UAE Explains What Happens to Family Members When a Golden Visa Holder Dies
- The UAE's Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security clarified the status of families after a Golden Visa holder passes away
- The Golden Visa is a 10-year renewable residence permit that allows eligible foreigners to live in the UAE without a sponsor
- Family members sponsored under a Golden Visa are not required to leave the UAE immediately upon the holder's death
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The United Arab Emirates has addressed a question that concerns many families living under the country's Golden Visa scheme: what becomes of sponsored relatives when the primary visa holder dies?
The Golden Visa is a 10-year residence permit designed for eligible foreign nationals who wish to live in the UAE without depending on a local sponsor.
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What the UAE Golden Visa covers
The permit is renewable, provided the holder continues to satisfy the conditions attached to it. Among its key benefits is the ability for holders to bring immediate family members into the country, allowing them to live, work, and study in the UAE under the holder's sponsorship.
When a Golden Visa holder dies
The UAE's Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) has clarified that the death of a Golden Visa holder does not trigger an immediate obligation for sponsored family members to leave the country.
According to the ICP, family members already resident in the UAE under a Golden Visa holder's sponsorship are permitted to remain in the country until their current residence permits reach their expiry dates.
In practical terms, this means the passing of the primary visa holder does not automatically void or cancel the residency documents already issued to their dependants. Those permits retain their validity for whatever period remains on them, giving families time to make alternative arrangements rather than facing an abrupt departure.
UAE grants widows one-year visa extension
Meanwhile, Legit.ng recently reported that the UAE introduced a one-year residence visa extension for foreign women whose husbands die or divorce them.
The extension also covers their children, can be renewed once, and does not require them to find a new sponsor.
Source: Legit.ng
