Golden Visa Family Members: Who Qualifies and What Each Family Route Costs — Spain Investment Migration

The rules for who can travel on a residence-by-investment permit as a family member vary sharply between programmes, and the differences sit in the details: the exact age at which a child stops qualifying, whether a parent must be financially dependent, and whether the state charges a separate fee for each person added. This reference sets out, programme by programme, the family categories that the official regulations name, the age limits attached to each, and the per-person costs where the legislation states them. It also notes the routes that have closed. Every figure below is taken from the official source quoted against it; where a programme does not publish a fee or an age sub-rule, that absence is stated rather than filled in.

Portugal — family reunification, not separate permits

Under Portugal's Residence Permit for Investment Activity (Art. 90.º-A), eligible family members do not hold their own ARI (Autorização de Residência para Investimento). They apply under Family Reunification (Reagrupamento Familiar). The request may be filed at the same time as the investor's ARI request, but it is always conditional on the investor's ARI being approved.

The categories named by AIMA are specific, and each carries its own age or dependency condition:

Children up to age 17 (sons and daughters), or incapacitated children, in the charge of the couple or of one spouse.
Adopted children up to age 17, provided the home-country adoption is recognised by Portugal.
Children over 18 and up to age 25 who are single and studying at an educational institution in Portugal, in the charge of the couple or of one spouse.
Children over 18 and up to age 25 who are single and studying, again in the charge of the couple or of one spouse — in this variant the regulation does not state a requirement that the institution be in Portugal.
Ascendants in the direct line and first degree — that is, parents — of the person residing in Portugal or of their spouse, provided they are in the charge of that person.
Siblings up to age 17 who are under the legal guardianship of the person residing in Portugal, where that guardianship is recognised by Portugal.

The ARI regime does not apply to Portuguese citizens, or to nationals of the EU, EEA, Andorra and Switzerland. No per-person dependant fee is listed on the ARI page; the only fee line present is the application-analysis fee for the ARI request itself (taxa de análise do pedido de ARI), and it states no dependant amount.

Malta — itemised dependant categories and fees

Malta's Permanent Residence Programme Regulations (S.L. 217.26) define "dependant" in regulation 3 with explicit age and dependency thresholds:

(a) Spouse — in a monogamous marriage or a relationship with the same or similar status to marriage, including a civil union, domestic partnership or common law marriage. The term is gender neutral, and the Agency retains discretion to authorise other similar relationships on a case-by-case basis.
(b) Child (including adopted) of the main applicant or spouse, who at the time of application is less than 18 years of age.
(c) Child (including adopted) of the main applicant or spouse who is over 18 but has not yet attained 29 years, is not married at the time the main applicant submits the application, and proves to the satisfaction of the Agency that they are principally dependent on the main applicant.
(d) Parent or grandparent of the main applicant or spouse who is not in full-time employment and proves to the satisfaction of the Agency that they are principally dependent on the main applicant.
(e) Adult child of the main applicant or spouse who has been certified by a recognised medical professional or authority as having a disability under the Equal Opportunities (Persons with Disability) Act.

What each Malta route costs

The First Schedule sets a non-refundable administration fee of €7,500 for each and every dependant, payable within two months from the issuance of the Letter of Approval in Principle, or — for additions made under regulations 11(2), (3), (4) and (5) — upon submission of the application.

There is an explicit exemption: dependants covered by paragraphs (a), (b) and (e) of the definition are not subject to any non-refundable administration fee. Put plainly, the spouse, children under 18, and adult disabled children pay no per-person fee, while the fee applies to the unmarried adult children aged over 18 to under 29 who are principally dependent on the main applicant (c) and to the non-full-time-employed parents or grandparents who are principally dependent on the main applicant (d).

Each dependant is vetted individually

Every dependant is included subject to a successful due diligence check in respect of each dependant (regulation 11(1)). A conduct certificate is required for the main applicant and any dependant older than 14 years at the time of application. The main applicant must also provide an affidavit confirming support for each dependant who is over 18 years old, except for the spouse.

Adding family members after the main application

Malta is the one programme in this comparison that sets out, in regulations 11(2) to 11(5), how a certificate holder may add family members later:

11(2) — the certificate holder may apply to include any dependant, subject to due diligence and the fee.
11(3) — the spouse of a dependent child already included on the certificate may be added.
11(4) — the minor child of a previously approved dependent child, or the spouse of such a dependant, may be added.
11(5) — the spouse or minor child of a previously approved dependant under paragraph (e) (adult disabled child) may be added.
11(6) — anyone added under 11(3) to 11(5) is deemed a dependant and bound by all obligations applicable to dependants.

Portugal and the UAE do not publish equivalent "add later" provisions in the sources checked for this article, and the evidence does not state a processing time for adding a dependant under any programme.

UAE — sponsorship scope without published sub-rules

The UAE government's official golden visa page states the ability to sponsor family members, including spouses and children. The page lists family sponsorship generally. It does not publish per-person dependant fees, and it does not publish dependant age sub-rules. Because the official source does not state them, no UAE dependant fee or age threshold may be asserted here.

Spain — a closed route, shown for context

Spain's investor visa is no longer available. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs states: "Investor visas will be abolished from 3rd April 2025." The only family-member treatment in the source is the former rule, retained here for history only: where the investment was made by a couple married in community of property, one spouse could obtain an investor visa and the other a visa as a family member of the investor. Spain is presented as a closed route and is not a live option in 2026.

Do dependants need their own investment?

Across the programmes reviewed, dependants ride on the main applicant. The evidence states that family members are included as dependants subject to their own checks — due diligence, conduct certificates and, in Malta's case, an affidavit of support — but no separate investment threshold is stated for any dependant in any of the sources. In Portugal the family route is reunification conditional on the investor's ARI; in Malta each dependant is vetted and, where applicable, fee-paid, but no second investment is required.

Two common misconceptions

Two assumptions surface often and are not supported by the regulations as written.

The first is that elder parents are automatically included. In Portugal, parents qualify only if they are ascendants in the direct line and first degree and are in the charge of the resident or their spouse. In Malta, a parent or grandparent qualifies only if not in full-time employment and principally dependent on the main applicant. Both regimes require dependency, not merely relation.

The second is that any over-age child counts. Portugal caps the studying child route at age 25 and requires the child to be single and in the charge of the couple or one spouse. Malta caps the non-disabled child route at age 29, requires the child to be unmarried at the time the main application is submitted, and requires proof of principal dependency. Children who do not meet the age and dependency conditions are not covered.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which family members can Portugal include under its golden visa?

Portugal includes children up to 17 (or incapacitated children), adopted children up to 17, single studying children over 18 up to 25, parents who are in the charge of the resident or spouse, and siblings up to 17 under the resident's recognised legal guardianship. All are brought in through family reunification, conditional on the investor's ARI being approved.

Does Portugal charge a fee for each dependant?

The official ARI page lists no per-person dependant fee. The only fee line present is the application-analysis fee for the ARI request itself, and it states no dependant amount. No dependant fee figure may therefore be asserted for Portugal.

How much does Malta charge per family member?

Malta charges a non-refundable administration fee of €7,500 for each and every dependant, due within two months of the Letter of Approval in Principle, or upon submission for later additions. The spouse, children under 18, and adult disabled children are exempt and pay no per-person fee; the fee applies to unmarried adult children over 18 to under 29 who are principally dependent on the main applicant, and to parents or grandparents who are not in full-time employment and are principally dependent on the main applicant.

Can Malta family members be added after approval?

Yes. Regulations 11(2) to 11(5) allow the certificate holder to add dependants later — including a dependent child's spouse, a dependent child's minor child, and the spouse or minor child of an adult disabled dependent — subject to due diligence and the applicable fee. The evidence states no processing time for these additions.

Is the Spain golden visa still open to new family applications?

No. Spain abolished investor visas from 3rd April 2025. The family-member rule shown in the official source is the former regime, included only as historical context and not a live route.

Does the UAE publish dependant age limits or fees?

The UAE official golden visa page confirms sponsorship of spouses and children but does not publish per-person dependant fees or dependant age sub-rules. No such figures or thresholds may be stated from the evidence available.

Are siblings covered by any programme reviewed?

Siblings are listed only by Portugal, and only up to age 17 and under the legal guardianship of the person residing in Portugal, recognised by Portugal. Malta and the UAE do not list a sibling route in the sources checked, and the evidence does not support generalising a sibling route beyond Portugal.

Official Sources Checked

Sources were fetched and verified on 3 October 2026 (UTC).

Disclaimer: This article is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, investment or immigration advice. Residence-by-investment rules change, and figures, fees and eligibility conditions should be verified against the current official source before any decision or application. The publisher is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any government named in this article.