How To Renew Family Visa In Dubai

On being an expat in the UAE, one of the biggest concern that every expat has is to reside with their family in the UAE. This holds true for children as well who are looking forward to get good education on how to renew their family visa in Dubai.

To renew family visa in Dubai, the first and foremost thing that you need to do is to ensure that your sponsor is ready with all the documents. When you go to the visa renewal office this will be checked by the official there. If anything is wrong with your sponsor’s documents he or she will not able to get an approval for your visa renewal.

I am yet to hear of any absolute rule in Dubai regarding maintenance. I heard that the Family Visa renewal is the only one, which Dubai permits the sponsor to submit Dh. 4,000 bank statements or loan instead of cash deposits of Dh. 25,000 or above for first instance visa applicants, and Dh.35,000 for renewals.

How To Renew Family Visa In Dubai

The United Arab Emirates has strict rules and regulations when it comes to dealing with visa applications. However, with the increase in the number of expatriates that want to live and work here, many provisions have been made to make the visa application process faster and easier. In most instances, expatriates do not need special approval from UAE authorities. The process of getting a family visa can take up to a week with procedures that need to be followed before you can apply for a residence card. Obtaining a family visa is necessary, since this is needed along with other proofs when you want to obtain a residence card or just continue living and working in Dubai.

If you have a family member who’ll soon be expiring of his/her visa, you need to know that the following links are very useless in renewing or extending his/her dependent visa:

Are you an expat residing in Dubai? If yes, it means you have done yeo jao to visit this place. Or may be someone in your family has decided that they wants to settle here and you have immediately volunteered to accompany them.

Renewing your residence visa

Your sponsor must renew your residence visa before it expires. A renewed visa will let you continue living legally in the UAE without incurring fines or facing legal consequences for the same. The relevant General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) allows residents a grace period of 30 days to stay in the UAE after their visas expire.

As per the UAE immigration’s fines system, the penalty to stay on after the expiration of the grace period is:

• AED 25 per day during the first 6 months (180 days)
• AED 50 per day during the second 6 months (180 days) 
• AED 100 per day after passing a year and more.

Remember that when the visa expires, your Emirates ID card issued by Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Ports Security (ICA) also expires.

How early can a residence visa be renewed?

The time limit to renew an expired residence visas is 30 days from the date of expiry. However, if there is a need to renew it a few months earlier (one to six months) for travelling reasons, you must first take special permission and approval from the relevant General Directorate of Residency and Foreigner’s Affairs in the emirate that issued your visa.

Requirements for renewal

The conditions for renewing the residence visa are similar to those for sponsoring family members, getting a work permit and when your visa was issued for the first time.

Basic requirements are:

• a sponsor with a valid residency permit
• passing a medical fitness test for those above 18
• insurance card (mandatory in Dubai and Abu Dhabi)
• a renewed identity card issued from ICA, or an original receipt that you have registered with ICA to get a renewal.

The following documents are needed: 

• online application or application through a registered typing office for renewal of residency permit signed by the sponsor, whether public sector, private sector company, or personal sponsor
• original passport of the sponsored
• photo of the sponsored.

For employers working in the private sector, the sponsoring company must submit the following additional documents:

• a copy of a valid firm card
• a copy of a valid trade licence
• a copy of renewed labour card of the sponsored
• a copy of labour card renewal receipt for those who reached (60) years and above.

Those sponsoring their families: spouse, children, parents and siblings (relatives of first and second degree) must present:

• a copy of the husband’s/wife’s employment contract or company contract for investors
• a salary certificate from the employer stating the employee’s monthly salary
• a legalised marriage certificate
• a registered tenancy contract
• latest utility bill.

They must also meet the

• sponsorship requirements for wife and children
• sponsorship requirements for parents
• sponsorship requirements for a woman sponsoring her family.

Read about:

• online and offline channels to apply for visa issuance and renewal
• health conditions for UAE residence visa
• apply for medical examination for expatriate residents’ visa – Ministry of Health and Prevention