UAE Golden Visa 2026: Eligibility, Cost and How to Apply

The UAE Golden Visa is a long-term residence permit, now granted for 10 years, that lets you live, work and study in the UAE without a sponsor. The main routes are owning property worth at least AED 2 million, investing AED 2 million, working in a senior role with a monthly salary of at least AED 30,000 and a degree, running a qualifying startup, or being an outstanding student, scientist, talent or humanitarian. In Dubai, a property investor pays about AED 9,885 in total, according to the Dubai Land Department.

Do this next to get a Golden Visa

• Check your eligibility with ICP’s online Golden Residency eligibility checker before paying anyone.
• Pick the right channel: GDRFA Dubai or the Dubai Land Department centres for Dubai, ICP or TAMM for Abu Dhabi and the other emirates.
• Gather proof first: title deed, bank certificate, salary certificate, degree or recommendation letter, depending on your category.
• Arrange health insurance for yourself and every family member you plan to sponsor.

What is the UAE Golden Visa?

The Golden Visa, officially the Golden Residency, is run by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), with GDRFA Dubai handling Dubai residents. It was first launched in 2019 and widened in 2022. ICP’s current guide describes it as a 10-year residence with renewal and no need for a sponsor, so your residency no longer depends on an employer. The UAE government portal still mentions 5-year permits for some categories, so check the validity offered for your route when you apply.

Unlike a normal residence visa, a Golden Visa is not cancelled if you spend more than six months outside the UAE. GDRFA states that holders are exempt from the 180-day rule and that the residency becomes void only if it expires while the holder is abroad.

Who qualifies for the Golden Visa?

Category	Main requirement	Who confirms it
Real estate investor	Property in the UAE worth at least AED 2 million, mortgaged or off-plan allowed under conditions	Land department (DLD in Dubai)
Public investment	AED 2 million in a bank deposit, fund or company, or a company paying at least AED 250,000 a year in federal taxes	Bank, auditor or Federal Tax Authority
Skilled professional	MOHRE occupation level 1 or 2, bachelor’s degree, valid work permit, salary of at least AED 30,000 a month	MOHRE and employer
Entrepreneur	UAE-registered SME with revenue of at least AED 1 million and approval, or earlier ventures sold for at least AED 7 million	Business incubator, Ministry of Economy or local authority
Outstanding student or graduate	95% in Grade 12, or a GPA of 3.5 or above from a qualifying university	Ministry of Education
Scientist or specialist	Recommendation from the relevant body	Emirates Scientists Council or the ministry for the field
Exceptional talent	Recognised achievement in culture and arts, innovation, sport or digital technology	Ministry of Culture or the relevant authority
Humanitarian pioneer	Five years with an international or non-profit organisation, or AED 2 million in humanitarian support	The organisation or authority concerned
Frontline heroes	Professionals who served on the front lines of defence	The nominating authority

Every category also requires valid comprehensive health insurance for you and your family. The sections below give the detailed conditions for the most popular routes.

Golden Visa for property investors

• You must own one or more properties in the UAE with a total value of at least AED 2 million, registered in your name.
• Mortgaged property counts if the loan is from an approved local bank. The Dubai Land Department asks for a bank letter for mortgaged property.
• Off-plan property counts if bought from an approved local developer, with a total value of at least AED 2 million.
• For jointly owned property, GDRFA requires your own share to be worth at least AED 2 million.
• In Dubai, the value is confirmed with a DLD property status certificate or a valuation from a DLD-licensed office, and a lien is placed on the property for the life of the residency.

Because of that lien, you cannot sell the property and keep the Golden Visa. In Dubai, GDRFA lists DLD-accredited centres for real estate applications, including Al Tarash, Gulf Vision, Golden Cube, Al Yalayis and AGS H.

Golden Visa for investors in deposits, funds and companies

• A deposit of at least AED 2 million with a UAE bank or investment fund. GDRFA requires a bank certificate showing it is frozen for at least two years, and withdrawal is not allowed during the residency.
• A company in the UAE with capital of at least AED 2 million, or your own share of at least AED 2 million in a company, backed by a certified audit report.
• Ownership or a share in a company paying at least AED 250,000 a year in federal taxes, proven with a letter from the Federal Tax Authority.
• The capital must be your own and must not come from a loan, and you must show its source.

Golden Visa for skilled professionals (AED 30,000 salary)

This is the route most employees ask about. ICP lists these conditions:

• A valid UAE work permit and an approved employment contract.
• A job classified at occupational level 1 (chairpersons and chief executives) or level 2 (specialists) under MOHRE’s classification.
• At least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent. Degrees are normally attested before they can be used for residency.
• A monthly salary of at least AED 30,000 or the foreign currency equivalent.

Doctors, teachers and other specialists in healthcare and education can also qualify through recommendations from the Ministry of Health and Prevention, the Ministry of Education or the local authorities, even when their route is not salary based.

Golden Visa for entrepreneurs, students and talents

Entrepreneurs

You must own or co-own a small or medium enterprise registered in the UAE in an approved field, with annual revenue of at least AED 1 million and approval from an accredited incubator, the Ministry of Economy, ICP or a local authority. Founders who have previously sold ventures worth a total of at least AED 7 million also qualify. Older guides quote an AED 500,000 project value for this route; ICP’s current guide uses the AED 1 million revenue test instead. In Dubai, GDRFA asks entrepreneurs for a nomination letter from the Dubai Future Authority.

Outstanding students and graduates

• Grade 12 students in UAE schools with at least 95%, with the certificate attested by the Ministry of Education.
• Graduates of a top 100 world university with a GPA of at least 3.5, applying within two years of graduation.
• Graduates of UAE universities rated Category A with a GPA of 3.5, or Category B with 3.8, also within two years.

Exceptional talents, scientists and humanitarians

Artists, writers, inventors, athletes and digital talents need recognised awards, nominations, published work or senior roles, and usually a recommendation from the relevant ministry or authority. Scientists need a recommendation from the Emirates Scientists Council. The UAE government portal also lists PhD holders and specialists in priority scientific and engineering fields under exceptional talent. Humanitarian pioneers need five years with an international, regional or non-profit organisation, or donations of at least AED 2 million, and a university degree.

Documents you usually need

• Passport copy valid for at least six months, and a recent personal photo.
• Emirates ID and current residence permit, if you already live in the UAE.
• Category proof: title deed or e-certificate of title, bank deposit certificate, audited financial report, Federal Tax Authority letter, salary certificate and employment contract, or recommendation letter.
• Attested degree for professional and graduate routes, normally attested in the issuing country and by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) or the Ministry of Education.
• Health insurance for you and each family member.

How much does the Golden Visa cost?

The Dubai Land Department publishes this itemised cost for a 10-year property investor Golden Visa:

Item	Cost (AED)
Medical examination	700
Emirates ID (10 years)	1,153
Residency permit (10 years)	2,856.75
Dubai Land Department fees	4,020
Administrative fees	1,155
Total for the investor	9,884.75
Each family member’s residence permit (10 years)	5,774.50
Family sponsorship file opening	318.75

For other categories in Dubai, GDRFA lists a residence permit fee of AED 1,100, plus AED 500 if you are inside the UAE, AED 20 in Knowledge and Innovation Dirhams and AED 20 for delivery. Emirates ID, the medical test, health insurance and typing charges are added on top, so most applicants end up paying several thousand dirhams. Fees in Abu Dhabi and the other emirates follow ICP’s schedule and are shown before you pay.

How to apply for the Golden Visa

1. Check eligibility on ICP’s Golden Residency page, or ask GDRFA or the Dubai Land Department for a property route.
2. Get your nomination or proof: DLD certificate, bank letter, Federal Tax Authority letter, salary certificate, incubator approval or ministry recommendation.
3. Apply through GDRFA Dubai (website, app or an Amer centre), a DLD-accredited centre for Dubai property, or ICP Smart Services and TAMM for the other emirates. Log in with UAE PASS for online channels.
4. Enter the UAE if you are abroad. Eligible applicants outside the country receive a six-month multiple-entry visa, renewable once for another six months, to finish the process.
5. Complete the medical test and Emirates ID biometrics. Then the residence permit is issued electronically.

GDRFA’s expected completion time for the investor route is 5 working days once the file is complete, and the DLD quotes 7 to 10 working days for property investors. After approval, follow your card with our Emirates ID status check and delivery tracking guides.

Family sponsorship and other benefits

• Family: you can sponsor your spouse, your children of any age and your parents for residence.
• Domestic workers: you can sponsor them under the usual rules.
• Time abroad: the residency stays valid even if you spend more than six months outside the UAE.
• After the holder’s death: sponsored family members can stay until their own permits expire.
• Freedom to work: you can live, work, study and invest without an employer or local sponsor.

Golden Visa holders still use the same Emirates ID and residence file numbers as other residents; our guides explain the residence visa number and the EIDA number. UAE residency also opens visa-free and visa-on-arrival travel to some countries; see visa-free countries for UAE residents.

Keeping and renewing your Golden Visa

You must keep meeting the conditions for the whole period. The property cannot be sold and the deposit cannot be withdrawn while the residency is active, and you must be able to support yourself and your family without government help. Renewal follows the same conditions as the first application, so a professional who changes job should keep a salary and role that still qualify. ICP and GDRFA can review a file at any time.

Golden Visa or Green Visa?

Feature	Golden Residency	Green Residency
Validity	10 years	5 years
Sponsor needed	No	No
Typical applicant	Investors, top earners, founders, talents	Skilled employees, freelancers and investors below Golden thresholds
Renewal	On the same conditions	On meeting the requirements again

If you miss the Golden thresholds, ICP’s Green Residence is the next self-sponsored option to look at.

Official sources: ICP’s Golden Residency Guide, GDRFA Dubai’s golden residence permit for investors, the Dubai Land Department’s Golden Visa for property owners and the UAE government’s golden visa page.

This guide is part of our UAE Visa and Emirates ID Guide.