Golden Visa

The Golden Visa is a ten-year, renewable UAE residence permit that needs no sponsor. The ICP's published categories are investors in public investments or real estate, entrepreneurs, scientists and specialists, skilled professionals at senior occupational levels, humanitarian pioneers, outstanding students and graduates, exceptional talents in culture, sport and digital technology, and front-line defence professionals. The legal basis is Cabinet Resolution No. (65) of 2022, the Executive Regulations of Federal Law by Decree No. (29) of 2021 on the entry and residence of foreigners, in force since 3 October 2022. Each category has its own evidence test, so we start by matching your facts to the category with the cleanest documentary trail.

Sources: Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) — Golden Residency Guide; UAE Legislation portal (uaelegislation.gov.ae) — Cabinet Resolution No. (65) of 2022 Issuing the Executive Regulations of Federal Law by Decree No. (29) of 2021 Concerning the Entry and Residence of Foreigners (accessed 24 October 2026)

Property worth at least AED 2,000,000, registered in your own name. The ICP accepts one or more completed properties with a total value of AED 2 million, or off-plan units of the same total value bought from a developer approved by the local land authority. A mortgage is allowed if the lender is an approved local bank; in Dubai the Land Department asks for a bank no-objection letter showing the amount paid and the balance. Comprehensive health insurance for you and your family is a condition for the whole residency period. Dubai Land Department publishes a processing time of 7 to 10 business days and requires the applicant to attend in person, so we prepare the file and you attend the appointment.

Sources: Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) — Golden Residency Guide; Dubai Land Department — Golden Visa application - Investor (accessed 24 October 2026)

Yes. The ICP's public-investments route accepts a deposit of at least AED 2,000,000 with an investment fund or a national bank operating in the UAE; establishing a company with capital of at least AED 2,000,000; holding a partner's share of at least AED 2,000,000 in an existing or new company; or owning, or holding a proportionate share in, a company that pays at least AED 250,000 a year in federal taxes. The capital must be fully owned by you and not borrowed, with documents proving its source. Health insurance must be in place at the time of application, and the ICP's residence service for this category is filed from inside the UAE. We structure the company or shareholding so the evidence matches the ICP test before anything is filed.

Sources: Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) — Golden Residency Guide; Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) — Issuance of a Residence Visa for an Investor in Public Investments (accessed 24 October 2026)

Yes, on the ICP's published tests. An entrepreneur must own or be a partner in a UAE-registered SME with annual revenue of at least AED 1,000,000, hold approval for a venture idea from an accredited incubator, the Ministry of Economy, the ICP or a local authority, or have founded a venture sold for at least AED 7,000,000. A specialised professional needs a valid UAE work permit, at least a bachelor's degree and a monthly salary of at least AED 30,000. In Dubai, entrepreneurs are nominated by the Dubai Future Foundation, and GDRFA states that a nomination is not final approval; the file is still assessed against the criteria. We test eligibility before you commit to an application.

Sources: Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) — Golden Residency Guide; General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA) — Issuing a golden residence permit (entrepreneurs) (accessed 24 October 2026)

Yes. The ICP lists, as a benefit of Golden Residency, residence permits for your spouse and children regardless of their age and for your parents, plus the right to sponsor domestic workers under the normal UAE rules. If the Golden Residency holder dies, sponsored family members may stay for the remaining validity of their permits. For property-based applications in Dubai, the Land Department's published fee for a ten-year family residence permit is AED 5,774.50 per person plus AED 318.75 to open the sponsorship file, with a notarised no-objection letter from the father where the mother sponsors, attested marriage and birth certificates and health insurance. We file the dependants' applications alongside yours so the permits run together.

Sources: Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) — Golden Residency Guide; Dubai Land Department — Golden Visa application - Investor (accessed 24 October 2026)

No minimum stay applies. An ordinary residence visa is cancelled automatically after more than 180 consecutive days outside the UAE, but GDRFA states that Golden Residence holders are exempt from that rule and the permit lapses only if it expires while you are abroad. The UAE Government portal confirms that Golden and Green residency holders can re-enter directly at any time while the residency is valid, without the re-entry permit and fines other residents must pay. GDRFA also notes a condition of retention: you must be able to support yourself and your family without government assistance. We diarise the expiry date and handle renewal so an extended absence never becomes a lapse.

Sources: General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs – Dubai (GDRFA) — Issuing a golden residence permit (entrepreneurs); UAE Government portal (u.ae) — General provisions for the residence visa (accessed 24 October 2026)

Dubai Land Department publishes a total of AED 9,884.75 for the ten-year permit, made up of the medical examination (AED 700), a ten-year Emirates ID (AED 1,153), confirmation of the residency permit (AED 2,856.75), DLD fees (AED 4,020) and administrative fees (AED 1,155). For applicants outside the UAE, the ICP's entry permit for real estate investor residency carries application, issuance and smart-services fees of AED 100 each, with a published completion time of two days, and requires a letter from the real estate registration department confirming ownership worth at least AED 2,000,000. These are government charges only; insurance, attestation and typing costs are separate. We give you a full cost schedule before filing.

Sources: Dubai Land Department — Golden Visa application - Investor; Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) — Entry Permit Issuance for Real Estate Investor Residency (accessed 24 October 2026)

Yes. Because the Golden Visa is not tied to an employer, you keep your residency when you change jobs, but an employer in the MoHRE-regulated private sector still needs a work permit for you. The UAE Government portal lists a specific Golden visa holder work permit, granted to establishments that wish to employ Golden Residency holders already inside the UAE, valid for two years. Under Article 6 of Federal Decree-Law No. 33 of 2021 it is illegal to work without a MoHRE work permit, and the employer must obtain it. Free zone employers follow their own authority's permit process. We coordinate the permit with the employer so your residence and employment paperwork stay aligned.

Source: UAE Government portal (u.ae) — Work permits (accessed 24 October 2026)