Can a Mother Sponsor Her Child’s Visa in Dubai or UAE?

Traditionally, a father sponsors residency visas for his spouse and children. Thus, many people assume that only fathers can sponsor visas for family members. However, the UAE offers a family-oriented lifestyle with fair opportunities for men and women. The UAE’s laws, under certain conditions, allow expatriate women to sponsor their children and obtain residency visas. Situations in which a mother would need to sponsor her child’s visa can be numerous, for instance, a husband may not be a UAE resident, or a husband may not be eligible to sponsor his children’s visas, or a mother can be a single or divorced mother. However, please keep in mind that the mother is not allowed to sponsor her child’s visa if the father is a UAE resident and meets the requirements for sponsoring a child in Dubai. So if you’re an expat mother who needs to sponsor a child’s visa in Dubai, you’ve come to the right place.

First and foremost, a mother who wishes to sponsor her children needs to be a UAE resident whether as an employee, company owner/shareholder, freelancer, green visa holder, or golden visa holder.

Mother can sponsor her unmarried daughters without age restriction and sons under 21 years old, excluding university or college students provided that a document from a university proving the same shall be submitted.

A mother can act as a sponsor for her children’s residency visas if she can provide the following documents:

• An employment contract or salary certificate (for employment visa holders): Mother needs to have a valid employment contract with a minimum monthly salary of AED 3,000 with free accommodation provided by an employer or a minimum monthly salary of AED 4,000 total. This needs to be confirmed by an official employment contract approved by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratization (MOHRE) for onshore companies or a salary certificate for visa holders from Government / Semi-government / Free Zone Authorities.
• Marriage certificate: If the marriage certificate was issued outside the UAE, it must be attested by the UAE Embassy/Consulate in the country of origin and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs inside the UAE, which needs to be officially translated into Arabic.
• Birth certificate of a child: If the birth certificate was issued outside the UAE, it must be attested by the UAE Embassy/Consulate in the country of origin and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs inside the UAE, which needs to be officially translated into Arabic.
• No Objection Certificate (NOC), alias No Objection Letter, from father: The NOC should state that the father has no objection to the mother sponsoring their children’s visas. The NOC must be in Arabic language and notarized by the UAE notary public. If the NOC is issued outside the UAE, then it must be notarized in the home country and attested by the UAE Embassy/Consulate in the country of origin and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs inside the UAE, which needs to be officially translated into Arabic. The NOC is one of the most important requirements for a wife sponsoring a child in Dubai.
• Official tenancy contract (EJARI Certificate)or title deed with an electricity bill for the residential accommodation in the UAE: If the sponsoring mother rents a flat then she needs to provide an EJARI Certificate for such apartment or if she owns an apartment or villa, then she can provide a copy of the title deed under her name.  
• Bank statement from mother’s personal account for last three months: The bank statements need to show salary transfers for the last three months. Bank statements need to be stamped by the issuing bank. The bank statement is not required if the mother works as a Nurse, Doctor, Engineer, or Teacher.
• Health insurance certificate: Prior to stamping the residency visa to the passport, health insurance from a UAE insurance company needs to be submitted.
• Sponsor’s IBAN Number.
• If the sponsoring mother holds an investor or partner visa, the following additional documents are required:
  • Dh3040 Deposit for each child. This amount is refundable after the cancellation of the visa.
  • Trade License of the company
  • Certificate of Incumbency or Share Certificate or Partners’ List copy
  • Memorandum of Association (MOA) copy

In addition to the above-listed general requirements, there are the following requirements based on the personal status of the sponsoring mother.

• Single mother: If the sponsoring mother is divorced, widowed or a single mother, the children’s custody verdict from a competent court or certificate from a local authority, or affidavit from the Consulate of her country should be submitted. If the document was issued outside the UAE, it must be attested by the UAE Embassy/Consulate in the country of origin and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs inside the UAE, which needs to be officially translated into Arabic.

A mother can sponsor her child in Dubai, provided she meets the eligibility criteria. However, the mother is not allowed to sponsor her child’s visa if she doesn’t meet the requirements for sponsoring a child in Dubai. According to the family visa rules in the UAE, resident mothers looking at sponsoring children in Dubai must earn a minimum salary of AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus accommodation provided by the employer. If they meet this minimum salary requirement, expat mothers will be eligible for sponsoring a child in Dubai. It’s important to note that married, divorced and single mothers can sponsor their child’s residence visa if they can provide the required documents.

Disclaimer: The content on this page is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice nor should it be used as a basis for any specific action or decision. Nothing on this page is to be considered as creating a lawyer-client relationship or as rendering legal advice or legal services for any specific matter. Users of this website are advised to seek specific legal advice from their lawyer or legal counsel regarding any specific legal issues.