Spouse Visa in the UAE (2026): How to Sponsor Your Wife or Husband in Dubai — Requirements, Documents, Process, Work Rules, Renewal and Cost

A spouse visa in the UAE is the family residence visa a resident sponsors for his wife or her husband. In Dubai it is issued by GDRFA under the sponsor's family file, normally for 2 years, and the conditions are simple: a salary of AED 4,000 a month (or AED 3,000 plus accommodation from your employer) and an attested marriage certificate. A husband can sponsor his wife, and a wife can sponsor her husband. This guide explains the wife visa and the husband visa, the documents, the step-by-step procedure for a spouse outside or inside the country, the medical and Emirates ID steps, whether your spouse can work, renewal and cancellation, and exactly what a spouse visa costs when you apply yourself online or through an Amer centre.

👫 Who can sponsor a spouse in the UAE?

Any expatriate resident with a valid UAE residence visa and a salary of at least AED 4,000 a month — or AED 3,000 plus accommodation provided by the employer — can sponsor his wife or her husband. Since the 2022 visa reforms the job title no longer matters: employees can sponsor their families regardless of their profession. The spouse visa is a dependent residence visa under your family file, valid for the same period as your own residence — normally 2 years for employees and partners, up to 10 years for the spouse of a Golden Visa holder.

👰 Wife visa in Dubai: how does a husband sponsor his wife?

A husband sponsors his wife with the standard family visa. He needs the AED 4,000 salary (or AED 3,000 plus accommodation), the attested marriage certificate and his own valid residence; she needs a passport valid for six months, a photo and the medical fitness test. Her residence visa is issued under his family file as a dependent — the profession field on a wife's visa reads "housewife" — and she can take a job later with a relative work permit from MOHRE without changing her visa. If she is already in the UAE on a visit visa, the status is changed inside the country.

Can a Muslim resident sponsor two wives?

A Muslim expatriate may be allowed to sponsor two wives, subject to the immigration authority's approval and the attested marriage certificates for both marriages, with an Arabic translation. Each wife gets her own residence under the family file; the salary rule and the medical test apply to each. Ask us before applying — approval is at the authority's discretion.

🤵 Husband visa in Dubai: can a wife sponsor her husband?

Yes. A resident woman can sponsor her husband (and her children) in the UAE. The published salary rule is the same — AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation — but GDRFA Dubai treats a wife sponsoring her husband as a case for approval: in practice it expects a stronger salary, around AED 10,000, and decides at its discretion. The husband's residence is issued as a dependent under his wife's file.

What does "husband visa" mean in the UAE?

People use "husband visa" in two ways. Most often it means a wife living in the UAE on her husband's sponsorship — "I am on my husband's visa, can I work?" — and the answer is yes, with a relative work permit. Less often it means a wife sponsoring her husband, the case explained above. This guide covers both: the wife visa section for the first, this section for the second.

📜 What are the marriage certificate requirements for a spouse visa?

The marriage certificate must be attested and, if it is not in Arabic or English, legally translated into Arabic. GDRFA accepts a foreign marriage only once the certificate has been authenticated by every link in the chain:

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

GDRFA Dubai asks for these documents for a wife visa or a husband visa. 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 a spouse visa in Dubai? Step by step

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

The procedure from entry permit to Emirates ID

How long does a spouse visa take in the UAE? Processing time

Typically 5 to 10 working days from a complete file. GDRFA Dubai usually issues the entry permit within about 48 hours; the medical result takes about 24 hours (30 minutes with the VIP test); the Emirates ID application, biometrics and residence issuance follow within days, and the card is delivered by courier. What takes longest is the attestation of the marriage certificate — one week to three months depending on the country — so start it first.

Outside or inside the UAE: what changes?

The standard case is a spouse who is outside the UAE: the entry permit is issued, he or she enters on the e-visa within 60 days and completes the medical, Emirates ID and visa steps here. If your spouse is already inside the UAE — on a visit visa, a cancelled residence or another sponsor's visa — the entry permit is issued inside the country and a change of status replaces the entry (or your spouse exits and re-enters on the new e-visa). 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 spouse visa cost in Dubai?

Government fees for a new 2-year spouse visa are AED 1,376 — entry permit AED 339, normal medical test AED 273, Emirates ID AED 354 and residence issuance AED 410 — plus a one-time family file opening fee of AED 203 for first-time sponsors. These are the figures for a spouse outside the UAE; if your wife or husband is already inside the country, add AED 1,280 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. The same figures apply to a wife visa and a husband visa.

How much does a wife visa or husband visa cost?

How much more does it cost if my spouse is already inside the UAE?

AED 1,280 more 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.

How much does it cost to sponsor my spouse and children together?

Add the children's government fees to the spouse's: AED 1,103 for each child under 18 and AED 1,376 for each child aged 18 or above (from outside the UAE), plus the single AED 203 family file fee. For example, a wife and one child under 18 applying from outside the UAE cost AED 2,682 in government fees including the AED 203 family file; inside the UAE, AED 5,242. See our family visa cost guide.

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.

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 for a spouse applying from outside the UAE (AED 287 inside), plus AED 50 on the family file. What you give up is the typist who checks the file and resubmits it if something is rejected.

💼 Can my spouse work on a spouse visa in the UAE?

A wife on her husband's visa: yes, with a relative work permit. She does not need to move to an employment visa. Her employer applies to MOHRE for a work permit for dependents sponsored by family members — the relative work permit (government fees AED 50 for the application and AED 250 for the permit, valid two years, for dependents aged 18 or older). She stays on her husband's family visa, her visa still says "housewife", and the employer needs no quota. Free zone companies issue the equivalent free-zone work permit.

A husband on his wife's visa: only with special approval. His residence is marked "Mahram — not allowed to work", so a relative work permit needs MOHRE's special approval and is granted as an exception. Most husbands who want to work move to an employment visa sponsored by the employer instead.

Can my wife work part-time or freelance on my visa?

Part-time and temporary work also need a MOHRE work permit from the employer, and freelance work needs a freelance permit or licence from a free zone or the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism. Working without a permit exposes both the worker and the employer to fines.

🔁 Spouse visa renewal: validity, steps and cost

A spouse visa is valid for the same period as the sponsor's residence — normally 2 years for employees, investors and partners, and up to 10 years for the spouse of a Golden Visa holder. Renewal is simpler than a new visa: there is no entry permit and no change of status.

How do I renew my wife's or husband's visa in Dubai?

How much does a spouse visa renewal cost?

Full details in our family visa renewal guide. The sponsor's own residence must be valid at renewal; if you change jobs, renew your own visa first and your spouse's stays under your file.

✂️ Spouse visa cancellation, divorce and the death of the sponsor

How do I cancel my wife's or husband's visa in Dubai?

The sponsor applies to GDRFA for the cancellation — online with UAE Pass, at an Amer centre or through us — with the spouse's passport and Emirates ID. The Emirates ID is cancelled with the residence. A sponsor who is leaving the UAE must cancel the dependents' visas before his or her own. After cancellation, GDRFA Dubai states a grace period of 60 days to leave or obtain a new residence; beyond it the overstay fine is AED 50 a day.

What happens to the spouse visa after a divorce?

The sponsorship ends and the ex-spouse's visa must be cancelled. A divorced wife can stay in the UAE on an employment visa, on a parent's sponsorship if she is unmarried again, or — for a widow or divorcee (and her children) — on the one-year residence GDRFA can issue to widows and divorcees through its humanitarian service, applied for within six months.

What if the sponsor dies?

The family's residence permits are linked to the sponsor's file, so they must be transferred or cancelled. GDRFA's humanitarian service allows a widow and her children to be issued a one-year residence within six months of the death; children can also be sponsored by the surviving parent once she or he has a residence visa.

🤝 Spouse visa services in Dubai by FamilyVisa.ae

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

📝 Quick recap

• A UAE resident can sponsor a wife or husband with a salary of AED 4,000 (or AED 3,000 plus accommodation) and an attested, Arabic-translated marriage certificate.
• Wife visa: standard family visa; she can work with a relative work permit. Husband visa: GDRFA approval case by case; his visa says "Mahram — not allowed to work", so a work permit needs special approval.
• Entry permit → e-visa (60 days to enter or change status) → within 60 days: medical, Emirates ID application, biometrics, visa issuance → Emirates ID delivered. Typically 5 to 10 working days.
• Government fees for a new 2-year spouse visa: AED 1,376 (AED 1,652 through an Amer centre); inside the UAE add AED 1,280; family file AED 203 once.
• Renewal every 2 years without an entry permit: AED 1,037.
• Dubai: no tenancy contract or insurance condition for a spouse visa; other emirates require both.

🔗 Related guides

• Son visa in Dubai: age limit and exemption after 25
• Daughter visa in Dubai: no age limit while unmarried
• Parents visa in Dubai: salary, deposit and cost
• Family visa cost: inside vs outside the country
• Family visa renewal cost in Dubai
• How to apply for a UAE family visa
• MOFA attestation: documents, fees and timelines
• Newborn visa in the UAE

❓ Frequently asked questions

1. What are the requirements for a spouse visa in the UAE?

A valid UAE residence visa for the sponsor, a salary of at least AED 4,000 a month (or AED 3,000 plus employer accommodation), an attested marriage certificate with an Arabic translation if needed, the spouse's passport valid for six months, and a medical fitness test for the sponsored spouse. In Dubai no tenancy contract or insurance policy is needed to issue the visa.

2. How much salary is required to sponsor a wife in Dubai?

AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation provided by the employer, shown on a salary certificate or labour contract. The job title no longer matters.

3. Can a wife sponsor her husband in the UAE?

Yes. A resident woman can sponsor her husband and children. The published salary rule is the same (AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation), but GDRFA Dubai treats it as a case for approval and in practice expects a stronger salary, around AED 10,000. The husband's visa is marked 'Mahram — not allowed to work', so working needs special approval.

4. Can a wife work on her husband's visa in the UAE?

Yes. She stays on her husband's family visa and her employer applies to MOHRE for a relative work permit (work permit for dependents sponsored by family members): AED 50 application and AED 250 issuance, valid two years. Free zone companies issue the equivalent free-zone permit.

5. Can a husband work on his wife's visa in the UAE?

Only with special approval. A husband sponsored by his wife holds a residence marked 'Mahram — not allowed to work'; a relative work permit for him is granted by MOHRE as an exception. Most husbands who want to work take an employment visa through the employer instead.

6. What does 'husband visa' mean in the UAE?

Usually a wife living in the UAE on her husband's sponsorship ('I am on my husband's visa'). It can also mean a wife sponsoring her husband. Both are covered in this guide: a wife on a husband visa can work with a relative work permit; a sponsored husband needs special approval to work.

7. How much does a spouse visa cost in the UAE?

Government fees for a new 2-year spouse visa are AED 1,376 — entry permit AED 339, medical test AED 273, Emirates ID AED 354 and residence issuance AED 410 — plus AED 203 once to open the family file. These are the figures for a spouse outside the UAE; if your wife or husband is already inside the country, add AED 1,280. Through an Amer centre: AED 1,652 (AED 2,943 inside).

8. How much is a wife visa in Dubai?

AED 1,376 in government fees for a new 2-year visa when she is outside the UAE (AED 2,656 if she is already inside the country), plus AED 203 once for the family file. Through an Amer centre: AED 1,652 or AED 2,943.

9. How much is a husband visa in the UAE?

The same government fees as a wife visa: AED 1,376 for a new 2-year visa from outside the UAE, AED 2,656 inside the country, plus AED 203 once for the family file. Through an Amer centre: AED 1,652 or AED 2,943.

10. How long does a spouse visa take in the UAE?

Typically 5 to 10 working days from a complete file: GDRFA Dubai issues the entry permit in about 48 hours, the medical result takes about 24 hours (30 minutes VIP), and the Emirates ID and residence follow within days. The attestation of the marriage certificate takes longest — one week to three months depending on the country.

11. Does the marriage certificate need attestation for a UAE spouse visa?

Yes. A certificate issued abroad is attested in the issuing country, by the UAE Embassy there and by UAE MOFA, and translated into Arabic by a licensed legal translator if it is not in Arabic or English. A marriage registered in the UAE needs only MOFA attestation and, where needed, translation.

12. What documents are required for a wife visa in the UAE?

Her passport copy and photo, the attested marriage certificate with Arabic translation, the sponsor's passport, visa and Emirates ID, the sponsor's salary certificate or labour contract, her current UAE visa if she is here, and the medical fitness result after the entry permit is issued.

13. What documents are required for a husband visa in Dubai?

The same list: his passport copy and photo, the attested marriage certificate, the wife's passport, visa and Emirates ID, her salary certificate or contract, his current UAE visa if he is here, and the medical fitness result. GDRFA may ask for additional proof of the wife's income.

14. How do I apply for a wife visa in the UAE?

Attest the marriage certificate, open your family file (once), apply for her entry permit through GDRFA with UAE Pass, an Amer centre or FamilyVisa.ae, let her enter or change status within 60 days, then complete the medical test, Emirates ID application, biometrics and residence issuance within 60 days. The Emirates ID is delivered by courier.

15. How do I apply for a husband visa in Dubai?

The same steps as a wife visa — entry permit, entry or status change within 60 days, medical, Emirates ID, biometrics and residence — but GDRFA reviews the wife's eligibility first and decides at its discretion. Send us your salary and profession and we will tell you the chances before you pay.

16. Can my spouse change from a visit visa to a spouse visa without leaving the UAE?

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

17. Is a spouse visa cheaper from outside the UAE?

Yes, by AED 1,280: the entry permit costs AED 339 instead of AED 989 and there is no AED 630 change-of-status fee. Government fees are AED 1,376 from outside against AED 2,656 inside.

18. Is applying for a spouse visa online cheaper than going to Amer?

Yes. The government fees are the same, so you save the Amer charges — AED 276 for a spouse applying from outside the UAE and AED 50 on the family file. You then handle the follow-up, medical and biometrics bookings yourself.

19. How much does Amer charge for a spouse visa?

Amer centres add their charges to each government item: AED 1,652 for a new 2-year spouse visa from outside the UAE instead of AED 1,376 (AED 2,943 instead of AED 2,656 inside), AED 253 instead of AED 203 for the family file, and AED 1,215 instead of AED 1,037 for a renewal.

20. Does my spouse need a medical test for the visa?

Yes. Every sponsored spouse takes a medical fitness test (blood test and chest X-ray) for each new visa and renewal: AED 273 for the normal test with the report in about 24 hours, or AED 703 for VIP with the report in about 30 minutes.

21. How long is a spouse visa valid in the UAE?

The same period as the sponsor's residence — normally 2 years for employees, investors and partners, and up to 10 years for the spouse of a Golden Visa holder.

22. How do I renew my wife's visa in Dubai?

No entry permit is needed. She takes the medical fitness test (AED 273), renews the Emirates ID (AED 354) and the residence (AED 410) — AED 1,037 in government fees, AED 1,215 through an Amer centre. Apply within the 30 days before expiry.

23. How much does a spouse visa renewal cost in Dubai?

AED 1,037 in government fees for 2 years (medical AED 273, Emirates ID AED 354, residence AED 410), or AED 1,215 through an Amer centre.

24. How do I cancel my wife's or husband's visa in Dubai?

The sponsor applies to GDRFA for the cancellation — online with UAE Pass, at an Amer centre or through FamilyVisa.ae — with the spouse's passport and Emirates ID. A sponsor leaving the UAE cancels the dependents first. After cancellation GDRFA Dubai states a 60-day grace period; the overstay fine is then AED 50 per day.

25. What happens to a spouse visa after a divorce?

The sponsorship ends and the ex-spouse's visa must be cancelled. A divorced wife can stay on an employment visa, on a parent's sponsorship, or — for a widow or divorcee (and her children) — on the one-year residence GDRFA can issue through its humanitarian service, applied for within six months.

26. Can a Muslim resident sponsor two wives in the UAE?

A Muslim expatriate may be allowed to sponsor two wives, subject to the immigration authority's approval, with the attested and Arabic-translated marriage certificates for both marriages. Each wife gets her own residence under the family file.

27. Do I need a tenancy contract or health insurance for a spouse visa?

Not in Dubai: GDRFA does not require a tenancy contract or an insurance policy to issue a spouse visa (Dubai's health insurance law still expects residents to be covered). In the other emirates an attested tenancy contract and a medical insurance policy are required.

28. Can I sponsor my spouse if I am on a Golden Visa, a Green visa or a property visa?

Yes. Golden Visa, Green visa, property visa and investor or partner visa holders sponsor their spouses under the same conditions; the spouse's residence follows the sponsor's validity, and investor sponsors pay slightly different entry-permit and status-change fees.

29. Can I sponsor my spouse and children together?

Yes, under one family file. Add the children's government fees — AED 1,103 for each child under 18 and AED 1,376 for each child aged 18 or above from outside the UAE — to the spouse's AED 1,376, plus the single AED 203 family file fee.

30. What is the grace period after a spouse visa expires or is cancelled?

GDRFA Dubai states 60 days for family residence permits (other categories have 30 to 180 days). After the grace period the overstay fine is AED 50 per day. Renew within the 30 days before expiry to avoid it.

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: u.ae — residence visa for family members, GDRFA Dubai — residence permit for family members, GDRFA Dubai — residence permit for humanitarian cases, 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.