Dubai's rule page for the entrepreneur Golden residence: a registered pioneering project earning AED 1 million a year, an incubator or Ministry-backed project earning AED 2 million, or a project sold for at least AED 7 million, plus a nomination letter from the Dubai Future Foundation; ten-year permit, fees from AED 1,100, five working days.
This is the GDRFA Dubai service page for issuing a Golden Residence Permit to an entrepreneur. It is the operative statement of what Dubai requires from a founder who wants the ten-year residence on the strength of a business rather than an investment, and it is current (the site records its last update as 29 October 2026). The federal basis is Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, the Executive Regulation of the Entry and Residence Law; the GDRFA page sets Dubai's documentary and nomination requirements on top of it.
The service description defines the target: entrepreneurs with successful or promising technology-focused or future-oriented projects or business plans based on disruptive innovation, whether inside or outside the UAE. The permit is valid for ten years and can be extended if the same conditions continue to be met. The terms and conditions set four alternative tests, all of which depend on a nomination: the category is nominated by the Dubai Future Foundation; the entrepreneur has a pioneering project registered with the Ministry of Economy or the relevant local authority with annual income of AED 1 million; the entrepreneur has a pioneering project from a business incubator or the Ministry of Economy established in the country with income of AED 2 million; or the entrepreneur founded a pioneering project that was sold for at least AED 7 million.
The requirements are short: a copy of the applicant's passport and a letter of nomination from the Dubai Future Authority. The additional information makes two points that matter in practice. Nomination is not approval: the GDRFA makes the final decision after reviewing the file and confirming all criteria are met. And the holder must be able to support themselves and their family without government assistance. Golden residence holders are exempt from the 180-day stay-abroad rule, because the permit becomes void only if it expires while the holder is outside the country.
Fees are AED 1,100 for the residence permit plus Knowledge Dirham AED 10, Innovation Dirham AED 10, AED 500 for applying from inside the country and AED 20 delivery; the issuance fee rises by AED 100 for each year where the residence period exceeds two years. The service is available through the GDRFA smart services system with UAE Pass or a username, 24 hours a day, or at an Amer service centre during its working hours. Expected completion time is five working days. Related services are renewal of the entrepreneur golden residence, amendment of residence permit data and cancellation of residence permits. The page does not deal with family members, who are sponsored under the separate dependants' services once the entrepreneur holds the permit.
Founders and entrepreneurs, inside or outside the UAE, with a technology-focused or future-oriented project based on disruptive innovation who can obtain a nomination from the Dubai Future Foundation and meet one of the revenue or exit tests; applies to residence issued through GDRFA Dubai, not to permits issued by ICP in other emirates.
| Section: Service description | The permit is for entrepreneurs with successful or promising technology-focused or future-oriented projects based on disruptive innovation, inside or outside the UAE; it is valid for ten years and extendable if the conditions continue to be met. |
| Section: Requirements | A copy of the applicant's passport and a letter of nomination from the Dubai Future Authority. |
| Section: Terms and conditions | Nomination by the Dubai Future Foundation, plus one of: a pioneering project registered with the Ministry of Economy or a local authority earning AED 1 million a year; an incubator or Ministry project established in the country earning AED 2 million; or a pioneering project founded by the applicant and sold for at least AED 7 million. |
| Section: Fees | Residence permit AED 1,100; Knowledge Dirham AED 10; Innovation Dirham AED 10; AED 500 for applying from inside the country; delivery AED 20; the issuance fee rises by AED 100 for each year the residence period exceeds two years. |
| Section: Service steps | Apply through the GDRFA smart services system with UAE Pass or a username, or at an Amer service centre with a turn ticket, submitting the complete application and documents and paying the fee. |
| Section: Expected completion time | Five working days, with digital channels available 24 hours a day and Amer centres during their official working hours. |
| Section: Additional information | Nomination is not final approval; the GDRFA decides after reviewing the file. The holder must support themselves and their family without government assistance, and the permit is exempt from the 180-day stay-abroad rule, lapsing only if it expires while the holder is abroad. |
Founders we set up in DMCC, Meydan, IFZA or Dubai South ask about this route once revenue starts to show, and the two hurdles are always the same: the Dubai Future Foundation nomination and proof of the revenue or exit test. We prepare the nomination file from the audited accounts, the trade licence and the registration of the project, because the AED 1 million and AED 2 million thresholds are income figures that the authority will check against financial statements, not projections. Where the business is early-stage we usually advise the investor golden residence or a standard employment or partner visa instead, and revisit this category later. Fees are modest and the five-working-day timeline is realistic once the nomination is in hand; the nomination itself is where the time goes. Family members are added afterwards under the dependants' services, and the exemption from the 180-day rule is a real advantage for founders who spend long periods abroad.
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