Parents Visa in Dubai and the UAE (2026): Salary Requirement, Father and Mother Visa Rules, Deposit, Documents, Process, Renewal and Cost

A parents visa in Dubai is the family residence visa a UAE resident sponsors for his or her father and mother. It is the most demanding family visa: GDRFA Dubai asks for a minimum salary of AED 10,000 a month, a tenancy contract of at least two bedrooms, a refundable security deposit of AED 5,000, and — in practice — that both parents are sponsored together. The visa is issued for one year and renewed every year. This guide covers sponsoring both parents, a father visa or a mother visa on their own, parents-in-law, the documents, the step-by-step procedure for parents outside or inside the country, the yearly renewal, and exactly what a parents visa costs when you apply yourself online or through an Amer centre.

👨‍👩‍👦 Can I sponsor my parents in Dubai?

Yes, if you meet GDRFA Dubai's conditions for sponsoring parents. Parents are not covered by the standard family visa rule (AED 4,000 salary); a residence visa for parents is approved under GDRFA's service for parents and humanitarian cases, with higher requirements:

💵 What is the minimum salary to sponsor parents in the UAE?

AED 10,000 a month in Dubai. GDRFA Dubai's published requirements for sponsoring parents (mother and father) ask for a salary certificate or employment contract "with a minimum salary of AED 10,000". Unlike a spouse or child visa, there is no lower salary band with employer accommodation. The salary must be yours — a spouse's income cannot be added.

Why do other websites say AED 20,000?

Because that was the old Dubai rule. For years the immigration department stipulated AED 20,000 to sponsor parents, and that figure is still copied from site to site. GDRFA Dubai's current requirement is AED 10,000, and that is the figure we apply every day. Requirements can change — we check them before every application.

Can I sponsor my parents with a salary below AED 10,000?

Normally no. The parents visa is already handled as a humanitarian-type case with a committee review, and AED 10,000 is the floor GDRFA sets for it. A sponsor who earns less can bring the parents on a visit visa for a stay, or reapply once the salary meets the requirement.

Does the salary rule differ in the other emirates?

Outside Dubai, parents' residence permits are issued by ICP under similar conditions — salary, accommodation, proof of relationship, a security guarantee, mandatory medical insurance and an attested tenancy contract. Each emirate applies its own practice; tell us where you live and we will confirm the exact requirements.

👨 Father visa and 👩 mother visa: can I sponsor only one parent?

Normally both parents are sponsored together. GDRFA Dubai treats the parents as one application — mother and father — so that one parent is not left alone in the home country. A single-parent application is accepted when the other parent has died or the parents are divorced, with the attested certificate as proof.

💍 Can I sponsor my parents-in-law in Dubai?

Yes, under the same conditions, with approval case by case. A husband can sponsor his wife's parents, and a wife her husband's parents, by proving the chain of relationship: your attested marriage certificate plus your spouse's attested birth certificate showing the in-laws' names. The salary, tenancy, deposit, medical test and one-year validity are the same. Whether you can hold your own parents and your parents-in-law under your file at the same time is decided by GDRFA on the application — tell us the full picture first.

🏠 Two-bedroom tenancy, deposit and insurance: what exactly is required?

Do I need a two-bedroom apartment to sponsor my parents?

Yes, in Dubai. GDRFA asks for an attested tenancy contract "suitable for the number of family members", and for parents that means at least two bedrooms, registered with Ejari in your name. A studio or one-bedroom flat is not accepted; a tenancy in a spouse's name needs a no-objection letter from the spouse. Owned property is proven with the title deed.

Is the AED 5,000 deposit refundable?

Yes. GDRFA Dubai requires a financial guarantee of AED 5,000 for the application (its service page states AED 5,000 per request, with a total guarantee that does not exceed AED 15,000). It is paid after approval, before the residence is issued, and refunded when the parents' visa is cancelled — not while it is active. Keep the receipt.

Do my parents need health insurance for the visa?

Not to issue the visa in Dubai; yes in the other emirates. GDRFA Dubai does not ask for an insurance policy as a condition of the parents' residence. Dubai's health insurance law still expects every resident to be covered, and hospital bills for older parents are the biggest risk of the whole arrangement, so arrange a senior policy once the visa is issued. Outside Dubai, ICP requires a valid medical insurance policy before the residence is stamped.

📂 What documents are required for a parents visa in Dubai?

GDRFA Dubai asks for these documents. Everything can be submitted as clear photos or scans:

Our required documents guide shows the photo and scan standards GDRFA and ICP accept.

🪜 How do I apply for my parents' residence visa in Dubai? Step by step

There are three ways to process a parents visa, and the government steps are the same in all three:

The procedure from entry permit to Emirates ID

How long does a parents visa take in Dubai?

Outside or inside the UAE: what changes?

The standard case is parents who are outside the UAE: the entry permits are issued, they enter on the e-visas within 60 days and complete the medical, Emirates ID and visa steps here. If your parents are already inside the UAE on a visit visa, the entry permits are issued inside the country and a change of status replaces the entry (or they exit and re-enter on the new e-visas). The steps after that are identical; the inside-country entry permit and the status change cost more — see the cost section.

💰 How much does a new parents visa cost in Dubai?

Government fees for a new 1-year parents visa are AED 1,176 per parent when your parents are outside the UAE — AED 2,352 for both — plus a one-time family file opening fee of AED 203 for first-time sponsors and the AED 5,000 refundable deposit. If your parents are already inside the UAE, add AED 1,280 per parent for the inside-country entry permit and the change of status. Through an Amer centre you pay the government fees plus the centre's charges on each item.

How much does a parents visa cost per parent?

How much does it cost to sponsor both parents?

How much more does it cost if my parents are already inside the UAE?

AED 1,280 more per parent in government fees (AED 1,291 through an Amer centre): the inside-country entry permit costs AED 989 instead of AED 339, and the change of status adds AED 630.

What else can be added to the bill?

Government and Amer centre figures are taken from the FamilyVisa.ae Family Visa Calculator (sponsor on a regular 2-year employment visa, normal medical), checked 13 October 2026. The live calculator is the final reference; investor and partner sponsors pay slightly different entry-permit and status-change fees — see our family visa guide for investors and partners. The calculator quotes the 2-year family visa; the 1-year parents permit is AED 100 lower on the Emirates ID and AED 100 lower on the residence issuance, as shown here.

Is applying online cheaper than going to an Amer centre?

Yes. Doing it yourself through GDRFA with UAE Pass saves the Amer charges — AED 276 per parent applying from outside the UAE, plus AED 50 on the family file. What you give up is the typist who checks the file and resubmits it if GDRFA asks for more; parents' applications are the ones most often returned for a missing document.

🔁 Parents visa renewal: 1-year validity, steps and cost

A parents visa is issued for one year and renewed every year, whatever the length of your own residence (except for Golden Visa sponsors — see below). Renewal is simpler than the first visa: no entry permit, no change of status and no new deposit — only the medical test, the Emirates ID and the residence renewal.

How do I renew my parents' visa in Dubai?

How much does a parents visa renewal cost?

At renewal GDRFA checks that you still meet the conditions — salary of AED 10,000, two-bedroom tenancy — so keep an updated salary certificate and a valid Ejari ready. A renewal filed late leaves the parents in overstay; see our family visa renewal guide.

🏆 Parents of Golden Visa holders: what is different?

A Golden Visa holder can sponsor his or her parents for the same period as the Golden Visa — 10 years — instead of one year at a time; GDRFA applies its own conditions to Golden Visa sponsors, so ask us about the salary and tenancy rules for your case. The AED 5,000 security deposit still applies. The entry permit, medical test, Emirates ID and residence steps are the same, with the Golden Visa family-file fee of AED 283 (calculator) instead of AED 203 and 10-year Emirates ID and residence fees. See our Golden Visa page and the Golden Visa cost guide.

🧓 Can my parents work, travel or stay abroad on a parents visa?

Work: a parent on your sponsorship can take a job with a relative work permit from MOHRE (work permit for dependents sponsored by family members — government fees AED 50 and AED 250, valid two years), issued through the employer. Travel: they can enter and leave the UAE freely while the residence is valid. Absence: a UAE residence normally lapses after more than 180 days outside the country, so parents who spend long periods at home should return within six months.

🤝 Parents visa services in Dubai by FamilyVisa.ae

FamilyVisa.ae handles the complete parents visa for you — online, from your phone, at the official government rates:

📝 Quick recap

• Dubai conditions: salary AED 10,000, two-bedroom attested tenancy in your name, both parents together (unless deceased or divorced), attested proof of relationship, three months of bank statements, AED 5,000 refundable deposit.
• Father visa or mother visa alone: only with the other parent's attested death or divorce certificate. Parents-in-law: same conditions, case by case.
• Entry permits (GDRFA review up to 14 days) → e-visas (60 days to enter or change status) → within 60 days: medical, Emirates ID, biometrics, 1-year residence → Emirates IDs delivered.
• Government fees from outside the UAE: AED 1,176 per parent (AED 2,352 for both) + AED 203 family file + AED 5,000 deposit; inside the UAE add AED 1,280 per parent.
• Renewal every year without an entry permit: AED 837 per parent.
• Insurance is not a visa condition in Dubai (required in the other emirates) — but insure your parents anyway. Golden Visa sponsors: 10-year parents visa.

🔗 Related guides

• Spouse visa in the UAE: sponsoring a wife or husband
• Son visa in Dubai: age limit and exemption after 25
• Daughter visa in Dubai: no age limit while unmarried
• Family visa renewal cost in Dubai
• Family visa cost: inside vs outside the country
• UAE Golden Visa cost
• MOFA attestation: documents, fees and timelines
• Visa and Emirates ID fine check

❓ Frequently asked questions

1. Can I sponsor my parents in Dubai?

Yes, if you meet GDRFA Dubai's conditions: a salary of at least AED 10,000 a month, a two-bedroom attested tenancy contract in your name, three months of bank statements, attested proof of the relationship and a refundable AED 5,000 security deposit. Both parents are normally sponsored together, and the visa is issued for one year at a time.

2. What is the minimum salary to sponsor parents in the UAE?

AED 10,000 a month in Dubai, shown on a salary certificate (government sector) or a labour contract (private sector). The AED 20,000 figure on many websites is the old rule. There is no lower band with employer accommodation, and a spouse's income cannot be added.

3. Can I sponsor only my mother or only my father?

In practice both parents are sponsored together. A single-parent application is accepted when the other parent has died or the parents are divorced, with the attested death or divorce certificate as proof. The committee decides other cases individually.

4. How do I sponsor my father in the UAE?

Apply for both parents, or for your father alone with your mother's attested death certificate or the parents' attested divorce certificate. You need a salary of AED 10,000, a two-bedroom tenancy, your attested birth certificate, bank statements and the AED 5,000 deposit; your father takes the medical fitness test and receives a one-year residence.

5. How do I sponsor my mother in the UAE?

The same conditions apply. A widowed mother is the most common single-parent case: submit your father's attested death certificate with your own attested birth certificate, your salary certificate or contract, the two-bedroom Ejari, bank statements and the deposit.

6. Can I sponsor my parents-in-law in Dubai?

Yes, under the same conditions, with GDRFA approval case by case. Prove the chain of relationship with your attested marriage certificate and your spouse's attested birth certificate showing the in-laws' names. Whether you can sponsor your own parents and your in-laws at the same time is decided on the application.

7. Can a woman sponsor her parents in the UAE?

Yes. A resident woman with her own salary of AED 10,000, a two-bedroom tenancy in her name and the other documents can sponsor her father and mother on the same terms as a man.

8. Do I need a two-bedroom apartment to sponsor my parents?

Yes, in Dubai. GDRFA requires an attested tenancy contract suitable for the family, which for parents means at least two bedrooms registered with Ejari in your name (or a title deed). Studios and one-bedroom flats are not accepted.

9. Is the parents visa deposit refundable?

Yes. GDRFA Dubai requires a financial guarantee of AED 5,000 for the parents' application (its service page states AED 5,000 per request, with a total guarantee not exceeding AED 15,000). It is paid after approval and refunded when the parents' visa is cancelled.

10. How much does a parents visa cost in Dubai?

Government fees for the one-year visa are AED 1,176 per parent — entry permit AED 339, medical test AED 273, Emirates ID AED 254 and residence issuance AED 310 — so AED 2,352 for both parents, plus AED 203 once to open the family file and the refundable AED 5,000 deposit. These are the figures for parents outside the UAE; if they are already inside the country, add AED 1,280 per parent.

11. How much does it cost to sponsor both parents?

AED 2,352 in government fees for two new one-year visas when the parents are outside the UAE (AED 2,904 through an Amer centre), plus AED 203 for the family file and the AED 5,000 refundable deposit — AED 7,555 payable in total, of which AED 5,000 comes back when the visas are cancelled.

12. How much does a parents visa cost if my parents are already inside the UAE?

AED 2,456 per parent in government fees (AED 2,743 through an Amer centre): the inside-country entry permit costs AED 989 instead of AED 339 and the change of status adds AED 630. Both parents: AED 4,912.

13. How much does it cost to apply for my parents' visa myself online?

Only the government fees: AED 1,176 per parent for the one-year visa from outside the UAE, AED 203 once for the family file, and the refundable AED 5,000 deposit. You apply through GDRFA Dubai with UAE Pass and pay no extra charges.

14. How much does Amer charge for a parents visa?

Amer centres add their charges to each government item: AED 1,452 per parent for a new one-year visa from outside the UAE instead of AED 1,176, AED 253 instead of AED 203 for the family file, and AED 1,015 instead of AED 837 for each yearly renewal.

15. What is the cost difference between DIY and Amer for a parents visa?

AED 276 per parent on a new visa, AED 50 on the family file and AED 178 per parent on each renewal. Applying yourself through GDRFA with UAE Pass costs only the government fees; an Amer centre adds its typing charges on each item.

16. Is a parents visa cheaper from outside the UAE?

Yes, by AED 1,280 per parent: the entry permit costs AED 339 instead of AED 989 and there is no AED 630 change-of-status fee. Government fees are AED 1,176 per parent from outside against AED 2,456 inside.

17. How long is a parents visa valid in the UAE?

One year, renewable every year, whatever the length of the sponsor's own residence — except for Golden Visa holders, whose parents can receive a residence for the same period as the Golden Visa (10 years).

18. How do I renew my parents' visa in Dubai?

No entry permit is needed. Each parent takes the medical fitness test (AED 273), renews the Emirates ID (AED 254 for one year) and the residence (AED 310 for one year) — AED 837 per parent in government fees, AED 1,015 through an Amer centre. Apply within the 30 days before expiry and keep an updated salary certificate and a valid Ejari ready.

19. How much does a parents visa renewal cost?

AED 837 per parent per year in government fees (medical AED 273, Emirates ID AED 254, residence AED 310), or AED 1,674 for both parents. Through an Amer centre: AED 1,015 per parent.

20. What documents are required for a parents visa in Dubai?

Your parents' passport copies and photos; your own attested birth certificate showing their names; your passport, visa and Emirates ID; your salary certificate or labour contract (AED 10,000 or more); three months of bank statements; the two-bedroom attested tenancy contract or title deed; the attested death or divorce certificate for a single parent; their current visas if they are in the UAE; and the medical fitness results after the entry permits are issued.

21. Does my birth certificate need attestation for my parents' visa?

Yes, if it was issued outside the UAE: attestation in the issuing country, by the UAE Embassy there and by UAE MOFA, plus a legal Arabic translation if it is not in Arabic or English. It is the slowest step — one week to three months depending on the country — so start it first.

22. Do my parents need a medical test for the visa?

Yes. Both parents take the medical fitness test (blood test and chest X-ray) for every new visa and every yearly renewal: AED 273 for the normal test or AED 703 for VIP. Home-visit medical services exist for parents with limited mobility.

23. Do my parents need health insurance for a Dubai visa?

Not to issue the visa in Dubai: GDRFA does not ask for an insurance policy. Dubai's health insurance law still expects residents to be covered, and medical bills are the biggest risk for older parents, so arrange a senior policy once the visa is issued. In the other emirates a valid medical insurance policy is required before the residence is stamped.

24. How long does a parents visa take in Dubai?

GDRFA Dubai quotes up to 14 days to review a parents' application. The approved entry permits (e-visas) are valid for 60 days to enter or change status, and the medical, Emirates ID, biometrics and visa issuance must be completed within 60 days after that — typically 5 to 10 working days with a complete file.

25. Can my parents change from a visit visa to a residence visa without leaving the UAE?

Yes. Apply for the entry permits inside the country (AED 989 each) and then a change of status (AED 630 each) within 60 days, before the visit visa expires. Alternatively they can exit and re-enter on the new e-visas without paying the status-change fee.

26. Can my parents work in the UAE on a parents visa?

Yes, with a relative work permit from MOHRE (work permit for dependents sponsored by family members): AED 50 application and AED 250 issuance, valid two years, issued through the employer. They stay on your family visa.

27. Can my parents stay abroad for long periods on a parents visa?

A UAE residence visa lapses after more than 180 days outside the country, so parents who spend long periods at home should return within six months of leaving, or ask GDRFA about an exemption before a longer absence.

28. Can a Golden Visa holder sponsor parents for 10 years?

Yes. A Golden Visa holder's parents can receive a residence for the same period as the Golden Visa — 10 years — instead of one year at a time. The AED 5,000 security deposit still applies, and the Golden Visa family file fee is AED 283 (FamilyVisa.ae calculator).

29. Can I sponsor my parents with a salary of AED 8,000?

Normally no. GDRFA Dubai sets AED 10,000 as the minimum for sponsoring parents, and the application already goes through a committee review. With a lower salary, bring your parents on a visit visa and reapply once your salary meets the requirement.

30. What happens if I lose my job while my parents are on my visa?

Their residence permits are linked to yours. If your visa is cancelled, theirs must be cancelled or transferred too, and the deposit is refunded on cancellation. GDRFA Dubai states a 60-day grace period after cancellation or expiry; after that the overstay fine is AED 50 per day.

31. What is the grace period after my parents' visa expires?

GDRFA Dubai states 60 days for family residence permits. After the grace period the overstay fine is AED 50 per day, so renew within the 30 days before expiry — the yearly renewal is the step families most often miss.

Last reviewed 13 October 2026. Rules and fees are set by GDRFA Dubai, ICP and MOHRE and can change; the government fees quoted were checked in our calculator on 13 October 2026, and the live Family Visa Calculator is the final reference. Approval of every application is decided by the immigration authorities. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Main official sources: GDRFA Dubai — residence permit for humanitarian cases, u.ae — residence visa for family members, GDRFA Dubai — residence permit for family members, ICP — issuing a residency permit, MOHRE — work permits for dependents sponsored by family members. FamilyVisa.ae is operated by 800 DOCS LLC SOC, a DET-licensed private visa services company in Dubai — not a government office.