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To sponsor parents in Dubai, you apply through GDRFA's humanitarian route. You need a salary of at least AED 10,000 a month, an attested tenancy contract that fits the family, and three months of bank statements. A committee reviews each request, which GDRFA says takes 14 days. If approved, you lodge a AED 5,000 guarantee and get a one-year, renewable residence.
The same rules cover your spouse's parents. A short stay is a different product: see the family visit visa.
The conditions on the GDRFA page
- Salary. AED 10,000 a month or more, on a salary certificate or employment contract.
- Housing. An attested tenancy contract suitable for the size of your family once your parents move in.
- Bank statements. Your last three months.
- Relationship. Your own father and mother, or your spouse's father and mother.
- Committee. Every request is reviewed case by case, so meeting the numbers does not settle it.
Source: GDRFA humanitarian cases service page, checked .
What agencies say that is not on the official page
Several Dubai agency guides quote a much higher salary for parents, sometimes with a two-bedroom flat as a condition. GDRFA's page says AED 10,000. Agencies also say both parents must be sponsored together unless one has died or they are divorced. GDRFA's page carries that wording only under siblings. Treat both claims as unofficial, and ask the committee or an Amer counter if your case depends on them.
Fees and the guarantee
| Fee line | Parent abroad | Parent in the UAE |
|---|---|---|
| Residence permit | AED 200 | AED 200 |
| Knowledge and Innovation Dirham | AED 10 and AED 10 | AED 10 and AED 10 |
| Fee inside the country | none | AED 500 |
| Delivery | AED 20 | AED 20 |
| Financial guarantee | AED 5,000 per request | AED 5,000 per request |
| Guarantee cap | AED 15,000 in total | AED 15,000 in total |
Source: GDRFA humanitarian cases service page, checked .
Add the Emirates ID at AED 100 per year plus a AED 100 smart service fee, and the Dubai medical fitness test from AED 270. GDRFA's humanitarian page does not list the medical, but the family residence page requires it for everyone over 18, so plan for it. Health insurance is required for family residence, and for parents it is often the biggest cost. Agency cost guides show premiums from about AED 1,500 to AED 15,000 a year per parent, rising with age. The guarantee page says nothing about a refund, which the family visa deposit refund page looks at.
What Dubai agencies charge
Dubai visa agencies and setup firms publish about AED 1,200 to AED 2,700 per parent for the visa itself, before insurance and the deposit (published cost guides of 3 Dubai firms, checked ). Their deposit figures vary widely and do not match the official AED 5,000.
Documents checklist
- Each parent's passport copy and a photo on white
- Your salary certificate or employment contract, showing AED 10,000 or more
- Tenancy contract, attested, sized for the family
- Your bank statements for the last three months
- Medical result and health insurance for each parent
GDRFA asks for any document issued abroad to carry UAE embassy and MOFA attestation. MOFA charges AED 150 per personal document.
Processing time and renewal
GDRFA lists 14 days for humanitarian cases. That is far longer than the 48 hours for a spouse, because a committee reviews each file. The permit runs for one year. Renewal is allowed, but it goes back to the committee, so the yearly review is part of the plan. After expiry or cancellation, GDRFA's page gives 60 days before overstay fines of AED 50 a day begin.
Other ways to bring parents
- A golden visa for parents: the official golden visa page confirms family sponsorship but does not detail parents.
- A green visa: holders may sponsor first-degree relatives.
- A visit visa for shorter stays, with no committee.
Why parents' requests are refused
- Salary under AED 10,000, or an allowance missing from the certificate.
- A tenancy too small for the household once your parents move in.
- Bank statements that do not show the salary arriving.
- A tenancy contract without attestation.
- Certificates from the home country without the MOFA stamp.
How it works with us
Send your salary certificate, tenancy contract and your parents' passports on WhatsApp, or through the form on this page. A visa adviser checks the file against the humanitarian conditions and tells you what the committee is likely to question, such as housing size or a gap in the bank statements. You see one total price before paying, with the guarantee on its own line. The team prepares the humanitarian request, follows it through the committee and then handles the medical, biometrics and residence. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service, and the GDRFA committee makes the decision.
If the committee refuses, government fees are not returned. Before you pay, your adviser states in writing which part of our total, if any, would come back.
Official sources
- GDRFA humanitarian cases: parents and in-laws, salary, tenancy, bank statements, guarantee, one-year permit, 14 days, committee.
- GDRFA family residence issuance: medical over 18.
- ICP issuing residency: health insurance, green visa relatives.
- u.ae golden visa: family sponsorship for golden visa holders.
- MOFA FAQs: attestation fee.
Checked . The committee route can change, so confirm on the GDRFA page before you apply.
