Khaleej Times, Sunday, Aug 14, 2022 | Muharram 16, 1444
UAE visa for widows: Does one-year residency extension need a sponsor?
Emirates:
Question: A friend of mine passed away recently. I am helping his
family out. Could you please explain to me what happens to the visa of his wife
and children who were under his sponsorship? What are their options to continue
staying in the UAE? I am aware of something called a 'widow visa'. Is that
renewable at the end of its term?
Response: Pursuant to your queries, if an expatriate man (husband) dies in the
UAE, his wife and children may extend their stay in the country for a period of
one year. The extension period commences from the date of his death. The
validity date of the children’s UAE residency visas may not exceed that of the
mother’s.
Therefore, based on the above, your friend’s wife and children may extend their
stay in the UAE, provided they can manage their livelihood.
According to the official UAE Government website, this type of visa is renewable
for one time only and does not require a substitute sponsor.
How to apply
The widow will need to submit an application for residency extension along with
the following:
• Proof of death
• Proof of availability of a house
• Proof of the woman’s ability to earn a living
• Medical fitness certificates for the woman and her child/children over the age
18
• Emirates ID card
• Health insurance cards, as applicable in some emirates.
(Source: UAE Government website)
For further clarifications, you may contact the General Directorate of Residency
& Foreigners Affairs- Dubai (the ‘GDRFA’) or the Federal Authority for Identity,
Citizenship, Customs and Port Security.