2 Years Family Visa Price in Dubai 2026: Full Cost
You’ve found your footing in Dubai — got the job, got the apartment, got the Emirates ID. Now you want to bring your family. The first question everyone asks is the same: what’s the family visa price in Dubai, and how much do I actually need to set aside? The honest answer is that the number you find online is almost always wrong — not because the information is outdated, but because it only quotes government fees and ignores the other four or five costs that land in your lap during the process. A 2-year family visa in Dubai costs between AED 4,500 and AED 6,500 per person when you add everything up. For a spouse plus two children, you’re looking at AED 11,000 to AED 14,000 in year one. Here’s exactly where every dirham goes. The Minimum Salary You Need Before Costs Even Matter Before price is relevant, eligibility is. In Dubai, you must earn a minimum of AED 4,000 per month to sponsor a spouse and children — or AED 3,000 per month if your employer formally provides accommodation (a housing allowance doesn’t count; the accommodation must be documented by the employer). This rule was clarified under Cabinet Resolution 65 of 2022 and confirmed by the UAE Government Portal. Sponsoring parents is a different calculation entirely. Through GDRFA Dubai, the standard threshold is AED 20,000 per month. A humanitarian route exists through Amer centres at AED 10,000 per month, but parent visas under this route are issued with 1-year validity only — not two years — and must be renewed annually. Women sponsoring a husband face higher thresholds: typically AED 8,000 to AED 10,000 per month, depending on the emirate and profession. These rules were updated in late 2025 when ICP standardised many gender-based provisions, but female sponsors should confirm the current salary requirement directly with GDRFA or an Amer centre before applying, as these thresholds still differ from male sponsor minimums. Worth knowing before you budget: Golden Visa holders are exempt from all minimum salary requirements and can sponsor family for 5 to 10 years matching their own visa duration. If you hold or are close to qualifying for a Golden Visa, the calculus on family sponsorship changes significantly. The 2-Year Family Visa Price in Dubai: Every Fee, Itemised This is where most guides fail you. They quote a single “total” that only includes the GDRFA government fees, then leave you to discover the rest during the application. Below is the complete fee structure for a 2-year family residence visa processed in Dubai through GDRFA and Amer centres, verified against official ICP and GDRFA schedules as of June 2026. Per-Person Costs: Spouse (Adult Dependent) Fee Component Cost (AED) Notes Entry permit (from outside UAE) 500–600 Paid at application stage Status change (if already in UAE) 750–1,200 Replaces entry permit if family is already here Medical fitness test 300–700 Required for all dependents aged 18+ Emirates ID (2-year) 270–370 Federal ICP fee Residence visa stamping 500–750 Core GDRFA issuance fee Amer/typing centre fee 100–200 Processing service charge Health insurance (basic, year 1) 700–1,500 Mandatory; plan quality varies widely Estimated total per person AED 3,120–5,320 Before attestation costs Always verify current figures at gdrfad.gov.ae and icp.gov.ae before paying. Fees are subject to change without prior notice. The Cost Competitors Don’t Tell You About: Attestation Marriage and birth certificates issued abroad must go through a full attestation chain before GDRFA or ICP will accept them. The chain is: foreign ministry in the home country → UAE embassy in that country → UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) → Arabic legal translation in the UAE. Most agency guides skip this section entirely. Attestation costs vary by country of origin, but plan for AED 600 to AED 1,200 per document. A marriage certificate plus two birth certificates can add AED 2,000 to AED 3,000 to your total family cost — and that’s before translation fees. This is the line item that blindsides most sponsors during their first family visa application. Per-Person Costs: Child Under 18 Children skip the medical fitness test, which meaningfully reduces their cost. Fee Component Cost (AED) Notes Entry permit (from outside UAE) 500–600 Not required for newborns born in UAE Status change (if already in UAE) 750–1,000 Emirates ID (2-year) 270–370 Residence visa stamping 500–650 Amer/typing centre fee 100–200 Health insurance (basic, year 1) 500–1,000 Required; child plans typically cheaper Estimated total per child AED 1,870–3,420 Cheaper than spouse — no medical test One detail worth flagging for parents of sons: as of 2026, sons can be sponsored up to age 25 (previously 18), provided they are enrolled in an accredited institution. This was updated per the UAE Government Portal and confirmed by Emirates 24/7 in April 2026. Sons above 18 are treated as adults and require a medical fitness test. What Does a Family of Four Actually Cost in Dubai? One spouse plus two young children, all arriving from outside the UAE: Person Estimated Total (AED) Spouse 4,500–5,500 Child 1 (under 18) 2,500–3,200 Child 2 (under 18) 2,500–3,200 Marriage certificate attestation 700–1,200 Birth certificate attestation × 2 1,200–2,000 Sponsor file registration (one-time) 200–250 Total — Year One AED 11,600–15,350 That range is wide because health insurance varies the most. A basic compliant plan for a spouse starts around AED 700 per year; a mid-tier plan for a family of four can run AED 5,000 to AED 8,000 annually. The visa itself doesn’t require a specific insurance tier — it just requires active, valid UAE health coverage. Choosing a bare-minimum plan upfront and upgrading later is a common and practical approach. Inside UAE vs Outside UAE: The Cost Difference Whether your family is currently in the UAE on a visit visa or applying from abroad changes the fee structure. The status change option is faster for families already living in Dubai on a tourist or visit visa. In terms of stress, the most common issue we see with status-change applications is the 60-day deadline pressure — from









