A Golden Visa lets you sponsor your husband or wife, your children whatever their age and your parents, and you can sponsor domestic workers too. That is more generous than a standard residence visa: sons don't age out at 25, and if you die, your family can stay until their permits expire. The paperwork is familiar, though, and attestation is still where most family files slow down.
This guide covers the family side. For your own application, see our step-by-step Golden Visa application guide; for sponsorship on an ordinary residence visa, see family visa sponsorship in the UAE. Our overview of the Golden Visa explains the categories themselves.
Who can you sponsor?
| Family member | Golden Visa position | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Husband or wife | Can be sponsored | Attested marriage certificate |
| Children | Any age | Unmarried undertaking for those over 18 |
| Parents | Can be sponsored | Dependency certificate from your consulate |
| Domestic workers | Under the applicable rules | Each needs their own permit |
The children rule is the one that changes most for families. On a standard residence visa, according to the government portal u.ae, sons can be sponsored until they are 25 and daughters while they are unmarried. The Golden Residency guide from ICP, the federal identity and residency authority, lets Golden Visa holders sponsor children regardless of their age, as well as parents.
Domestic workers are sponsored under the applicable rules. When the executive regulations were announced in 2022, the state news agency WAM reported that there would be no cap on their number.
Either parent can be the sponsor. When the mother sponsors the children, the Dubai Land Department (DLD) asks for a no-objection letter from the father, notarised.
A spouse who works in the UAE can keep their own employment visa. Moving them onto your Golden Visa ties their residence to yours instead of to their employer, which suits some families and not others.
What about children over 18?
"Regardless of age" has a limit: DLD asks for an undertaking that any son or daughter over 18 is not married.
Say your 27-year-old son is finishing a master's degree in London. On a standard residence visa he would have aged out two years ago. On your Golden Visa he can be sponsored as long as he is unmarried, and he takes the medical test and gives Emirates ID biometrics like any other adult.
Can you sponsor your parents?
Yes. ICP's guide lists parents among the family members a Golden Visa holder can sponsor, and DLD issues them 10-year permits on its property route. For each parent, DLD asks for:
- your original passport and Emirates ID as sponsor
- a certified dependency certificate from your consulate
- a certified birth certificate showing the relationship
- health insurance
- a recent photo that meets ICP's specifications, and your IBAN
Expect to provide similar evidence on other routes. Health insurance for older parents can be expensive, so price it early.
Which documents does each family member need?
DLD's family checklist is a good model for any Golden Visa route:
- Your original passport and Emirates ID
- A recent photo of each family member that meets ICP's specifications
- A certified marriage certificate for your spouse
- Certified birth certificates for each child
- Health insurance for each person
- The undertaking for unmarried children over 18
- A notarised no-objection letter from the father if the mother is the sponsor
- Your IBAN
"Certified" here means attested. Certificates issued abroad usually need attestation in the country that issued them and then in the UAE, and some need a certified Arabic translation. Start this before anything else, because it takes longer than the visa. Our guide to document attestation in the UAE explains each stage.
When do the family applications go in?
Your own permit comes first. You sponsor your family as a Golden Visa holder, and DLD's family checklist asks for your original Emirates ID, so the family files follow your own residence.
- Open the family file. On DLD's route this is a one-off step with its own fee.
- Apply for each family member. Those abroad receive an entry permit; those already in the UAE on another visa change status inside the country.
- Arrange health insurance for each person, as DLD lists it among the documents.
- Complete the medical test and Emirates ID biometrics for each family member who needs them.
- Check every permit when it arrives: names, dates of birth and expiry dates against the passports.
Medical tests, Emirates ID and costs
Every family member aged 18 or over takes a medical fitness test, and every family member, children included, needs an Emirates ID. Our Emirates ID guide covers biometrics and renewals.
DLD publishes its family fees for property investors. As of October 2026:
- AED 5,774.50 for each spouse's or child's 10-year residence permit
- AED 5,774.50 for each parent's 10-year residence permit
- AED 318.75 to open the family sponsorship file, once
- AED 100 added for each sponsored person
For a wife and two children on the property route, DLD's published fees come to three permits at AED 5,774.50, the AED 318.75 file opening and AED 100 for each of the three: AED 17,942.25 in total, before insurance and attestation.
On other Dubai routes, GDRFA Dubai, the emirate's residency authority, charges per permit, and it notes that its issue fee rises for permits longer than two years.
What happens if your visa ends, or if you die?
Your family's permits hang on yours. The government portal u.ae explains that dependants' residence is linked to the sponsor's, and that when the sponsor's visa is cancelled, the dependants' visas must be cancelled too. So if you sell the property behind a property Golden Visa, or your salary drops below the skilled route's threshold, your family's status is exposed along with yours.
Death is where the Golden Visa differs. ICP's guide says that if the Golden Visa holder dies, sponsored family members may stay in the UAE for as long as their own permits remain valid. That gives them time to arrange their own residence, but it isn't indefinite. Make sure your family knows where the documents are and when each permit ends.
Common mistakes with family files
- Starting attestation last. It is the slowest part of most family files, especially for certificates issued abroad.
- Names that don't match. A different spelling on a marriage certificate and a passport can hold up a file until it is explained or corrected.
- Assuming married children qualify. The undertaking DLD asks for covers unmarried sons and daughters over 18.
- Forgetting the father's no-objection letter when the mother is the sponsor.
- Letting insurance lapse. Insurance is part of the file, so keep each policy valid for as long as the permit runs.
- Assuming the long-absence rule covers everyone. GDRFA states that Golden Residence holders are exempt from the 180-day rule. Before family members spend long periods abroad, confirm how that applies to their permits.
If you would like the family files prepared alongside yours, our PRO services team handles attestation, medical tests and Emirates ID appointments, and our Golden Visa team can review the main application first.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
How long are family members' permits valid?
Can I sponsor domestic workers on a Golden Visa?
Do sponsored family members need health insurance?
Is there a minimum income to sponsor family on a Golden Visa?
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