The UAE Golden Visa is a long-term residence visa for investors, entrepreneurs, skilled professionals, people with exceptional talents and outstanding students. Under the current guide from the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), it is issued for 10 years, it is renewable, and you do not need an employer or a local sponsor to keep it.
This guide explains the main categories, what each one asks for, the benefits for you and your family, and how the process works in practice. The rules are set by the UAE authorities and they do change, so use this as an overview and confirm the current criteria for your category before you apply.
Who can apply
Each category has its own evidence requirements. These are the routes people ask about most.
Property investors
You can qualify by owning property in the UAE worth at least AED 2 million. This can be one property or several that together reach the threshold, and it must be owned in your name. Property bought with a mortgage from an approved local bank can count, with a no-objection letter from the bank, and so can off-plan property bought from an approved developer. If you own a share of a jointly owned property, GDRFA Dubai requires your share alone to be worth at least AED 2 million.
If you are buying with the Golden Visa in mind, read our guide to the Golden Visa property route before you commit. It covers off-plan, mortgages and joint ownership in detail.
Skilled professionals
Employees can qualify with a monthly salary of at least AED 30,000 and a bachelor's degree or equivalent. Your job must be classified at occupational level 1 or 2 by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE): level 1 includes chairpersons and chief executives, and level 2 includes specialists. You will need a valid UAE work permit and employment contract, a salary certificate and an attested degree certificate. Our guide for skilled professionals explains how the salary and level are checked.
Entrepreneurs
Founders who own a business in the UAE can apply. ICP's current guide refers to a UAE-registered small or medium business in an approved field with annual revenue of at least AED 1 million, and to approval of the business idea by an accredited business incubator, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism or another relevant authority. Founders who have sold earlier ventures worth at least AED 7 million in total can also qualify. These criteria have changed over the years, so check how they apply to you rather than relying on older articles. Our guide for entrepreneurs and business owners covers the evidence.
People with exceptional talents
This route covers people with outstanding achievements in fields such as culture and the arts, sport, digital technology and innovation, as well as inventors. You will generally need a recommendation or nomination from the government body responsible for your field. Scientists and researchers need a recommendation from the Emirates Scientists Council.
Outstanding students and graduates
Secondary school students with a final grade of at least 95% can qualify, as can recent graduates with a high grade point average from a top-ranked international university or a recognised UAE university, within two years of graduating.
Other categories exist, including humanitarian pioneers and frontline workers. If you are not sure which route fits you, our Golden Visa eligibility check is the quickest way to find out before you spend money on documents.
What the Golden Visa gives you
- A renewable residence visa, issued for 10 years under ICP's current guide
- Residency that does not depend on an employer or a local sponsor
- A six-month, multiple-entry entry visa to come to the UAE and complete the residency process, renewable for another six months
- The right to stay outside the UAE for more than six months without your residency being cancelled
- The right to sponsor your spouse, your children whatever their age, and your parents
- The right to sponsor domestic workers, in line with the applicable rules
- If the main visa holder dies, family members can stay in the UAE until their own permits expire
For most people, two benefits matter most. Your residency is not tied to one employer, so you can change jobs or start a business without losing it. And you can spend long periods abroad, which ordinary residence visas do not allow.
How the process works
- Check your eligibility. Confirm which category you fit and make sure you meet it on the day you apply, not at some point in the future.
- Prepare your documents. You will typically need your passport, a recent photo and evidence for your category, such as a title deed, an employment contract and salary certificate, a degree certificate or a nomination letter. Documents issued outside the UAE usually need to be attested, and some need a certified Arabic translation.
- Get any approvals your route needs. Some routes need a recommendation, nomination or confirmation from another authority before you can file the residency application.
- Submit the application. For Dubai residency, applications go through the General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA Dubai), online or at an Amer centre. For the other emirates, they go through ICP's website or smart app. In Dubai, property investors can also apply through the Dubai Land Department's Golden Visa service.
- Enter the UAE if you are abroad. If you apply from outside the country, you are issued an entry permit to come in and complete the process.
- Complete the medical fitness test and Emirates ID. Adult applicants take a medical fitness test and, where required, give biometrics for an Emirates ID.
- Receive your residency. Your residency is recorded against your Emirates ID rather than as a sticker in your passport. Keep your passport and contact details up to date with the authorities.
Processing times depend on the category, the emirate and how complete your file is. Document attestation often takes longer than the application itself, especially for degrees issued abroad, so start that step early. Our step-by-step guide to the application covers the channels and documents for each route.
Sponsoring your family
Golden Visa holders can sponsor their spouse, children of any age and parents. Some channels, such as the Dubai Land Department, ask for an undertaking that sons and daughters over 18 are not married, and parents usually need proof that they depend on you. Each family member receives their own residency and needs an Emirates ID. Adults also take a medical fitness test.
Plan for these documents for each family member:
- A passport and a recent photo
- An attested marriage certificate for your spouse
- Attested birth certificates for your children
- Health insurance, which the authorities may ask to see
Attestation usually involves several steps in the country that issued the document and then in the UAE. It is the step that most often delays family applications, so start it as soon as you decide to apply. Our guide to document attestation explains the chain, and our guide to sponsoring family on a Golden Visa covers each family member's file.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Applying under the wrong category. If you could qualify in more than one way, choose the route where your evidence is strongest and simplest to prove.
- Assuming the price you paid is the value that counts. For property routes, the authorities look at the property's recorded value, and mortgaged or off-plan property has extra conditions. Confirm how your property will be assessed before you rely on it.
- Overlooking how your salary is shown. For the skilled professional route, your contract and salary certificate must clearly show a qualifying monthly salary. Allowances may not be treated the same way as basic pay, so check how your package is split.
- Leaving attestation too late. Unattested degrees and marriage or birth certificates are the most common cause of delay.
- Relying on outdated rules. Criteria and thresholds have changed since the Golden Visa scheme was expanded in 2022, and some older pages still show five-year validity or earlier entrepreneur criteria. Check the current requirements with ICP or GDRFA, or with someone who files applications regularly.
- Trusting promises of approval. No agent can guarantee a Golden Visa. Be cautious of anyone who promises one or charges for a "guaranteed" result.
Who makes the final decision
Golden Visa applications are decided by the UAE authorities: ICP at federal level and GDRFA in Dubai. Consultants, developers and agents, including Almahira, can check your eligibility, prepare your file and submit it for you, but the decision is always theirs.
How Almahira can help
If you want a second opinion on your route, our Golden Visa team can confirm which category fits you, give you a document list for your situation, and prepare and submit your application. We can also arrange medical tests, Emirates ID appointments and attestation for you and your family.
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Golden Visa valid for 5 or 10 years?
Can I qualify with a property I own jointly with someone else?
How long can I stay outside the UAE on a Golden Visa?
Is there a lifetime Golden Visa sold through consultancies?
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