UAE’s New Income-Based Family Sponsorship Law

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UAE’s New Income-Based Family Sponsorship Law

New rules in the UAE allows foreign nationals to sponsor their families to join them in the country. The new rule makes income, not profession the sole criteria for men and women to sponsor family members.

The new rule allows any UAE resident, male or female, to sponsor family members (spouse, under-18 sons and unmarried daughters), provided he/she earns a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000 (3870) or Dh3,000 (£652) or over if accommodation is provided by the company, according to the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (FAIC).

Expats who wish to make use of the new law must provide proof of housing and health insurance for their families, as well as Emirates ID, which signifies their registration in the national population database. They must also apply for ID for each member of their family.

The sponsor must present a certified marriage certificate and their children’s birth certificates with all translated into Arabic, as well as proof of their monthly income.

A wife wishing to sponsor her children must also attach a certified written agreement from her husband. Widowed and divorced women can also sponsor their children provided they present a recently issued divorce or death certificate to prove custody.

Nasser bin Thani Al Hamli, minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, stated that the decision “will improve the family lives and social ties of private sector workers”. He also stressed that the move will “increase productivity” in the labour market, “support the national economy, and improve the performance of workers within a comprehensive environment that will integrate the entire community”.

Previously, a man had to earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000 or Dh3,000 plus accommodation to sponsor his family while a woman had to make a minimum of Dh10,000 per month to bring her family to the country. Eligibility was also restricted to certain professions.

Moving Abroad Checklist

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.