UAE Family Visit Visa 2026: Sponsoring Relatives, Deposits, Minors and the 5-Year Multiple-Entry Visa

Can UAE Residents Sponsor Family on a Visit Visa? (2026 Quick Answer)

Yes. Foreign residents can sponsor parents, other relatives and friends on a visit visa, subject to salary requirements and a refundable deposit. The sponsor does not need to be a UAE citizen.

The issuing authority depends on the emirate:

• ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security): Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
• GDRFA (General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs): Dubai.

Applications go through the ICP or GDRFA websites, the ICP App, the Dubai Now app or a typing centre. As of 6 October 2026, ICP's minimum monthly salary ranges from AED 4,000 for first-degree relatives to AED 15,000 for friends, and the refundable deposit is AED 1,000 for a single-entry visa.

Visarun is an agency, not the issuing authority: we help prepare the application and check documents, while ICP or GDRFA decides.

Who Can Sponsor and the Salary Requirements

ICP announced income thresholds on 29 September 2025, and its visit visa page still prints them in October 2026. Kinship is proved with documents matching the degree:

• First degree (father, mother, spouse, son, daughter): AED 4,000 a month.
• Second degree (siblings, grandparents, grandchildren): AED 8,000.
• Third degree (uncles, aunts, cousins): AED 8,000.
• Friend (any non-relative): AED 15,000.

ICP also requires an active sponsor file, which lets a resident apply for visa and residence services. For the visitor, it lists valid UAE health insurance, a passport valid for at least six months and a return ticket.

Dubai: salary proof, no published figure

GDRFA's relative and friend visit visa page lists a marriage contract and a birth certificate, plus the sponsor's salary certificate (government, semi-government and free-zone employers), employment contract (private companies) or partnership contract (partners).

On 6 October 2026 the page printed no minimum salary. We cannot say whether Dubai applies ICP's figures or others, so we recommend confirming with GDRFA or an Amer centre before applying.

Visit Visa Types for Relatives and Friends

Three routes cover most family visits. Fees are as listed on ICP and GDRFA pages on 6 October 2026 and change often, so it is worth checking the official page before paying.

Relative or friend visit visa

The resident-sponsored visa is issued for 30, 60 or 90 days. Listed fees:

• ICP: AED 100 application fee, AED 100 per month to issue a single-entry visa or AED 200 per month for multiple entry, and a AED 100 smart service fee.
• GDRFA Dubai, single entry: AED 200 for 30 days, AED 300 for 60 days, AED 400 for 90 days, plus 5% VAT.

Deposits and insurance come on top.

Extensions: 120 or 180 days?

Extensions are possible, but the ceilings differ: ICP's issuance page caps the total stay at 120 days, while ICP's extension page and GDRFA allow up to 180 days. GDRFA lists the extension fee as AED 600, plus 5% VAT. It is worth confirming the ceiling with ICP (600522222) or GDRFA (800 5111) before planning a long stay.

Tourist visa through a tourism establishment

In Dubai, a 30- or 60-day single-entry tourist visa is sponsored by a tourism establishment, such as a licensed travel agency, not by a resident, and GDRFA's fee list shows no security deposit. It helps when your sponsorship is in doubt.

5-year multiple-entry tourist visa

Frequent visitors may prefer this self-sponsored visa, covered below. Our complete guide to UAE visas for Indians covers the other visa types.

Deposits and Insurance - What You Pay and How to Get It Back

The deposit is not insurance. ICP calls it a financial guarantee and GDRFA a security deposit; it is refundable, while an insurance premium buys cover and does not come back. As of 6 October 2026:

• ICP: AED 1,000 for single entry or AED 2,000 for multiple entry, plus a AED 20 guarantee deposit fee.
• GDRFA Dubai, single entry: AED 1,000 deposit, AED 20 service fee and AED 40 for collecting and reimbursing it.
• GDRFA Dubai medical insurance, charged separately: AED 40, 60 or 90 for a 30-, 60- or 90-day visa.

Getting an ICP deposit back

ICP refunds the guarantee on request once the visa is cancelled or the visitor has left, if no residency violation was committed. Its e-service "Refund of fees for approved applications" charges AED 25 and lists a 2-day completion time. If the guarantee is linked to a circular request against the visitor, the circular has to be lifted first.

ICP's services guide, last amended in December 2023, says refunds have to be requested within five years or the amount becomes non-refundable. Current service pages do not repeat this, so we treat it as a deadline to beat, not a guarantee.

Getting a Dubai deposit back

When we checked on 6 October 2026, we found no published GDRFA refund procedure or timeline for these visas; ICP's refund route covers ICP-issued visas only.

According to residents' reports on Reddit in late September and early October 2026, a Dubai resident who paid AED 1,000 through the Dubai Now app found no refund option there; the Dubai Now and GDRFA call centres each referred him to the other, and the web refund form said his application did not exist. He called it insurance, but GDRFA lists it as the refundable deposit.

That is one account, not a rule. GDRFA's helpline is 800 5111 inside the UAE or +971 4 313 9999 from abroad. Visarun cannot speed up a Dubai refund or say when it will arrive.

Sponsoring During a Job Change or Visa Cancellation

Official pages leave a gap here. None of the ICP, GDRFA or u.ae pages we checked in October 2026 says whether a resident in a grace period after cancellation, or waiting for a new employer's entry permit, can sponsor a visit visa, or what happens to a visitor's visa if the host's residence is cancelled.

According to residents' reports on Reddit in late September and early October 2026, a worker moving from Ras Al Khaimah to a new job in Ajman asked whether his family could visit while his old visa was being cancelled. Official pages do not answer that, and we will not guess. What they do document:

• ICP requires an active sponsor file; GDRFA asks for a salary certificate or contract.
• ICP's grace period after a residence permit expires or is cancelled is 90 days for skilled workers in levels 1 to 3 and property owners, and 30 days for categories without a longer period.
• Family residence permits are linked to the sponsor's; they have to be cancelled before the sponsor's own residence is cancelled, or placed on hold for a limited period for a fee.
• An unused entry permit can be cancelled only before the visitor enters the UAE and before its pre-entry validity ends.

Lower-risk options

If timing allows, the route with the fewest unknowns is to apply once your new residence permit is issued and your sponsor file is confirmed active. If the visit cannot wait, a tourist visa through a licensed tourism establishment does not need you as sponsor, and in Dubai GDRFA's fee list shows no security deposit. Our guide to travel during the UAE residents' grace period covers the grace rules in more detail.

Minors Travelling Without Both Parents

In October 2026, the ICP, GDRFA and u.ae pages we checked showed no parental-consent or NOC rule for minors arriving without both parents. What official pages do say:

• Grandparents and grandchildren are second-degree relatives, so under ICP's rules a resident grandparent earning at least AED 8,000 a month can sponsor a grandchild.
• GDRFA lists a birth certificate among the documents for Dubai relative visas.
• ICP's services guide, last amended in December 2023, states that children under 18 accompanying tourist parents are exempt from the guarantee on tourist entry permits, including the 5-year visa; this does not cover relative or friend visas or children travelling with other adults.

According to residents' reports on Reddit in late September and early October 2026, a 15-year-old Indian flying to Abu Dhabi with his grandfather, without either parent, said agents told him to apply for the visa with his father. Published ICP and GDRFA rules do not settle this, so we recommend asking the issuer which documents it wants for a minor before paying.

Visarun's precaution, not UAE law

When a child travels without one or both parents, we recommend a notarised consent letter signed by both parents and the birth certificate, and checking with the airline and the visa issuer before departure.

The 5-Year Multiple-Entry Tourist Visa

This visa is self-sponsored, and the UAE government portal, u.ae, says it is open to all nationalities. Official wording on the stay differs, as of October 2026:

• u.ae: 90 days on each visit, extendable for a further 90 days.
• ICP's FAQ: no more than 90 days per visit, within a 180-day yearly maximum.
• GDRFA Dubai's terms: a continuous stay of up to 90 days, extendable for a similar period, within a 180-day yearly total.
• GDRFA Dubai's additional information: 90 days in any one year, continuous or intermittent, extendable for a similar period before a fine is incurred, within the same 180-day cap.

GDRFA counts each year from the first entry, and unused days, including extension days, do not carry over. The cautious plan is 90 days a year from the first entry unless an extension is approved; to check the days left, GDRFA advises requesting a travel report of entries and exits.

Overstaying is costly: GDRFA says fines for a violation are collected at the departure port and the guarantee, AED 3,000 in its fee list, is forfeited.

When the yearly allowance does not appear

According to residents' reports on Reddit in late September and early October 2026, one holder's second year never appeared in ICP's system, immigration held him for about an hour each trip and ICP's call centre had no record of the visa. Another resident said her mother's visa did not grant the 90-day yearly stay on arrival; an ICP ticket from mid-June went unresolved and her mother left to avoid fines.

We found no official procedure for a missing allowance or for cancelling a used 5-year visa from abroad. The issuing authority is the contact: GDRFA (800 5111) for a Dubai-issued visa, ICP (600522222) for the other emirates.

Recent Changes (2025-2026)

• 29 September 2025: ICP announced four new visit visa categories and the AED 4,000, 8,000 and 15,000 income thresholds for sponsors.
• 4 March 2026: ICP waived overstay fines incurred from 28 February 2026 by people unable to leave because of the airspace closure, including visit and tourist visa holders.
• 25 June 2026: ICP widened its entry visa, adding six nationalities alongside India, previously the only one, and Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Canada residence permits alongside US, EU and UK ones, with 14- or 60-day stays; our guide to the UAE visa on arrival for Indians has the details.

FAQ

Can I sponsor my parents on a UAE visit visa?

Yes. Parents are first-degree relatives, so ICP's threshold is AED 4,000 a month. GDRFA asks Dubai sponsors for salary proof but prints no figure.

Can a UAE resident sponsor a friend?

Yes, under ICP's rules, with a monthly salary of at least AED 15,000; citizenship is not required. We recommend that Dubai residents confirm GDRFA's requirement.

Is the deposit the same as insurance?

No. The deposit (AED 1,000 for single entry, AED 2,000 for multiple entry with ICP) is refundable; medical insurance is a separate premium, AED 40 to AED 90 in Dubai.

How do I get the deposit back?

ICP refunds it after the visitor leaves or the visa is cancelled, with no violations, through a AED 25 e-service. We found no published GDRFA refund procedure; for Dubai visas, GDRFA's helpline is 800 5111.

How long can my relatives stay?

30, 60 or 90 days. Extension ceilings differ: 120 days on ICP's issuance page, 180 days on ICP's extension page and GDRFA's, so it pays to confirm the ceiling before planning a long stay.

Can my family visit while I am changing jobs?

Official pages do not say. A tourist visa through a licensed tourism establishment avoids the question because you are not the sponsor.

Does a child need a consent letter to enter the UAE?

ICP, GDRFA and u.ae pages we checked show none. As a precaution, Visarun suggests a notarised consent letter from both parents and the birth certificate.

How long can parents stay on the 5-year visa?

We suggest planning on 90 days a year from the first entry, with no carry-over. ICP's FAQ and GDRFA set a 180-day yearly ceiling, and GDRFA allows an extension within it; a travel report shows the days left.

Can Visarun guarantee approval?

No. ICP or GDRFA decides every application; Visarun helps prepare the file and check documents. Our guide to UAE visa rejections for high-risk nationalities and GCC residents covers refusal risks.