If you’ve seen AED 3,000 a month quoted as the bar for sponsoring a spouse or child, that figure is reported to have moved. Our own visa eligibility calculator already uses the updated number — here’s the context behind it.
AED 3,000 → AED 4,000 a month
The minimum salary generally cited for sponsoring a spouse or children has reportedly risen to around AED 4,000 a month — or AED 3,000 plus employer-provided accommodation, which remains the alternative route for lower base salaries with housing included.
Also reportedly changed alongside this
- Professional restrictions on who can sponsor — some sources describe these as removed or relaxed, though the exact scope isn’t consistently detailed
- Sponsorship age for sons — reported as raised to 25, consistent with what’s on the record under Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022
The son’s sponsorship age figure lines up with existing confirmed policy, which gives some added confidence in the surrounding reporting — though the salary threshold itself is still worth confirming directly rather than treated as certain.
What this means practically
If your salary sits between AED 3,000 and 4,000 without employer-provided housing, this is worth confirming before assuming you qualify to sponsor a spouse or child — the gap between the old and reported new figure is exactly wide enough to change someone’s eligibility. Check the current threshold directly on the ICP portal before starting a sponsorship application.
Common questions
Does this affect parent sponsorship too?
Parent sponsorship has historically carried its own, generally higher, income threshold, assessed separately from spouse and child sponsorship. Confirm the current parent-specific figure with ICP directly — don’t assume it matches the AED 4,000 figure above.
Is this salary figure basic salary or total salary?
Sponsorship thresholds are generally assessed on the salary shown on your labour contract and salary certificate, not the narrower “basic salary” used for gratuity calculations. See our Salary & End of Service guide for that distinction.
Published 17 September 2026. This figure is reported across sources but we could not confirm it against a primary ICP document at time of writing. Confirm the current threshold directly with ICP before applying to sponsor a family member.
Related
- Visas & Residency — the visa eligibility calculator, including family sponsorship
- UAE Visa Cost 2026 — what a dependant visa actually costs
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