What is the UAE golden visa?
The UAE golden visa is a 10-year residence visa that needs no employer or family sponsor. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) runs it. For Dubai residence files, Dubai's General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA Dubai) issues it.
ICP lists these benefits:
- residence for 10 years without a sponsor
- residence for a spouse, children of any age and parents
- the freedom to live, work, study and invest in the UAE
- a six-month multiple-entry entry visa, renewable for six more months, if you start from outside the UAE
- family members keep their residence until it expires if the holder dies
Unlike an ordinary residence visa, it is not cancelled after more than six months outside the UAE.
5 or 10 years? ICP's Golden Residency Guide, updated 10 September 2026, lists 10 years for every category, including property investors, entrepreneurs and school students. Older guides and u.ae's summary table (updated 28 July 2026) still show 5 years for some; follow ICP, which issues the visa.
Who qualifies for the UAE golden visa?
You qualify if you fit one of ICP's seven categories, split into nine routes below. Apart from investors and skilled professionals, most applicants need a nomination from a named authority. You can test your profile on ICP's eligibility check.
| Category | Main threshold | Nominated or verified by |
|---|---|---|
| Property investor | UAE property worth AED 2 million in total | Land department (DLD in Dubai) |
| Public investment | AED 2 million deposit or company stake, or AED 250,000 a year in federal tax | Bank, UAE auditor or Federal Tax Authority |
| Entrepreneur | SME earning AED 1 million a year, an approved project, or ventures sold for AED 7 million | Incubator, Ministry of Economy or local authority |
| Skilled professional | MoHRE level 1 or 2 job, bachelor's degree, AED 30,000 monthly salary | Work permit and salary records |
| Scientist or specialist | High-impact research, or a leading role in health, education or industry | Emirates Scientists Council or a ministry |
| Exceptional talent | Culture and arts, inventors, athletes, digital technology | The relevant ministry or council |
| Student or graduate | 95% in Grade 12, or a GPA of 3.5 to 3.8 | Ministry of Education |
| Humanitarian pioneer | Five years with an international body or non-profit, an award, or AED 2 million in support | Ministry of Community Empowerment |
| Frontline hero | Front-line professionals | Nomination only |
Investors in companies, funds and deposits
The money must be your own, not a loan, and you must show where it came from. Company investors need a certified financial report from a UAE-accredited audit firm. Deposits must be frozen, and GDRFA says they cannot be withdrawn during the 10-year residence. Abu Dhabi asks tax investors for AED 250,000 a year for the two years before applying.
Skilled professionals
The levels are set by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE): level 1 covers chairpersons and chief executives, and level 2 covers specialists. You also need a valid UAE work permit. ICP's guide lists no minimum years of experience. GDRFA Dubai also asks for a practising licence for regulated jobs. If the salary falls below AED 30,000 or the contract is cancelled, GDRFA cancels the golden residence.
Entrepreneurs
ICP accepts an owner or partner of a UAE-registered SME in an approved field earning AED 1 million a year, a founder with a project approved by an accredited incubator, the Ministry of Economy or a local authority, or a founder of ventures already sold for AED 7 million. The Dubai Future Foundation nominates in Dubai; incubators nominate through the Abu Dhabi Residents Office (ADRO).
Scientists, specialists and exceptional talents
Scientists need a recommendation from the Emirates Scientists Council; leading specialists in health, education and industry need one from the relevant ministry. GDRFA Dubai also looks for a science or engineering master's (world top-250 university) or PhD (top-500), a Field Weighted Citation Index of 1.0 or more and an h-index of 10 or more. Talents in culture, invention, sport and digital technology are nominated by the matching body, such as the Ministry of Culture or the Emirates Council for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transactions.
Students, humanitarian pioneers and frontline heroes
Graduates must apply within two years of graduating. They need a GPA of 3.5 from a world top-100 university, or 3.5 (Category A) or 3.8 (Category B) from a UAE university. The Ministry of Education must attest certificates. Humanitarian pioneers also need a university degree. Frontline heroes are nominated; in Abu Dhabi, only the Fakhr Al Watan Office, working with ICP, nominates them.
Recent nominated routes
Recent nomination-based routes include:
- nurses with more than 15 years at Dubai Health (announced 12 May 2025)
- outstanding educators in Dubai's private sector (the second round ran from 15 October to 15 December 2025)
- content creators endorsed by Creators HQ (reported February 2025)
A nomination is not approval: in Dubai, GDRFA makes the final decision.
Golden visa for property investors
You qualify through property if you own one or more UAE properties worth at least AED 2 million in total, registered in your name. ICP accepts property financed by an approved UAE bank and off-plan units bought from developers approved by the local authority.
| Point | Dubai (Dubai Land Department and GDRFA) | Abu Dhabi (ADRO) |
|---|---|---|
| Value test | Purchase value of AED 2 million or more at the time of purchase | Registered purchase agreement or valuation certificate showing AED 2 million |
| Mortgage | Allowed with the bank's no-objection letter; DLD's service description asks for a bank letter showing AED 2 million paid | Allowed through national banks; your own capital in the property must be at least AED 2 million |
| Off-plan | Accepted under ICP's guide (approved developers); DLD's page sets no separate off-plan terms | At least AED 2 million already paid to the developer |
| Where to apply | DLD golden visa centres, in person, while you are in the UAE | ADRO nomination, then ICP |
In Abu Dhabi, an AED 5 million property can carry at most AED 3 million of outstanding mortgage. In Dubai, a co-owner's share must itself be worth AED 2 million, and GDRFA places a lien on the property for the life of the visa. If your property is worth less than AED 2 million, see our investor visa guide for other residence routes.
UAE golden visa cost in 2026
The residence fee itself is low: ICP charges AED 100 for each year of residence, plus AED 100 application and AED 100 smart service fees. Emirates ID, the medical test and insurance add more. On Dubai's property route, DLD publishes a total of AED 9,884.75, excluding insurance.
Residence and Emirates ID fees
| Item | Fee | Published by |
|---|---|---|
| Golden residence application | AED 100 | ICP |
| Golden residence issuance | AED 100 a year (AED 1,000 for 10 years) | ICP |
| Smart service fee | AED 100 | ICP |
| Emirates ID for residents | AED 100 a year of residence, plus AED 100 smart service fee | ICP |
| Residence permit (Dubai files) | AED 1,100, plus AED 100 for each year beyond two | GDRFA Dubai |
| Knowledge Dirham and Innovation Dirham | AED 10 each | GDRFA Dubai |
| Applying from inside the UAE | AED 500 | GDRFA Dubai |
| Delivery | AED 20 | GDRFA Dubai |
| Nomination request (pre-approval) | AED 100 smart service fee; no application or issuance fee | ICP |
| Six-month entry visa to complete the process (from abroad) | AED 100 application, AED 1,000 issuance, AED 100 smart service | ICP |
Dubai property route (DLD)
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Medical examination | AED 700 |
| Emirates ID (10 years) | AED 1,153 |
| Confirmation of residency permit (10 years) | AED 2,856.75 |
| Dubai Land Department fees | AED 4,020 |
| Administrative fees | AED 1,155 |
| Total for the investor | AED 9,884.75 |
| Each family member or parent (10 years) | AED 5,774.50 |
| Family sponsorship file opening | AED 318.75 |
| Added for each sponsored person | AED 100 |
Not included: compulsory health insurance, a medical test outside DLD's package, service-centre charges, attestation and professional fees. Each family member pays separately.
How to apply: ICP, GDRFA, Amer and DLD
You apply on ICP's smart services website or app, unless your residence file is in Dubai, where GDRFA Dubai, Amer centres and DLD's centres handle it.
| Your case | Where you apply | Authority's stated time |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai: skilled professional, scientist or humanitarian | GDRFA website or Amer centre | 48 hours |
| Dubai: investor, entrepreneur, talent or student | GDRFA website or Amer centre | 5 days |
| Dubai: property investor | DLD golden visa centres | 7 to 10 business days |
| Abu Dhabi | ADRO nomination, then ICP | ICP: 2 days for the residence step |
| Sharjah and the northern emirates | ICP nomination request, then residence, on smart services or app | ICP: 2 days for each step |
These are stated service times for a complete file, not promises. The slow parts are usually the degree equivalency report, attestation of Indian family documents, and bank or valuation letters.
Family, parents and domestic workers
A golden visa holder can sponsor a spouse, children of any age and parents, and can employ domestic workers under the normal rules.
- DLD's family list includes a certified marriage contract, certified birth certificates and health insurance for each person.
- Parents need a dependency certificate certified by the consulate. Children over 18 need an undertaking that they are unmarried.
- In Dubai, golden visa school achievers may sponsor only their parents; graduates may sponsor a spouse and children once they have a job, income and housing.
- Indian marriage and birth certificates are attested by the Ministry of External Affairs first. One digital application then covers the UAE Embassy in New Delhi and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs; see attestation.
ICP publishes no cap on domestic workers for golden residents. Their residence goes through ICP's Domestic Workers Package.
Renewal, time outside the UAE and cancellation
The golden visa renews for another 10 years while you still meet your category's conditions, and long stays abroad do not cancel it: GDRFA Dubai exempts golden residents from the 180-day rule. The permit lapses only if it expires while you are outside the UAE, so renew before the expiry date.
ICP describes the residence as renewing automatically. GDRFA Dubai renews on the same terms and, for talents, asks for a renewed nomination letter. For students, GDRFA's pages conflict on whether renewal is allowed, so confirm with GDRFA first.
You keep the visa only while its basis continues:
- property cannot be sold and deposits cannot be withdrawn during the 10-year residence (GDRFA Dubai)
- a skilled professional's visa is cancelled if the salary falls below AED 30,000 or the contract ends
- you must support yourself and your family without government help
GDRFA Dubai's golden renewal pages allow 180 days to stay after expiry or cancellation, though its general cancellation page says 60 days, so confirm your case. Cancelling a Dubai residence costs AED 100, plus AED 10 each in Knowledge and Innovation Dirhams.
Common reasons for delay or rejection
Most delays come from documents that do not prove the threshold the way the authority asks.
- Salary mismatch: the contract, salary certificate and bank statements must all show AED 30,000 a month.
- A MoHRE job title below level 2.
- No Ministry of Education equivalency report for a foreign degree.
- Property under AED 2 million at purchase, a co-owner's share under AED 2 million, or no bank letter for a mortgage.
- Borrowed investment money, or no proof of the source of funds.
- No valid UAE health insurance for you and your family.
- The wrong place: Dubai's student and humanitarian categories need a Dubai residence file, and DLD needs you in the UAE.
UAE golden visa for Indians
Indian nationals apply under the same categories and thresholds as everyone else; there is no India-only or lifetime golden visa. In July 2025, reports offered a "lifetime" nomination-based golden visa for AED 100,000, quoted in India as about ₹23 lakh. ICP denied this on 8 July 2025. It said categories are set by law, applications go only through official government channels, and no consultancy is an accredited party.
Tax residency in India and the UAE
A golden visa does not make you a UAE tax resident by itself. The UAE does not levy income tax on individuals, and UAE tax residency is set by Cabinet Decision No. 85 of 2022. You need 183 days in the UAE in 12 consecutive months, or 90 days as a UAE resident with a permanent home or job there. A third test is having your main home and centre of interests in the UAE.
India's tests are separate, and a UAE visa does not change them. The Income Tax Department treats you as resident with 182 days in India in the financial year, or 60 days plus 365 days over the previous four years. For Indian citizens visiting India, the 60 days becomes 182 days, or 120 days if income other than from foreign sources exceeds ₹15 lakh. An Indian citizen above that income who is not liable to tax in any country can be deemed resident. If you meet none of these tests, you are non-resident for Indian income tax. Take advice before relying on non-resident status.
Funding a property purchase from India
Resident Indians can remit up to USD 250,000 per financial year under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS). That is less than an AED 2 million property, but RBI lets resident relatives combine LRS remittances to buy property abroad. Investing through a UAE company follows the overseas investment rules; see business setup in Dubai from India.
How Ofin helps
Ofin's UAE desk helps you prepare and submit golden visa applications through the official government channels, from eligibility to Emirates ID.
- Eligibility check: we review your background and assets against ICP's criteria and pick the strongest route.
- Documents: title deeds, bank letters, salary certificates, employer and award letters, and India-side attestation.
- Filing: our PRO team coordinates submission with GDRFA Dubai, Amer centres or ICP. For DLD's property route, we prepare the file and you attend in person.
- After approval: medical test, health insurance and biometrics through to the Emirates ID, then family visas.
- Company route: company formation, the corporate bank account, PRO services and advice on India and UAE tax and FEMA rules.
Ofin Legal has a 4.9★ Google rating and has served 5,000+ clients since 2019. Only ICP and GDRFA decide applications. Call or WhatsApp Ofin's UAE desk on +971 50 523 5779.
