UAE Golden Visa: Complete Guide on Residency in the Emirates

The UAE Golden Visa requirements start with two layers: the applicant must meet the general eligibility conditions, and then qualify under at least one of eight applicant categories. General conditions apply to every route: the main applicant is 18 or older (55 or older for the retired-investor route), can demonstrate the legality of their income, holds no criminal record, and carries no infectious disease that UAE authorities classify as a public-health risk.

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). ^{[1]GDRFA Dubai — Golden Residence Permit (Specialised Scientists)}

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 demonstrated exceptional service during a public-health or humanitarian crisis.

The UAE golden residency visa is available in three durations, each tied to a specific qualifying route.

Golden residency is a long-term UAE residence status, not citizenship — holding it does not itself grant a UAE passport or nationality. Every route is renewable, but renewal is not automatic: the holder must continue meeting the underlying qualifying condition (for example, retaining the qualifying property or deposit) at the time of renewal.

Two separate UAE authorities sit behind the "Dubai golden visa" search term, and the difference matters for which office an applicant deals with. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) administers Golden Visa applications at the federal level, across all seven emirates, including Emirates ID issuance. ^{[2]ICP — Golden Visa} In Dubai specifically, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA Dubai) is the emirate-level authority Dubai-based applicants deal with for biometrics and in-Dubai residence-visa processing steps. ^{[3]GDRFA Dubai — Golden Residency service} The two are not interchangeable: GDRFA handles Dubai matters only, while ICP smart channels cover applications nationwide.

The 10-year Golden Visa (investor, professional and exceptional-talent routes described above) is a federal framework administered by ICP; for the 10-year property route, the qualifying property may be in any emirate.

Dubai also runs an instrument the federal route does not have: a separate 2-year property investor residence visa, administered by the Dubai Land Department (DLD) through its Cube Centre, a distinct route from the Golden Visa, described in detail below. Only freehold, ready-to-move residential property registered in Dubai qualifies; property in other emirates or in the DIFC is not accepted under this specific route. Since the Cube Centre's April 2026 update, sole owners face no minimum property value, while joint owners must each hold a share worth at least AED 400,000. ^{[4]Dubai Land Department — Investor Residence Visa (Taskeen)}

In practice, an applicant searching "Dubai golden visa" is often looking at one of two different things: the federal 10-year Golden Visa (processed nationally, GDRFA is the Dubai-side contact point) or the Dubai-only 2-year property investor visa (processed through DLD/Cube Centre). Confirming which route fits before gathering documents avoids preparing the wrong paperwork.

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 (dependant-son age conditions are set by the UAE authorities — see the official UAE Golden Visa page);

• 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.

The table below sets out the qualifying requirement, visa duration and typical evidence for each of the eight applicant categories under the 10-year UAE Golden Visa. All eight categories share a common document core — passport, one photo per applicant, valid health insurance, Medical Fitness Certificate, and a certificate of no criminal record — plus the general conditions already set out above (18+, legal income, no qualifying infectious disease). Some items in the general document list, such as the UAE Good Conduct certificate addressed to the Dubai Land Department and title-deed evidence, belong to the property-investor route rather than to every category. The table adds what is specific to each category beyond this shared core.

Documentation requirements are set and periodically updated by ICP and GDRFA. Applicants should confirm current requirements with ICP or GDRFA before applying.

Family inclusion under the UAE golden visa

10-year Golden Visa holders can include in their application: a spouse, unmarried daughters of any age, unmarried sons (dependant-son age conditions are set by the UAE authorities — see the official UAE Golden Visa page), and parents. Parents of a 10-year Golden Visa holder receive a matching 10-year UAE residence visa.

2-year Dubai property investor visa holders have a narrower scope: children must be under 21, and parents receive a 1-year renewable residence visa rather than the full 2-year term.

In both cases, the main applicant must first obtain their own residence visa before sponsoring family members.

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. ^{[5]Dubai Land Department — Golden Visa application (Investor)}

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.

For a full breakdown of Golden Visa and 2-year residence visa costs by category, see the UAE Golden Visa cost guide.

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

Low personal taxation. 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, dividends and capital gains are generally not taxed, 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. The UAE consistently ranks among the world's top destinations in global quality-of-life indices, including the World Happiness Report and city-quality surveys.

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. ^{[6]Ministry of Finance UAE — Following Cabinet Decision 85 of 2022}

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. The UAE introduced a federal corporate tax in June 2023: companies earning more than AED 375,000 ($102,000) pay 9% on profit above that threshold. ^{[7]U.ae — Corporate tax (CT)} 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.

April 2026 update

As of 29 April 2026, the minimum property value threshold for the 2-year Dubai investor visa has been removed for sole owners of qualifying Dubai freehold residential property. Previously set at AED 750,000, sole owners now qualify regardless of property value, provided the property is ready-to-move-in freehold residential in Dubai. For jointly owned properties, each co-investor must hold a share worth at least AED 400,000.

October 2022 changes

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. The sponsorship age limit for unmarried sons was raised; for the current dependant-son age conditions, see the official UAE Golden Visa page.

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.

Three options for getting a UAE golden residency visa:

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

2. 5-year golden residency for retired investors aged 55+ with AED 1,000,000 in fully paid property or a 3-year bank deposit. ^{[8]Dubai Land Department — Golden Visa application (Retiree)}

3. Separate 2-year Dubai property investor residence route for owners of qualifying Dubai freehold residential property: no minimum property value requirement for sole owners, and at least AED 400,000 share for each joint owner.

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 offers a highly favourable tax environment: 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.