If you are a married expatriate living in UAE, it is now possible to bring your spouse along with you through the UAE Spouse Visa. There are many foreigners who live and work in UAE leaving their spouse and children. But UAE believes in togetherness. Family is important and hence introduced many initiatives to keep them together.
The UAE government has introduced the family resident visa so that the expat residents in UAE can now sponsor their family. The UAE expatriate residents who have a valid residence permit or visa can now sponsor their spouse and can happily live with them in UAE through the Spouse Visa.
What is UAE Spouse Visa?
Spouse visa is a resident visa that helps the expats to sponsor their spouse to enter and live in UAE. The spouse can stay in UAE for a period of 5 years with the residence visa, if the sponsor is UAE citizen. To get the spousal visa, the individual must satisfy a list of requirements as per the UAE’s government portal.
Who are eligible to Sponsor their Spouse?
The male expatriates (Husband) must have a monthly salary of Dh 4,000 or Dh3, 000 with accommodation to be eligible to apply for a residence visa for their wife. Similarly, in certain cases the Muslim residents are allowed to sponsor 2 wives if they meet a set of requirements by the GDRFA.
If the female expats are sponsoring, she must be working as a teacher, doctor, engineer, nurse or in any medical field. They must have a monthly salary which should not be less than AED 10,000 or 8000 plus accommodation facilities.
They must be above the age of 18 and must pass all the medical tests from any approved health centres in UAE.
Documents required for Spouse Visa
- Application form– either online or through a registered typing office in UAE
- Passport (original & copies) of the spouse and children
- Passport size photo of spouse and children
- Medical clearance certificate of spouse and children above 18
- Marriage certificate attested in home country and by UAE authorities
- Attested tenancy contract
- Copy of spouse’s employment certificate in English and Arabic
- Copy of salary certificate (last 3 months)
- Latest utility or DEWA bill
- Health insurance card is mandatory in Dubai
How to apply for Sponsor Visa in UAE?
An expat resident has a total of 30 days to apply for the residence visa of their spouse after they enter UAE through an entry permit. One can apply for the spouse residence visa, only after the spouse enters the UAE. To apply for the spouse visa, first you need to apply for the entry permit even before entering the UAE. Only with the entry permit, one can enter the country and later apply for the spouse visa.
To get the entry permit, you can apply through GDRFA website or GDRFA offices or Amer centres. Once you get the entry permit, you can enter the country and there is a 30 day time period at which you can apply for the spouse visa. To apply for the spouse visa:
- Go to any government authorised health centre in UAE to get the medical clearance certificate for the spouse and children.
- Visit any registered typing centres with the relevant documents
- Pay the required fees
- Get the typed residence visa application form
- Submit the application form for your spouse along with entry permit, medical certificate and other documents at GDRFA for the approval.
This way you can submit an application with all the necessary documents.
UAE spouse visa validity and processing time
Usually the validity of spouse visa in UAE is for 2-3 years. The validity of spouse visa changes depending on the job of the sponsor. The spouse visa is dependent on the sponsor. To get the approval of the spouse visa from the immigration department, it takes around 10- 15 working days.
Renewal of UAE Spouse Visa
Once the spouse visa is expired in UAE, it is possible to renew them easily. The UAE government provides a grace period of 30 days from the date of the expiry so that they can complete the visa renewal process. The Spouse visa renewal procedure is same as the process of applying for the new visa. But make sure that the visa renewal application must be started before the expiration of old visa. You can apply it through GDRFA website or AMER centres.
If they did not renew the spouse visa within the scheduled time period, then the spouse will be considered as illegal residents along with a fine imposed on them. So it is necessary to renew the visa on time.
Cost of Spouse Visa
The fee for the UAE spouse visa application is AED 200 plus 5% VAT. But the cost may vary depending on the circumstances of the sponsor. There are different fees for the sponsor who is inside and outside the country. Depending on the years of staying, the fee increases.
How to cancel Spouse Visa?
If you wish to cancel the spouse visa in UAE, it is necessary that you need to contact an authorised typing centre or immigration office or GDRFA website. To cancel the spouse visa:
- Login to GDRFA website
- Under Services, select Cancellation of Residency Visa
- Fill in the application form
- Upload the necessary documents
- Pay the fees
- Click on Submit
This way you can cancel the spouse visa in UAE.
Similarly in the typing centres, you need to complete the application form with the necessary details and documents. After making the payment, your application will be forwarded. In the typing centre, they will provide you a printout of the cancellation copy once it is approved.
Usually the cancellation will be approved within an hour. But you will not receive cancellation stamp on your visa. For those who want to get the cancellation stamp can either go to the immigration office in-person or bring their cancellation copy and the applicant’s original passport.
The UAE government introduced Family Residence Visa- Spouse Visa so that the expats living in the country can live with their spouse and children. In this way, they can happily be together and live a prosperous life. To apply for the spouse visa in UAE is a simple process. With the necessary documents one can easily apply and bring their family to UAE.
