents must be present when submitting the request at the Amer center. It is also necessary to submit certified copies of both parents’ death certificates or divorce certificates, or any other documentation that is relevant for the application. Certificates must be attested by the UAE Embassy in your home country and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC) in the UAE.
• Affidavit – a document signed by the sponsor and attested by the consulate that states one will take care of the sponsored parents and be responsible for their well-being.

Cost:

Visa fees

The visa fee will vary depending on whether the dependent lives inside or outside the UAE.

Visa application government fee outside the country: Dh486

There will be a change of status fee and an ‘Inside country’ visa fee if the grandparents are inside the country: Dh1,136 + Dh636

File opening government Fee: Dh255

Deposit: Dh2,561

Dh2,561 for each grandparent should be deposited at Immigration through the Amer center after approval. Additional typing fees may apply. This amount is refundable upon cancellation and departure. You can get your money refunded to your bank account if your application is rejected without visiting the Immigration office.

GDRFA will send the individual an SMS once the entry permit is approved to visit the Amer Centre and pay the security deposit of Dh2,561 for each parent. Upon submitting the application, a copy of the visa will be emailed to the applicant’s registered e-mail address within a few hours

In addition, if the person needs a color copy of the visa, which may be required by immigration authorities in some countries, one can visit any GDRFA branch in Dubai and ask for one, for no extra charge.

What is the length of the process?

The process can take up to one week.

Step 2: Travel to Dubai

The applicant can now travel to Dubai if they are not in the UAE. They must do this within 60 days after the entry permit is approved.

Step 3: Medical Test

To apply for residency, go to a medical test facility (no appointment necessary).

Dh300 to Dh1,000 (depending on whether it is a normal, urgent or VIP service)

Step 4: Emirates ID

Cost: Dh375

To apply for an Emirates ID, one needs to visit an Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) center (no appointment needed).

Step 5: Residency stamp

Cost: Dh375

Due to the one-year validity of the visa, the visa stamping fee is Dh357.

The cost of an urgent stamping request is Dh436.

How long does the process take?

A maximum of one to two weeks