Golden visa in Dubai: eligibility, costs and application

The UAE golden visa is a self-sponsored residence permit, issued for 10 years in Dubai (GDRFA). Check the term with the issuing emirate, as u.ae lists some routes at 5 years. It needs no employer or local sponsor, covers your spouse and children, and is not cancelled after six months abroad. The main routes are property worth AED 2M or more, approved investments, entrepreneurs nominated by an approved body, and skilled professionals earning at least AED 30,000 a month. Government fees are an estimated AED 3,000–5,000; most of the cost lies in the qualifying asset or income. The first step is to confirm which route you meet before you apply.

Golden visa routes and eligibility

The golden visa has several routes, each with written entry criteria. The real estate route is the one most people mean: property worth AED 2M or more. In Dubai, mortgaged property is accepted (GDRFA). The investor route covers a deposit of at least AED 2M, a share of at least AED 2M in a company, or a company that pays AED 250,000 a year in tax. GDRFA places a lien on a qualifying property, and a qualifying deposit cannot be withdrawn during the required period. Skilled professionals need a bachelor’s degree, a salary of at least AED 30,000 a month and a job classed at MOHRE skill level 1 or 2. Entrepreneurs need a nomination from an approved body (in Dubai, the Dubai Future Foundation) and a project that meets a written threshold. Scientists, outstanding students and people with recognised talent in culture and the arts have their own routes.

Every route is decided on documents: a title deed or bank letters, attested degrees, salary certificates, employment contracts, project approvals or nomination letters. The authority decides on that evidence, and if you do not meet a written threshold, no agent can change the outcome.

Golden visa costs

Government fees for a 10-year golden visa are an estimated AED 3,000–5,000, including the medical fitness test and Emirates ID. The larger cost is the qualifying asset or income itself: the AED 2M property, the investment or the salaried role. The route usually makes sense only if you would hold that asset or job anyway.

Some agents charge five-figure 'processing' fees or promise approval. No fee changes a written eligibility rule. Before you commit, work out the full cost (asset, government fees, medical test, Emirates ID and family members) against your plans; our visa-cost calculator lists the line items. Our guide to golden visa routes covers every route in detail, including the documents each one needs.

Golden visa application process

Applications go through the federal authority (ICP) or the emirate’s residency directorate (GDRFA in Dubai), depending on where you apply. The steps are: nomination or eligibility check, entry permit or change of status, medical fitness test, biometrics and Emirates ID, and then issue of the visa. With a complete file this usually takes a few weeks.

Delays usually come from documents: a degree that has not been attested, a property below the threshold, or a salary certificate that does not match the contract. We check the file against the authority’s current requirements before it is submitted, because a rejected nomination costs more time than the extra checking.

Golden visa and UAE tax residency

A golden visa gives you the right to live in the UAE for ten years (in Dubai), renewable, without an employer and without the six-month absence rule. It does not settle your tax position.

To become UAE tax-resident and obtain a Tax Residency Certificate, you need to meet one of the tests: 183 days in the UAE in 12 months; or 90 days with a valid residence permit plus a permanent home or a job or business here; or having your centre of financial and personal interests in the UAE. See our tax residency service. The visa and the certificate are linked, but they are separate applications.

Family sponsorship and the absence rule

A golden visa holder sponsors themselves and can then sponsor a spouse and children (u.ae). Sponsoring parents or domestic staff is possible in some cases, subject to the issuing emirate’s conditions. Family files can run in parallel once your own visa has been issued, on the usual income and housing evidence.

The absence rule is the practical advantage. A standard UAE residence visa lapses after six continuous months outside the country; golden visa holders are exempt from this rule (GDRFA), and on routes such as property the visa is not tied to a company that might close. For founders who travel a lot, or who want residency that survives a long period abroad, that difference is often the main reason to apply.

Golden visa or another residence route

The golden visa is not always the right first step. If you own a UAE company, the 2-year investor visa costs less and can be renewed every two years while the company’s licence stays valid, and it can serve you until you meet a golden visa route in your own right. Salaried professionals and self-employed people who do not meet a golden visa threshold often fit the green visa better.

Apply for the golden visa when you meet a route and want ten years of residency, rather than as an upgrade to a visa that already does the job. If a cheaper route meets your needs, we will tell you so before you apply.

Golden visa key figures

Frequently asked questions

This is general information on UAE rules. It is not legal, tax or immigration advice for your situation. Rules and government fees change; we confirm the position for your facts in writing before you act.