Moving to Dubai with your family: family visa, schools and costs

The family visa

A UAE resident can sponsor their spouse and children. In general, sons up to 25 and unmarried daughters at any age.
Sponsor income: in general at least AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 plus housing provided. Exceptions and individual cases are possible, for example for parents or female sponsors; confirm with ICP or GDRFA Dubai.
Family members' residence is not valid for longer than the sponsor's residence.
Fees according to GDRFA Dubai: AED 200 plus 5% VAT; if the person is already in the country, AED 500 and two fees of AED 10 are added.
Family members aged 18 or over also take the medical fitness test.

Health insurance for your family

In Dubai, sponsors must insure their spouse, children and domestic workers on their visa. No visa is issued or renewed without a valid policy. If your employer only insures you, budget for your family's policy separately.

Schools in Dubai

Private schools in Dubai are regulated by the KHDA, which publishes a school directory with inspection results and approved fees.
According to KHDA fees for 2026-27, the median is about AED 38,000 per child a year (around €9,500), with a range from about AED 4,000 to over AED 138,000. Extras such as uniform, bus and trips come on top.
Popular schools have waiting lists. Start your school search early and check admission tests, documents and deadlines directly with the school.
Schools are on holiday in July and August, so plan visits outside that time.

From Starter, the app lists all 220 schools in its directory, plus nurseries, kids' places and camps.

Costs for families

At a medium level, a family with two children needs about €7,520 to €10,400 a month (AED 30,100 to 41,600), including school fees and self-paid health insurance. Rent and school fees are the biggest items. Details in Cost of living in Dubai.

Documents and your home country

The family visa usually requires legalised marriage and birth certificates. Allow several weeks.
Family benefits at home may change when you move: for example, UK Child Benefit requires you to tell HMRC if you move abroad. See Moving from the UK and Moving from the USA.

Premium plans every family step in the app with deadlines from your moving date, from school registration to your children's visas.

Step by step in the app

Start for free: your starting point, the fit test and the introduction and contents of every guide are free.

The details on this topic are in Premium (How do I relocate fully on my own?): €999 for 12 months of access, then €80/month and cancellable monthly. After the first term the contract renews automatically and can be cancelled monthly.

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Information and planning to do it yourself. Not legal, tax or migration advice.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get a family visa for Dubai?

Through family sponsorship: a UAE resident who in general earns at least AED 4,000 a month (or AED 3,000 plus housing) can sponsor their spouse and children. In Dubai the application goes through GDRFA or ICP.

How much does an international school in Dubai cost?

According to KHDA fees for 2026-27, the median is about AED 38,000 per child a year, around €9,500. The range runs from about AED 4,000 to over AED 138,000.

Do I need health insurance for my children in Dubai?

Yes. Sponsors must insure the spouse and children on their visa. No visa is issued or renewed without a valid policy.

Up to what age can I sponsor my children?

In general, sons up to 25 and unmarried daughters at any age. Confirm individual cases with ICP or GDRFA Dubai.

Sources

Retrieved on 14 and 15 October 2026. Official bodies first; market data and benchmarks are labelled as such.

More guides

This page provides general information and is not legal, tax or migration advice. Rules, amounts and fees can change; the office named is authoritative. Euro amounts use the guide rate €1 = AED 4.00.