Minimum Salary for Family Visa in the UAE (2026): AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 with Accommodation, Proof of Income, Combined Salary and Golden Visa

The minimum salary for family visa sponsorship in the UAE is AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 a month when your company provides accommodation — the same in Dubai and every other emirate, and the same whether you sponsor one family member or five. What counts is the salary shown by MOHRE, and for the AED 3,000 route the accommodation must be written in the MOHRE salary certificate itself. Parents need AED 10,000. Below AED 4,000, an exception is possible by combining the husband's and wife's salaries. Use the salary check below to see where you stand.

🧮 Salary check: is my salary enough for a family visa?

Enter the salary shown in your MOHRE salary certificate. The check applies the current rules and tells you whether you qualify, and what to do if you don't.

📏 What is the minimum salary for a family visa in the UAE?

AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 a month plus company accommodation. The rule does not depend on the job title, the emirate or the number of family members.

Does the salary rule increase with more family members?

No. One child or a wife and four children — the minimum stays AED 4,000 (or AED 3,000 with accommodation). Some websites claim higher amounts for larger families; that is not how the rule is applied. Parents are the only higher threshold.

How much salary do I need for a family visa in Dubai?

The same as in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the other emirates: AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 with accommodation. For all the other family visa rules — age limits, housing, documents — see our UAE family visa rules guide.

🧾 Which salary counts: basic or total?

The salary shown by MOHRE — the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation — in your salary certificate and contract. For a family visa, that is the total monthly salary on the MOHRE record. A company letter showing a different amount does not replace it. Only the Golden Visa salary route looks at the basic salary.

What if my salary certificate does not match MOHRE?

The MOHRE figure wins. If your real salary is higher than the MOHRE contract, ask your employer to update the contract in MOHRE before you apply — otherwise the application is judged on the lower figure.

What about free zone and government employees?

Their contracts are not on MOHRE, so the salary certificate comes from the employer and the free zone or government record. The same AED 4,000 rule applies.

🏠 Can I sponsor my family on AED 3,000 with company accommodation?

Yes — if the MOHRE salary certificate says so. The AED 3,000 route only works when the accommodation is written in the MOHRE salary certificate: "accommodation provided by the company". A separate company letter, or a salary contract that mentions housing but is not reflected in the MOHRE certificate, is not enough.

👫 Can husband and wife combine salaries for a family visa?

Yes. Both spouses' salaries can be combined. When one salary is below AED 4,000, combining the husband's and the wife's salaries can make an exception possible — for example a husband earning AED 2,500 and a wife earning AED 2,000. The authority decides each case, so send us both MOHRE salary certificates first. For a maid visa, the household income of husband and wife is always counted together — see our maid visa cost guide.

Can I get a family visa with a salary below AED 4,000?

Three routes: company accommodation written in the MOHRE certificate (AED 3,000 minimum), a salary update in MOHRE, or an exception by combining both spouses' salaries.

🏢 What income do business owners and investors need for a family visa?

Partners, investors and company owners do not show a MOHRE salary. They show the company's memorandum of association (MOA), which should show your own share of the capital above AED 75,000 — the partner's share, not the company's total capital — together with the trade licence. See our family visa for investors and partners guide.

🏡 Can property owners sponsor their family?

Yes, through a property visa. Buying property of any value gives a 2-year property investor visa, and the holder can sponsor the family. Higher values open longer visas:

Details on our property visa page and Golden Visa page.

🧑‍💻 Can a freelancer or Green Visa holder sponsor family?

Not in practice yet. Family sponsorship on freelance and Green Visas has been announced, and you will see it on social media, but it is not being applied in the system today. Do not plan your family's move around it — ask us for the routes that work now. And be careful with offers of "freelance visas" that promise family sponsorship: read our freelance visa scam guide.

👵 What salary is needed to sponsor parents?

AED 10,000 a month, plus a refundable deposit of AED 5,000 and a two-bedroom home. The parents' visa is issued for 1 year and renewed every year. See the parents visa guide.

👑 What salary do I need for a Golden Visa?

The Golden Visa has a salary route, and it is much stricter than the family visa rule. In practice, these are the conditions we see checked:

With a Golden Visa you can sponsor your family for up to 10 years. Costs on our Golden Visa cost guide.

🚫 What are the most common salary mistakes?

🤝 Family visa services by FamilyVisa.ae

📝 Quick recap

• Minimum salary: AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 with company accommodation — every emirate, any family size.
• The MOHRE salary counts; for the AED 3,000 route, accommodation must be written in the MOHRE salary certificate.
• Below AED 4,000: an exception is possible by combining the husband's and wife's salaries.
• Business owners: company MOA with their own share above AED 75,000. Property owners: 2-year visa for any property (each co-owner's share above AED 400,000), Golden Visa from AED 2,000,000.
• Freelance and Green Visa family sponsorship: announced, not applied in practice yet.
• Parents: AED 10,000. Golden Visa by salary: AED 30,000 basic for 2+ years, 20+ employees, graduate, manager.

🔗 Related guides

• UAE family visa rules 2026
• How to apply for a UAE family visa
• UAE family visa cost
• Family visa for investors and partners
• Golden Visa cost

❓ Frequently asked questions

1. What is the minimum salary for a family visa in the UAE?

AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 a month when the employer provides accommodation. The same rule applies in Dubai and every other emirate.

2. How much salary do I need for a family visa in Dubai?

The same as in the rest of the UAE: AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 with company accommodation. Sponsoring parents needs AED 10,000.

3. Which salary counts: basic or total?

For a family visa, the salary shown by MOHRE (the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation) in the salary certificate or contract is used — the total monthly salary. Only the Golden Visa salary route looks at the basic salary.

4. How do I prove my salary for a family visa?

Employees show the MOHRE salary certificate. If you qualify on AED 3,000 with accommodation, the MOHRE certificate itself must state that the company provides accommodation.

5. Is a company letter enough to prove accommodation?

No. The accommodation has to be mentioned in the MOHRE salary certificate. A separate company letter or the salary contract alone is not enough.

6. Does the salary rule increase with more family members?

No. The minimum salary is the same whether you sponsor one family member or several: AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 with accommodation. Parents are the exception at AED 10,000.

7. Can husband and wife combine salaries for a family visa?

Yes — the husband's and wife's salaries can be combined (spouses only). When one salary is below AED 4,000, combining them can make an exception possible. The authority decides each case.

8. Can I get a family visa with a salary below AED 4,000?

Only with company accommodation (AED 3,000 minimum) or as an exception by combining the husband's and wife's salaries. Send us both salary certificates and we check the case.

9. What income do business owners need for a family visa?

Partners and investors show the company's memorandum of association (MOA). Their own share of the capital — not the company's total capital — should be above AED 75,000.

10. Can a freelancer or Green Visa holder sponsor family?

Family sponsorship on a freelance or Green Visa has been announced, but in practice it is not being applied yet — it appears mostly on social media. Ask us before you plan around it.

11. Can property owners sponsor their family?

Yes. Buying property of any value gives a 2-year property investor visa that can sponsor the family — the old AED 750,000 minimum no longer applies. If the property has more than one owner, each owner's share must be above AED 400,000. Property of AED 2 million or more qualifies for a 10-year Golden Visa, and people aged 55 or over with AED 1 million in property can get a 5-year retirement visa.

12. What salary is needed to sponsor parents?

AED 10,000 a month, plus an AED 5,000 refundable deposit and a two-bedroom home. The parents' visa is issued for 1 year.

13. What salary is needed for a Golden Visa?

For the salary route: a basic salary of AED 30,000 in the MOHRE contract for more than two years, in the same company, a company with more than 20 employees, a graduate degree or higher and a designation of manager or higher.

14. Does the Golden Visa salary rule use basic or total salary?

Basic salary, as written in the MOHRE contract — not the total package with allowances.

15. Is the minimum salary the same in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah?

Yes. AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 with accommodation, in every emirate.

16. What if my salary certificate does not match my MOHRE contract?

The MOHRE record is what counts. If your company letter shows a higher salary than MOHRE, the application is judged on the MOHRE figure — ask your employer to update the contract first.

17. Is the salary checked again when I renew the family visa?

Yes. The renewal needs the same documents as the first application, including a current salary certificate, so the salary rule is checked again. Tell us early if your salary has changed.

18. Does a woman need the same salary to sponsor her family?

A woman can sponsor her children on the same salary rule. For a husband, GDRFA or ICP may ask for more, so we check the case before applying.

19. Can I sponsor my family on a visit visa salary?

No. The sponsor needs a valid UAE residence and a salary on record, for example a MOHRE contract, a company MOA or a property visa.

20. Do free zone employees need a MOHRE certificate?

Free zone companies are registered with their free zone authority, so the salary certificate comes from the employer and the free zone record instead of MOHRE. The same AED 4,000 rule applies.

21. Is there a minimum salary for sponsoring children only?

Yes, the same as for a spouse: AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 with company accommodation.

22. Can FamilyVisa.ae check if my salary is enough?

Yes. Use the salary check on this page or send us your MOHRE salary certificate on WhatsApp, and we tell you whether you qualify and what to do if you don't.

Last reviewed 14 October 2026. Rules and fees are set by GDRFA Dubai, ICP and MOHRE and can change; the salary figures are those applied on 14 October 2026, and exceptions are always decided by the authority. Every application is decided by the immigration authorities. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Main official sources: u.ae — residence visa for family members, MOHRE, GDRFA Dubai. FamilyVisa.ae is operated by 800 DOCS LLC SOC, a DET-licensed private visa services company in Dubai — not a government office.