- Dubai has outlined a residence permit service for the wives and children of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) citizens who hold foreign passports
- The service covers families of citizens from six GCC member states: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman
- Eligible family members can access the service through Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA)
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Dubai has published details of a residence permit service for wives and children of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) citizens who hold passports issued by countries outside the regional bloc.
Source: Getty Images
The service, listed by Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), provides a residence permit application route for family members whose nationality differs from that of their GCC citizen spouse or parent.
The policy is relevant to international families, including those whose dependents hold African or other foreign passports. However, eligibility under this specific service depends on the sponsoring family member being a GCC citizen.
Which six nationalities are covered?
The Gulf Cooperation Council is a regional political and economic alliance comprising six member states. The residence permit service applies to the wives and children of citizens from the following countries:
- Saudi Arabia
- United Arab Emirates
- Kuwait
- Qatar
- Bahrain
- Oman
Under the service, eligible wives and children can apply for Dubai residence permits even if they hold foreign passports rather than passports issued by a GCC member state.
This provides a route for families with different nationalities to obtain legal residence in Dubai, subject to the service’s applicable eligibility and verification procedures.
How does the Dubai residence permit service work?
The service is administered by Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, the authority responsible for residency and immigration matters in the emirate.
It is designed for situations in which a GCC citizen’s wife or children hold passports from another country. Rather than relying on the dependent's nationality alone, the application route is linked to the citizenship of the sponsoring family member.
Applicants should consult the official GDRFA service information to establish the required documents, application procedure and any applicable fees.
Although the service is described as being available without conditions relating to the foreign passport’s country of origin, this should not be interpreted as meaning that every applicant is automatically approved or exempt from identity checks and other administrative procedures.
Can Kenyans and other Africans apply?
Kenyans and other African nationals may be relevant to this provision if they are wives or children of citizens of one of the six GCC member states and hold foreign passports.
However, being Kenyan or holding another African nationality alone does not qualify someone for this specific residence permit service. The applicant must fall within the family categories covered by the programme and meet the applicable requirements.
Africans who do not have a qualifying GCC family connection would need to explore other UAE residence options based on their circumstances, such as employment, family sponsorship or other eligible visa categories.
Other Dubai visa options for foreigners
Dubai also offers other immigration pathways for eligible foreign nationals, including employment-related residence permits and the UAE’s 10-year Golden Visa for qualifying categories of residents and professionals.
The requirements differ by visa type, so applicants should check the relevant official government guidance before making plans or submitting an application.
For families considering relocation to Dubai, confirming the sponsoring relative’s eligibility and reviewing the official GDRFA requirements are important first steps.
Foreigners eligible for Dubai's Golden Visa
Meanwhile, TUKO.co.ke previously reported that Dubai had published the categories of foreigners eligible for its 10-year Golden Visa.
The information was published by Dubai's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs and is available on the official Invest in Dubai portal.
The visa is designed to attract high-value residents and skilled professionals to the emirate.
Source: Legit.ng