Quick answer
A UAE resident can sponsor parents, a spouse or children from Pakistan on a family visit visa if they earn at least AED 4,000 a month. Dubai residents apply through GDRFA Dubai and residents of other emirates through ICP. As of October 2026, the visa allows 30, 60 or 90 days, needs proof of relationship, health insurance and a return ticket, and carries a refundable AED 1,000 deposit.
In this guideShow
- Who can a UAE resident sponsor on a family visit visa?
- GDRFA Dubai or ICP: where do you apply?
- How long can your family stay?
- What documents does your family need?
- Do Pakistani documents need to be attested?
- How much does a family visit visa cost?
- Step by step: sponsoring your family from the UAE
- Common mistakes
- How Sky Raah can help
- Official sources
Thousands of Pakistanis working in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi want their parents, wife or children to come and stay for a few weeks. The UAE allows this through a visit visa sponsored by a resident relative, often called the Dubai family visit visa. Applied for properly, it is one of the more straightforward UAE visas for families from Pakistan.
This guide is for UAE residents sponsoring family from Pakistan, and for families in Pakistan getting their papers ready. By the end, you will know who you can sponsor, the salary rules, which authority handles your application, the documents each side needs, whether Pakistani documents need attestation, and the official fees as of October 2026.
If you are not using a family sponsor, our UAE visit visa page covers tourist visas through airlines and agents. If a past application failed, read our guide to Dubai visa rejection reasons for Pakistanis first. This post doesn't repeat that ground.
Who can a UAE resident sponsor on a family visit visa?
The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) sets minimum monthly salaries for a resident sponsoring a relative or friend:
| Relationship | Who counts (ICP definition) | Minimum monthly salary |
|---|---|---|
| First degree | Father, mother, spouse, son, daughter | AED 4,000 |
| Second degree | Siblings, grandparents, grandchildren | AED 8,000 |
| Third degree | Uncle, aunt, cousins | AED 8,000 |
| Friend | Non-relative | AED 15,000 |
So for parents, a wife or husband, and children, the threshold is AED 4,000 a month. ICP also requires "proof of kinship according to the degree" and says the host must have an active sponsor file that allows them to apply for visa and residence services.
GDRFA Dubai or ICP: where do you apply?
The UAE Government portal explains that UAE embassies abroad do not issue tourist visas. For a family visit, the sponsor applies in the UAE, and the authority depends on where the sponsor's residence was issued:
- Dubai residents apply through the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA Dubai): its website or smart app (24/7), a Customer Happiness Centre or an AMER service centre.
- Residents of other emirates (Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman and the rest) apply through ICP's smart services website or the ICP app, logging in with UAE Pass.
Your family in Pakistan doesn't apply for anything themselves. They send their documents to you, and you (or a typing or AMER centre) submit them. GDRFA Dubai lists an expected completion time of 48 hours. ICP lists 2 days.
How long can your family stay?
According to ICP, as of October 2026:
- The visa allows a stay of 30, 60 or 90 days, depending on what you apply for.
- It can be extended once or several times, but the total stay cannot exceed 120 days.
- Your family must enter within 60 days of the entry permit being issued.
- Overstaying costs AED 50 per day.
ICP's fee list covers both single-entry and multiple-entry versions of this visa.
What documents does your family need?
Requirements are split between the sponsor in the UAE and the visitors in Pakistan. The lists below combine what GDRFA Dubai and ICP publish.
From the sponsor in the UAE
- Valid UAE residence and an active sponsor file
- Proof of income in the format GDRFA Dubai lists: a salary certificate (government, semi-government or free zone employers), an employment contract (private companies) or a partnership contract (business partners)
- Proof of relationship that links you to each visitor (see below)
- A short note on the reason for the visit, which ICP calls "justification for the visit"
From the family in Pakistan
- Passport valid for at least 6 months (both GDRFA and ICP)
- Two personal photos (GDRFA)
- CNIC copy: GDRFA Dubai specifically requires an identity card from the country of origin for Pakistani nationals, so send clear copies of both sides
- Medical report: ICP lists one for this category
- Health insurance valid in the UAE and a return ticket (ICP conditions)
Proof of relationship for parents, spouse and children
| Visitor | Documents that show the relationship |
|---|---|
| Wife or husband | Nikah Nama (marriage contract) and the NADRA Marriage Registration Certificate |
| Children | Each child's birth certificate showing you as parent, and the child's B-Form (NADRA Child Registration Certificate) |
| Parents | Your own birth certificate showing them as parents |
GDRFA Dubai lists the marriage contract and birth certificate. In the files we prepare, we also include the NADRA Family Registration Certificate (FRC), which shows the whole family on one official record and links CNIC numbers together. You can apply for an FRC through NADRA's Pak Identity portal or at a NADRA centre. Make sure names are spelt the same way on the FRC, passports and CNICs.
ICP adds one special case: if a wife is visiting a husband who is a citizen of another GCC country, she must hold a valid residence permit in that country.
Do Pakistani documents need to be attested?
GDRFA Dubai's and ICP's service pages for the visit visa list proof of relationship but don't state that it must be attested. In our experience, some typing centres still ask for attested copies, and attested documents are useful if you later sponsor the same family member for residence. Ask the centre or check the system before you start, so you don't lose days.
If attestation is needed, the order matters. The UAE Embassy in Islamabad says documents issued in Pakistan must first be attested by Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After that:
- Apply on the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs' attestation service, logging in with UAE Pass.
- Select Pakistan as the country where the document was issued and pay online.
- A courier approved by the UAE Ministry collects the original document.
- The embassy emails a digitally attested copy, usually within 2 to 3 working days.
How much does a family visit visa cost?
GDRFA Dubai publishes these fees for a single-entry relative or friend visit visa, as of October 2026:
| Charge (GDRFA Dubai) | Amount |
|---|---|
| 30-day visa | AED 200 |
| 60-day visa | AED 300 |
| 90-day visa | AED 400 |
| VAT | 5% |
| Refundable security deposit | AED 1,000 |
| Deposit service fee | AED 20 |
| Deposit collection and reimbursement fee | AED 40 |
| Medical insurance | AED 40 (30 days), AED 60 (60 days), AED 90 (90 days) |
| Extra if the visitor is already in the UAE | AED 500 plus AED 20 in other charges |
ICP's fee list for the same service uses different components: an AED 100 application fee, AED 100 per month for a single-entry visa (AED 200 for multiple entry), an AED 100 smart service fee, and a financial guarantee of AED 1,000 (single entry) or AED 2,000 (multiple entry), plus a AED 20 deposit fee.
GDRFA notes that the total "may vary more or less" depending on the case. Treat these as official starting figures and check the final amount on screen before you pay.
Step by step: sponsoring your family from the UAE
- Check your salary and status. Make sure you meet the AED 4,000 threshold and your residence has enough validity for the visit.
- Collect documents from Pakistan. Passports, photos, CNIC copies and relationship proof, scanned clearly in colour.
- Get attestation done if required. Start early, as Pakistan's MOFA step comes first.
- Apply through GDRFA Dubai (Dubai visa holders) or ICP (other emirates), online or at an AMER or typing centre.
- Pay the fees and the refundable deposit.
- Download the entry permit and send it to your family as a PDF.
- Book confirmed return tickets that match the visa dates, and arrange UAE-valid health insurance if it is not already included.
- Your family travels with printed copies of the visa, return ticket, your Emirates ID and the relationship documents. These also help with FIA checks at Pakistani airports.
Common mistakes
- Applying for a sibling or cousin with a salary between AED 4,000 and AED 8,000
- Sending blurry passport scans or a CNIC copy with only one side
- Spelling differences between the Nikah Nama, FRC and passports
- Forgetting the 60-day window to enter after the permit is issued
- Booking a return ticket beyond the visa duration
- Letting the visa run out instead of extending in time, which costs AED 50 a day
- Leaving attestation to the last week, when Pakistan's MOFA step can take time
How Sky Raah can help
Sky Raah Travels in Lahore helps families in Pakistan prepare documents for a UAE family visit visa: passport and photo checks, CNIC and FRC copies, relationship proof and travel bookings, ready to send to the sponsor in the UAE. We can't influence the UAE authorities' decision, but we can help you send a complete, consistent set of papers the first time. Visit our UAE visit visa service or start your application.
Official sources
- ICP: Issuance of a visa (visit visa for relatives and friends)
- GDRFA Dubai: Issuing a visit visa for a relative or friend for one entry
- UAE Government portal (u.ae): Tourist visa and visit visa channels
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Documents attestation
- UAE Embassy in Islamabad: Attestation information
- NADRA: Pak Identity (FRC applications)
Rules and fees are correct as of October 2026. Always confirm the latest requirements and fees with GDRFA Dubai or ICP before applying.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sponsor my parents if I earn less than AED 4,000 a month?
Not on the relative or friend visit visa, because ICP sets AED 4,000 as the minimum monthly salary for first-degree relatives. Your parents can still apply for a regular tourist visa through a UAE airline, a licensed travel agent or a hotel, which the u.ae portal lists as separate channels.
Can I sponsor my brother or sister on a family visit visa?
Yes, but siblings are second-degree relatives under ICP's classification, so you need a monthly salary of at least AED 8,000. Uncles, aunts and cousins are third-degree relatives with the same AED 8,000 threshold. Sponsoring a friend needs AED 15,000.
Is the AED 1,000 deposit refunded?
It can be. ICP says the financial guarantee may be refunded on request after the visa is cancelled or the visitor has left the UAE, provided there were no residency violations. GDRFA Dubai also lists a separate AED 40 fee for collecting and reimbursing the deposit.
Can my parents extend their visit visa inside the UAE?
ICP says the relative or friend visit visa may be extended once or several times, as long as the total stay does not exceed 120 days. Apply for the extension before the current permit expires, because overstaying costs AED 50 a day under ICP's published fines.
Does my family need a medical test for a UAE visit visa?
ICP's document list for the relative or friend visit category includes a medical report, while GDRFA Dubai's list does not mention one. Requirements can differ by channel and case, so check what the system asks for when you start the application and keep any recent medical records ready.
Need help with your application?
Written by
Visa & Umrah consultants, Lahore
The Sky Raah Travels team prepares visit visa files and Umrah bookings for Pakistani travellers from our Lahore office.
