Dubai Announces 3 Requirements to Get Residence Permits for Your Foreign Family Members
- Dubai's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs published the conditions for foreign residents to sponsor family members
- Both male and female residents can bring in a spouse, children under 25, and unmarried daughters under the scheme
- It is noteworthy that applicants must meet specific documentation requirements before the residence permit can be issued
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Dubai's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFAD) has outlined the conditions and documents required for foreign residents who want to bring family members into the country in 2026.
According to the official guidance published by GDRFAD, both male and female foreign residents are eligible to sponsor family members, including a spouse, children under the age of 25, and unmarried daughters.
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Children with special needs may also be included in the application regardless of their age. Once approved, the sponsored family members will live at the same address as the guarantor or head of the family for the duration of the residency agreement.
Who qualifies under Dubai family residency scheme
The scheme covers the husband and any children below 25 years of age, as well as unmarried daughters. The provision for children with disabilities removes the usual age restriction, meaning such dependants can be sponsored at any age.
The family's place of residence must match that of the sponsoring individual throughout the permit period.
Dubai residence permits: Documents needed for the application
Foreign residents applying for a family residence permit must provide the following:
1. A recent colour photograph with a white background for the person being sponsored.
2. A copy of the sponsored person's passport.
3. A medical examination report approved by the relevant authorities, required for those above 18 years of age.
The GDRFAD service page provides further details on how to proceed with the application and which offices handle such requests.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Dubai had listed four requirements for sponsoring family members for resident visas.
Dubai issues over one million residence permits
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Dubai had issued over a million residence permits to people.
The figures, covering the first half of 2026, show that the Directorate granted 1,051,978 new residence permits and renewed a further 910,552 existing ones.
Beyond residency, the authority also processed 5,078,078 entry permits during the same six-month window, bringing the total volume of transactions well past seven million.
Source: Legit.ng
