UAE Golden Visa

Who qualifies for the Golden Visa

Each category has its own rules and its own first step. Choosing the right one is half the work.

Not sure which one fits? That is exactly what we check on the free call. Many people qualify in more than one category, and one is usually faster than the others.

Golden Visa or a normal residence visa?

If you own a company, you can get a normal 2-year residence visa through it quickly. The Golden Visa is the long-term upgrade. Here is the difference:

Many of our clients start with a residence visa through their new company and move to the Golden Visa once they qualify. See residence visa in Dubai.

Golden Visa for property investors

In Dubai, property bought for at least AED 2 million gives you a 10-year Golden Visa. Property under AED 2 million gives you a 2-year investor visa instead. Both are issued through the Dubai Land Department.

• One or more properties can count towards AED 2 million, wholly owned in your name.
• Mortgaged property can qualify for the Golden Visa with a no-objection letter from your bank showing the amount paid and the balance.
• You must be inside the UAE when you apply, and you attend in person.
• Off-plan property and other emirates have their own rules. We check yours before you apply.

Documents you usually need: passport, title deed, personal photo, Emirates ID and current residence visa if you have them, and a no-objection letter from your bank if the property is mortgaged. For the 2-year investor visa, also a Dubai good conduct certificate.

Golden Visa for business owners and investors

Owning a UAE company does not give you a Golden Visa on its own, but it can open two routes:

• Investor: at least AED 2 million invested in the UAE, for example as capital in a company or in an approved fund, or a company that pays significant taxes to the government. This route gives 10 years.
• Entrepreneur: an innovative or technical project, with documents showing its value and a letter from a business incubator or the relevant authority. This route gives 5 years.

If you don't qualify yet, your own company can still sponsor a 2-year residence visa straight away, and you can move to the Golden Visa later. Setting up a company? Start with business setup in Dubai.

Golden Visa for skilled professionals: the AED 30,000 rule

Employees can get a 10-year Golden Visa without investing anything, if they meet all of these:

1. Salary of at least AED 30,000 a month. Shown with a salary certificate and six months of bank statements.
2. A skilled job: level 1 (managers and executives) or level 2 (professionals in science, engineering, health, education, business, IT, law and similar fields) in the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation classification.
3. A bachelor's degree or higher, attested.
4. A valid practising licence if your profession needs one, for example doctors, pharmacists or teachers.
5. An approved employment contract in the UAE.

Basic or total salary? The rule has been read both ways in recent years, and official pages don't always say. We check the current position with the authority for your emirate before you apply, so you don't waste an application.

Golden Visa for creatives and artists: get the letter first

This is the route people get wrong most often. For creatives, artists and other exceptional talent, the Golden Visa starts with a recommendation letter from a government authority, not with the visa application.

We can help you prepare a clear portfolio and the supporting documents before you apply for the letter, so it says what the authority needs to see.

Golden Visa documents checklist

Everyone needs a passport valid for at least 6 months, a recent photo with a white background and, if already in the UAE, the current visa and Emirates ID. Then, by category:

Documents issued abroad usually need attestation in the country that issued them and in the UAE. We tell you exactly which of yours need it.

How to get the Golden Visa, step by step

1. Eligibility check. We confirm your best category and list the exact documents.
2. First step for your category. Title deed, salary documents, proof of investment, or the government letter.
3. Application. We prepare and submit the Golden Visa application with the immigration authority.
4. Entry permit or status change. If you are already in the UAE, your status is changed without leaving the country.
5. Medical test and biometrics. We book both for you.
6. Visa and Emirates ID. Your visa is issued and your Emirates ID is delivered to you.

Bringing your family

Golden Visa holders can sponsor family members such as their spouse and children. We usually process the family visas together with yours. You need marriage and birth certificates (attested and translated where needed), passports and photos, and family members aged 18 and over need a medical test. See also family visa in Dubai.

Keeping your Golden Visa

• Time outside the UAE: unlike a normal residence visa, the Golden Visa is not cancelled after 6 months abroad.
• Changing job or company: your residence doesn't depend on one employer, but you must still meet your category's conditions when you renew.
• Selling the property: if your visa is based on property and you sell below the threshold, the basis of your visa changes. Talk to us before you sell.
• Renewal: the visa is renewable when you still meet the conditions.

Why Golden Visa applications get refused

1. Wrong category. Applying as an investor when the salary route was easier, or the other way round.
2. No letter first. Creatives and talent applying for the visa before they have the recommendation letter.
3. Below the threshold. Property bought for under AED 2 million (it can still give you the 2-year investor visa) or a salary under AED 30,000 once allowances are removed.
4. Documents not attested. Degrees and certificates from abroad need attestation, and sometimes an equivalency certificate.
5. Incomplete files. Missing bank statements, contracts or bank no-objection letters.

What decides the cost

Government fees depend on the category and the visa length. Then come the medical test, Emirates ID, any status change, attestations and translations, and one set of fees for each family member. We don't publish a total that may be wrong for you: after a free 30-minute call you get the exact amount, line by line, in writing.

How we help

A Golden Visa is mostly paperwork done in the right order. That is our job.