UAE Golden Visa: Complete Guide on Residency in the Emirates

You are eligible for a UAE Residence Visa if you fall under one of the following categories of possible applicants:

1. Investors in real estate or government projects and services.

2. Entrepreneurs who own a registered start-up, have their start-up idea approved or are previous founders of a successful project.

3. Exceptional talents, that is, people who work in culture, art, sports, or digital technology, inventors and innovators. They do not have to prove their educational qualification, employment status, monthly salary or professional level.

4. Scientists in engineering, technology, or life and natural sciences with a Master’s or PhD and substantial research achievements.

5. Professionals in medicine, sciences and engineering, information technology, business and administration, education, law, or culture and social sciences. They need to have a Bachelor’s degree and an employment contract in the UAE with a salary of over AED 30,000 ($8,170).

6. Outstanding students and graduates, that is, best-performing students in secondary schools, best graduates from UAE universities, or graduates of the best 100 universities worldwide.

7. Humanitarian pioneers, that is, distinguished members of international and regional organisations, outstanding members of associations of public benefit, recipients of recognition awards in humanitarian fields, or distinguished volunteers and sponsors of humanitarian efforts.

8. Frontline heroes who have shown themselves in a crisis such as Covid‑19.

The main applicant, that is, the investor, must be over 18 and be able to prove the legality of their income.

The investor may add to the application:

• their spouse;

• unmarried daughters of any age;

• unmarried sons under 25 years old;

• disabled children of any age and sex;

• any number of household helpers such as nannies, housekeepers and butlers.

All applicants over 18 must have no criminal records or socially dangerous diseases.

Required documents for applying for the UAE Residence Visa:

• passport;

• birth certificate;

• certificate of no criminal record from the country of citizenship;

• medical insurance;

• Medical Fitness Certificate;

• UAE Good Conduct certificate addressed to the Dubai Land Department;

• current UAE visa;

• 1 photo per applicant.

If the investor’s spouse and children are included in the application, a marriage certificate and a certificate of non-marriage for children over 18 are also needed.

Here we will focus on obtaining a residence permit by investing in real estate, as it is the most straightforward way to get residency in the UAE for high-net-worth people.

Property purchases in the Emirates can be profitable investments, as UAE real estate tends to rise in price continuously. In the last 10 years, real estate prices in Dubai have increased by 1.5 times.

The property owner does not need to pay taxes when renting it out because the UAE has no income tax.

There are two main options for obtaining a UAE Residence Visa by investing in real estate.

10-year visas. You can get the UAE Golden Visa for 10 years by buying real estate with a minimum investment of AED 2 million ($545,000). A mortgage in a UAE bank with a down payment of 50% is permitted.

Applicants may purchase properties only in Freehold Zones. Residential apartments, hotel rooms, villas, townhouses and offices are available for this visa type.

The additional costs may include the following:

• registration fee of $21,800+ (AED 80,000+);

• application fee of $41 (AED 150);

• state fee for visas and identity cards of $1,043 (AED 3,830) per applicant;

• medical test for $220+ per applicant;

• insurance policy for $400+ per applicant;

• translation and notarisation of documents for $1,000+ per applicant.

UAE Golden Visa holders enjoy various benefits, from the opportunity to optimise taxes to access to quality healthcare and education.

Virtually no taxes. In the UAE, residents are exempt from taxes on income, capital gains, interest, dividends, wealth, luxury, inheritance, gifts and properties. Moreover, foreign residents do not pay pension taxes.

For companies, there are no taxes for dividends and capital gains, as well as intragroup transactions and reorganisation.

No minimum presence requirement. The UAE does not make its residents stay in the country permanently. Investors with the UAE Golden Visa can visit the country once or twice a year to maintain their status.

Moving to the UAE. The Emirates is one of the world’s wealthiest and most developed countries. In World Happiness Report 2023, the UAE placed 26th, while Dubai ranked 5th in the top 100 cities to live, work and invest in 2023.

Investors and their families can move to the country, leave, and return anytime, even if the borders are closed due to epidemic, political or economic issues.

On March 1st 2023, the following rules on determining tax residence came into force:

1. Any foreigner is considered a UAE tax resident if they have been physically present in the country for 183 days or more in a year.

2. For UAE citizens, UAE resident permit holders and Gulf Cooperation Council nationals, the period is reduced to 90 days per year — if they hold a permanent residence or run a business in the Emirates.

3. A company is to be considered a tax resident if it has been established, formed or recognised in the UAE or is effectively managed and controlled in the country.

UAE Golden Visa holders can apply for a tax residency certificate to get tax relief in another country or other benefits under the applicable tax treaty.

Mainland taxation. As of now, there’s no corporate tax in the UAE, but companies earning more than AED 375,000 ($102,000) will have to pay 9% corporate tax starting from June 2023. Yet, businesses with revenues of AED 3 million (≈$816,000) or less can claim a “Small Business Relief” and be exempt from the corporate tax.

Free Zones taxation. Companies registered in Free Zones have special tax and customs regimes. They are exempt from corporate tax for 15—50 years after company registration and do not have to pay VAT and customs fees.

Revenue generated from the international business is not subject to taxes in the UAE and can be withdrawn from bank accounts freely. An investor can be the company’s sole owner, unlike having to give 51% of shares to a local partner when registering a company outside of Free Zones.

The recent changes in the rules in October 2022 have affected the duration of the visa, the categories of foreigners who can apply and family members who can be included in the application.

Major changes are the following:

1. From 5 to 10 years has changed the validity of the Golden Visa.

2. From 3 to 2 years has changed the validity of the residence visa for the property purchase.

3. From 18 to 25 years has changed the age of unmarried sons that can be added to a Golden Visa application.

4. The age limits on including unmarried daughters and disabled children have been lifted at all.

5. The restrictions on staying in the UAE to keep a valid Golden Visa have also been lifted.

6. The fee for the 10-year Golden Visa has increased from AED 50 to AED 150 (41$).

Abu-Dhabi will grant Golden Visas to new categories of foreigners: scientists and researchers, senior scholars and clerics, skilled professionals, elite specialists in the industry, the 4th industrial revolution, health fields and education.

Two options for getting a visa by investment in real estate:

1. Golden Visa for 10 years by investing AED 2 million ($545,000).

2. Residence permit for 2 years by investing over AED 750,000 ($204,200).

Short obtaining period: a record two months or a bit more.

Major benefits for visa holders: the ability to move to the country or use it as a safe haven and access its healthcare, education and banking services.

Tax optimisation for individuals and companies. The UAE is considered a tax haven because its residents do not pay taxes on income, capital gains, inheritance, gifts and properties. If the company is registered in one of the many Free Zones, it has the most favourable conditions, such as special tax and custom regimes. It is exempt from corporate tax, VAT and customs fees.