Kathmandu, October 6
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has implemented new rules regarding visit visas, requiring sponsors to meet specific minimum salary criteria to bring family members or friends. The system is categorised into four tiers: first, second, third, and non-relative (friends).
In the first tier, which includes parents, spouse, and children, the sponsor must earn a minimum monthly salary of 4,000 dirhams.
The second tier includes siblings and grandparents, for whom the sponsor must earn at least 8,000 dirhams monthly. The same requirement applies to the third tier, which covers uncles, aunts, and cousins.
For sponsoring friends (non-relatives), the minimum monthly salary required is 15,000 dirhams.
According to the UAE’s Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security (ICP), the new rules link sponsorship eligibility with income. Applicants must present proof of relationship when applying for a visa. A valid passport for at least six months and a return ticket are mandatory.
The ICP stated that the regulation aims to increase transparency, support economic diversification, and attract talented individuals to the UAE.
Four types of new visit visas have also been introduced, covering artificial intelligence (AI), entertainment, events, and cruise tourism.
Additionally, a humanitarian residency permit valid for one year has been introduced, with possible extensions under special conditions determined by the authority. This decision also allows widowed or divorced foreign women to reside in the UAE without a sponsor.
Announcing the new provisions, ICP Director General Major General Suhail Saeed Al Khaili said the rules were revised after studying current and future trends in residency and foreign affairs at local, regional, and international levels.
Speaking to UAE media, Al Khaili expressed confidence that the latest reforms will help improve quality of life, boost trade and transport, support technology sectors, and strengthen the UAE’s competitiveness globally.
