If you run or are building a business in the UAE, look at two Golden Visa routes. The entrepreneur route rewards the project: an approved startup, a business earning at least AED 1 million a year, or a previous exit. The investor route rewards the money: at least AED 2 million in a UAE company, or AED 250,000 a year in federal taxes. Most founders fit one route clearly better than the other, and that choice decides how much evidence you need.
This is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice. The authorities decide every application, and a nomination is not an approval. For the other categories, see our overview of every Golden Visa category.
Which route fits you?
| Route | Core test | Main evidence | Usually suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entrepreneur: business or idea | AED 1 million annual revenue, or an approved idea | Approval or nomination letter, accounts | Startup founders |
| Entrepreneur: exit | Ventures sold for at least AED 7 million | Sale documents | Founders who have sold |
| Company investor | Your share worth at least AED 2 million | Certified audit report | Owners of established companies |
| Tax contributor | At least AED 250,000 a year in federal taxes | Federal Tax Authority letter | Owners of profitable companies |
The entrepreneur route
The Golden Residency guide from ICP, the federal identity and residency authority, sets out three ways in:
- A revenue-generating business. You own, or are a partner in, a UAE-registered small or medium enterprise in an approved field, with annual revenue of at least AED 1 million.
- An approved idea. An accredited business incubator, the Ministry of Economy (now the Ministry of Economy and Tourism) or a relevant local authority approves your business idea so you can set it up and run it in the UAE.
- A previous exit. You founded, or co-founded, one or more ventures that were sold for at least AED 7 million in total.
ICP's nomination checklist shows the paperwork behind this: a letter from your emirate's authorities confirming the project is of a technical or future nature, a UAE auditor's letter showing a project owner's project is worth at least AED 500,000, or an accredited incubator's letter for a founder setting up a new activity. You and your family also need comprehensive health insurance when you apply.
In Dubai, the nomination comes from the Dubai Future Foundation and GDRFA Dubai, the emirate's residency authority, makes the decision. Its published terms describe three cases: a pioneering project registered with the ministry or a local authority with income of AED 1 million a year, a project backed by a business incubator or the ministry with income of AED 2 million, or a founder's exit of at least AED 7 million. It states plainly that a nomination is not final approval. Both its service page and ICP's guide describe a 10-year permit, although some older summary pages still say five years.
The words that matter in ICP's checklist are "technical or future nature". A trading company, a general consultancy or a restaurant, however profitable, is unlikely to fit. For those businesses, the investor and tax routes below are the realistic options.
The company investor route: AED 2 million
ICP's guide accepts a company with capital of at least AED 2 million, or a partner's share worth at least AED 2 million. The capital must be fully yours and not funded by a loan, and you must show where it came from.
Dubai looks harder at the numbers. GDRFA's test is the value of your share of the company's assets, proved by a certified financial report from an accredited UAE audit firm. It then evaluates the size of the investment or workforce, administrative efficiency and financial solvency before final approval.
So writing AED 2 million into the memorandum of association doesn't, on its own, get you there. If the balance sheet doesn't support your share, the file is weak. Two further conditions apply: ICP requires the investment to be kept for at least two years from the date the permit is issued, and GDRFA reserves the right to check that you still meet the conditions while the permit is valid.
A deposit route also exists: at least AED 2 million with a UAE investment fund or a national bank, which GDRFA Dubai requires to be frozen. It is an investor route rather than a business one.
The tax route: AED 250,000 a year
You can also qualify if you own, or are a partner in, a company that pays at least AED 250,000 a year in federal taxes. For partners, ICP counts your share of the tax, not the company's total. The evidence is a letter from the Federal Tax Authority (FTA), and GDRFA says it now relies on that letter instead of a year of tax receipts.
The figure is higher than it sounds. If you were relying on corporate tax alone, AED 250,000 at the 9% rate means taxable income of roughly AED 3.15 million in the year. Our UAE corporate tax guide explains how taxable income is worked out.
What evidence will you need?
Build the file around one route:
- Entrepreneur: the nomination or approval letter (from the Dubai Future Foundation in Dubai, or federally from the emirate's authority or an accredited incubator), the auditor's letter on project value, your trade licence, and the sale documents for an exit.
- Company investor: the certified financial report, a valid trade licence with the partners' appendix, the company bank statement, tax registration with last year's receipts, evidence of where your capital came from, and for free zone companies a certificate of capital and your share.
- Tax route: the FTA letter and the trade licence with the partners' appendix.
- Every route: a passport valid for at least six months, a colour photo and health insurance for you and your family.
Audited accounts take time. If your last audit is old or your company is new, deal with that before anything else.
How does the application run in Dubai?
- Get the nomination or evidence ready. Entrepreneurs need the Dubai Future Foundation's nomination letter; investors need the audit report or the FTA letter.
- Apply to GDRFA Dubai through its website or app, signing in with UAE Pass, or at an Amer centre.
- Pay the fees. As of October 2026, GDRFA lists a residence permit fee of AED 1,100 plus small add-ons, and AED 500 more if you apply from inside the country. It also notes that the issue fee rises for permits longer than two years.
- Wait for the decision. GDRFA's expected completion time on both routes is five days once the file is complete.
- Finish the residence steps: medical test, health insurance and Emirates ID.
Our step-by-step Golden Visa application guide covers that last stage, including entry permits if you are applying from abroad.
When the investor or partner visa is the better choice
Most company owners can get residence through their own company with an investor or partner visa. It is simpler to prove and often the right first step for a new company. Our guide to investor and partner visas explains how it works.
The Golden Visa earns the extra effort when you want residence that doesn't depend on your company sponsoring you, the freedom to spend long periods abroad, or Golden Visa terms for your family. If your company is new, set it up properly first. Our business setup team can help with the structure, and the Golden Visa can follow once the numbers support it.
If you want a second opinion on which route your business supports, our Golden Visa team can review your figures, or you can start with the free Golden Visa eligibility check.
Sources
- GDRFA Dubai: Golden Residence permit for entrepreneurs
- GDRFA Dubai: Golden Residence permit for investors
- ICP: Golden Residency guide
- ICP: Golden Residence nomination request service card
- ICP: Golden Residence for investors in public investments
- WAM: UAE Cabinet approves executive regulations on entry and residence (April 2022)
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply before my company is set up?
Does a free zone company count for the AED 2 million route?
Can each partner in the same company get a Golden Visa?
Can I withdraw my investment after the visa is issued?
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