UAE Golden Visa: 10-Year Residence by Investment, Talent or Salary

The golden visa (officially "Golden Residence") was introduced by Cabinet decision in 2019 and rebuilt in October 2022 under Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 on the entry and residence of foreigners and its executive regulations. It is not a route to nationality and not a points system: if you meet one category's conditions, you qualify. ICP describes it as long-term residency "without the need for a sponsor", with the right to live, work, study and invest, and automatic renewal while the conditions still hold^[1].

Two authorities issue it. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) handles Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah through its smart-services platform. The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (GDRFA) handles Dubai, and for the property route it works through the Dubai Land Department's accredited "Cube" service centres^[3][4]. The criteria are federal and identical; fees, documents and processing differ by emirate.

Key benefits listed by the government portal: no local sponsor, the ability to stay outside the UAE for longer than the usual six months without losing the permit, and family sponsorship^[2]. ICP adds that spouses, children "regardless of their age" and parents can be sponsored, that domestic workers can be sponsored, and that family members keep their permits for their full validity if the golden visa holder dies^[1].

Status on 2 October 2026: open, with no quota or cap. ICP's guide was last updated on 10 September 2026^[1].

There are two investor sub-categories, both at AED 2,000,000, plus non-investment routes for people who qualify through work, talent or study. All are 10-year permits according to ICP^[1].

UAE golden visa real estate route: AED 2M property

ICP's conditions are: one or more properties in the UAE with a total value of at least AED 2,000,000, registered in the investor's name. The property may be financed by a loan "provided that the financing is obtained from an approved local bank". Off-plan units qualify if their total value is at least AED 2,000,000 and they were bought from an approved local developer. The investor and family must hold valid health insurance throughout the permit's validity^[1].

In Dubai, the DLD service is for an investor whose property had a purchase value of at least AED 2 million at the time of purchase, held in their own name (one or more properties). A mortgaged property is accepted with a bank no-objection letter showing the amount paid and the balance outstanding, and the applicant must be inside the UAE when applying^[3]. Several points matter in practice:

• Aggregation: several units can be combined to reach AED 2M^[1][3].
• Mortgages and down payments: this is the least settled point. ICP's federal guide says only that a loan must come from an approved local bank^[1]. The emirate-level issuers go further. The Dubai Land Department (page updated 30 September 2026) asks, besides the bank no-objection letter, for "a bank letter indicating 2 million AED paid amount"^[3]. Abu Dhabi's Department of Economic Development (updated 24 September 2026) says the investor's own capital must be at least AED 2,000,000, so a AED 5,000,000 home can carry no more than AED 3,000,000 of outstanding mortgage, and off-plan buyers must show at least AED 2,000,000 already paid to the developer^[21]. GDRFA Dubai accepts mortgaged property but requires a lien so ownership continues for the permit's validity^[4]. Press and adviser reports say the older AED 1 million / 50% paid rule was dropped at the DLD in January 2024, at first only verbally^[15], and that a federal policy circular in February 2026 removed the upfront-payment requirement altogether^[16]. We found no official text of that circular, and the issuers' own pages have not changed. Until they do, plan on AED 2,000,000 of paid equity in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and get the Cube centre or ICP to confirm in writing before relying on a high-loan-to-value or early-stage off-plan purchase.
• Value used: DLD uses the purchase value at the time of purchase^[3]; other emirates may require a valuation certificate from the competent authority^[6].
• Jointly owned property: the published federal text requires "full ownership" in the applicant's name^[1]. Joint ownership rules are not set out on the official pages we reviewed; confirm before buying with a co-owner.

UAE residency bank deposit and public investment route

The "public investments" sub-category has five options, each at the same level^[1][4]:

• a deposit of at least AED 2,000,000 with an investment fund or a national bank in the UAE (GDRFA Dubai requires a certificate that the deposit is frozen for at least two years, and says the deposit or investment may not be withdrawn during the 10-year permit^[4]);
• founding a UAE company with capital of at least AED 2,000,000;
• a partnership share worth at least AED 2,000,000 in a new or existing company;
• owning a company that pays at least AED 250,000 a year in federal taxes; or
• a shareholding whose proportion of the company's federal tax bill is at least AED 250,000 a year.

Unlike property, this capital must be fully owned by the investor and "must not be derived from a loan", with documentary proof of source of funds^[1].

Entrepreneurs

One of: ownership of (or a partnership in) a UAE-registered SME in an approved field with annual revenue of at least AED 1,000,000; an idea approved by an accredited business incubator, the Ministry of Economy or a local authority; or having founded ventures previously sold for a combined AED 7,000,000 or more^[1].

Skilled professionals and the salary threshold

Employees at Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation occupational level 1 or 2 qualify with a valid UAE work permit, at least a bachelor's degree and a monthly salary of at least AED 30,000^[1]. Leading specialists in healthcare, education, industry and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and scientists, qualify through recommendations from the relevant ministry or the Emirates Scientists Council^[1].

Exceptional talents, students and humanitarian pioneers

• Talents in culture and the arts, innovation, sport and digital technology, endorsed by the competent authority (for example, the UAE Council for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transactions for digital talent)^[9].
• Students: UAE secondary-school graduates with at least 95%; graduates of the world's top-100 universities with a GPA of 3.5 or more; UAE university graduates with 3.5 (Category A) or 3.8 (Category B), within two years of graduation^[1].
• Humanitarian pioneers: five years with an international, regional or non-profit organisation, or financial support for humanitarian work of at least AED 2,000,000; a university degree is required^[1]. Frontline workers are also eligible.

Beyond the category threshold, every applicant needs:

• a passport valid for at least six months^[5];
• a personal photo meeting ICP specifications;
• valid UAE health insurance for themselves and dependants (at application for investors in public investments and entrepreneurs; throughout validity for property investors and professionals)^[1];
• a medical fitness test and biometrics for the Emirates ID (fingerprints for everyone 15 and over)^[7];
• category evidence: a title deed or e-title certificate and, for mortgaged property, a bank no-objection letter^[3]; for deposits, a bank letter and statements; for companies, the trade licence, audited accounts or Federal Tax Authority records^[4]; for professionals, an attested degree, MOHRE contract and salary certificate^[1].

GDRFA Dubai adds that a holder must be able to support themselves and their family without government support^[4]. There is no language test, no minimum age for investors, and no minimum net worth beyond the qualifying asset. Source-of-funds documentation is explicitly required for the deposit and company routes^[1], and banks and developers apply their own anti-money-laundering checks to property purchases.

A golden visa holder can sponsor a spouse, children and parents^[1][3]. ICP's guide says children can be sponsored "regardless of their age"^[1]. Some advisers quote an age cap of 25 for sons in full-time education^[19]; that figure comes from the general family-residence rules for ordinary residents, not from the golden residence. The DLD asks for a sworn undertaking that sons or daughters over 18 are unmarried^[3]. Dependants receive permits for the same duration as the sponsor's permit.

The holder can also sponsor domestic workers. Family permits stay valid for their full term if the sponsor dies, so the family does not have to leave immediately^[1].

The property route in Dubai is shown here; the ICP flow in other emirates is similar but entirely online through the ICP smart services platform and UAE Pass.

The UAE has no personal income tax, so there is no individual registration or filing^[11]. There is no capital gains tax, inheritance or gift tax, or wealth tax for individuals^[13]. VAT is 5%, and Dubai levies a 5% municipality fee on residential rental value^[13].

Corporate tax applies to financial years starting on or after 1 June 2023: 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above that^[10][14]. Large multinationals (consolidated revenue of EUR 750 million or more) pay a 15% domestic minimum top-up tax from 2025^[14]. Individuals running a business are within corporate tax only once turnover exceeds AED 1 million, and wages, personal investment income and real estate investment income do not count towards that threshold^[11]. In practice, rent from a golden-visa apartment held personally is not taxed.

A golden visa does not make you a UAE tax resident on its own. Under Cabinet Decision No. 85 of 2022 you are resident if your usual residence and centre of interests is in the UAE, or you spend 183 days in a 12-month period there, or you spend 90 days and hold a residence permit plus a permanent home or job/business in the UAE^[12]. Whether your home country stops taxing you depends on its own rules and any tax treaty, so investors from countries such as the US (citizenship-based taxation) see little benefit.

The UAE has no separate permanent-residency status. The golden visa is the closest thing: 10 years, renewable automatically as long as you still meet the conditions^[1], with no minimum-stay rule^[2]. If you sell the property or withdraw the deposit, the basis for renewal falls away.

Holding a golden visa does not count toward any naturalisation timeline. Emirati nationality for foreigners is granted only by nomination; see our page on how foreigners can be nominated for UAE nationality. For investors whose real goal is a second passport, residence programs that lead to naturalisation, such as the Turkey golden visa route, which has a separate naturalisation option, or the options in our guide to residence programs with the fastest naturalisation, are a better fit.

If you cannot reach AED 2M or the AED 30,000 salary, the green visa is a 5-year, self-sponsored residence that also covers spouse and children and includes grace periods on expiry^[8][20]. ICP's conditions:

• Skilled workers: a UAE employment contract, MOHRE level 1–3, a bachelor's degree and at least AED 15,000 a month;
• Freelancers and self-employed: a MOHRE freelance or self-employment permit, a bachelor's degree or specialised diploma, and freelance income of at least AED 360,000 a year over the previous two years;
• Investors and partners: proof of investment in a UAE business with the necessary licences^[8].

The green residence costs the same per-year government fee as the golden (AED 100 per year plus application and smart-services fees)^[6]. Separately, Dubai's 2-year property investor visa now has no minimum value for sole owners^[16].

Good fit: investors who want a tax-efficient base in the Gulf, plan to live in or regularly visit Dubai or Abu Dhabi, and are comfortable holding AED 2M in property or cash for the long term; entrepreneurs relocating a business; and senior professionals already earning AED 30,000 a month, who can qualify without investing at all.

Look elsewhere if: you want EU or Schengen residence rights, a passport, or a lower entry price. A golden visa gives no travel benefit, and its value depends on keeping the qualifying asset.

• Saudi Arabia's Premium Residency: SAR 4M property or a one-off fee for unlimited duration, with no income tax.
• Oman's investor residence: 5- and 10-year tiers from OMR 250,000.
• Bahrain's golden residency: BHD 200,000 property, a lower entry point than Dubai.
• Qatar's property residence: about QAR 730,000 ($200k) for residence, more for permanent status.
• Greek golden visa: €800,000 in Athens, Thessaloniki and the main islands, €400,000 elsewhere, €250,000 only for conversions and listed buildings; includes Schengen travel.
• Turkish property residence: lower thresholds and a separate naturalisation route.

For side-by-side numbers see our budget ranking of residence-by-investment programs, the guide to residence versus passport programs, and the full golden visa directory by region and budget.