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Golden visa

The Golden visa is a long-term residence visa which enables foreign talents to live, work or study in the UAE while enjoying exclusive benefits. Investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, outstanding students and graduates, humanitarian pioneers and frontline heroes are among those eligible for the Golden visa. Read about the requirements and benefits of the Golden visa, and find digital services to apply for it.

What is the UAE’s Golden visa?

Golden visa requirements, the ‘one touch’ golden visa service, related digital services.

The UAE’s ‘Golden visa’ is a long-term residence visa which enables foreign talents to live, work or study in the UAE while enjoying exclusive benefits which include:

an entry visa for six months with multiple entries to proceed with residence issuance
a long-term, renewable residence visa valid for 5 or 10 years
the privilege of not needing a sponsor
the ability to stay outside the UAE for more than the usual period of six months in order to keep their residence visa valid
the ability to sponsor their family members, including spouses and children regardless of their ages
the ability to sponsor unlimited number of domestic helpers
the permit for family members to stay in the UAE until the end of their permit duration, if the primary holder of the Golden visa passes away.

For queries regarding visas, please contact Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) or the UAE’s embassies and consulates .

For Dubai visas, contact the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs - Dubai (GDRFAD) .

Related links

UAE Cabinet approves Executive Regulations of Federal Decree-Law on Entry and Residence of Foreigners - WAM
Golden Residency - Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security
Golden visa in Abu Dhabi – TAMM
Discover the golden visa and its categories - Abu Dhabi Residents Office

Requirements for the Golden visa depend on the type of residence, whether investor, talent, entrepreneur, etc.

Investors in public investments

If you invest in an investment fund, you may be granted a Golden Visa for a period of 10 years without a sponsor, subject to the:

submission of a letter from an investment fund accredited in the UAE stating that the investor has a deposit of AED two million, or
submission of a valid commercial licence or industrial licence and a memorandum of association stating that the investor’s capital is not less than AED two million

Additionally, you must:

own the invested capital completely; it must not be a loan and
provide proof of medical insurance for himself and his family (if any).

Real estate investors

If you own a property or a group of properties, you may be granted a Golden visa for a period of 5 years, renewable on the same conditions and without a sponsor subject to the:

provision of a letter from the land department of the respective emirate stating that he owns one or more properties whose value is not less than 2 million dirhams
purchase of a property with a loan from specific local banks approved by the competent local entity.

Entrepreneurs

If you are an entrepreneur, you may get a Golden visa for a period of 5 years, if you own an economic project of a technical or future nature based on risk & innovation. In addition, you must have an approval letter from each of the following:

an auditor in the UAE stating that the project value is not less than 500,000 dirhams
the authorities in the emirate stating that the project is of a technical or future nature
an accredited business incubator in the UAE to establish the proposed activity in the country.

Outstanding specialised talents

Outstanding specialised talents include:

creative people of culture and art
specialists in scientific fields
doctoral degree holders and
specialists in the fields of engineering and science.

Subjects relating to engineering and science include:

epidemiology and viruses
artificial intelligence
computer engineering
electronic engineering
software engineering
electrical engineering
genetics and biotechnology engineering.

If you have an outstanding specialised talent, you may get a Golden visa for 10 years after meeting the requirements mentioned below for each category:

Doctors and scientists

an approval Letter from Ministry of Health and Prevention in the UAE to practice the profession of medicine (for doctors)
a letter of recommendation from Emirates Council of Scientists or a letter from Secretariat of the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Excellence stating that the applicant has been awarded the Medal of Scientific Excellence (for scientists).
a recommendation letter from Ministry of Economy stating that your patent has an added value to the country's economy

Creative people in the fields of culture and art

an approval letter from the department of culture and arts in the respective emirate.

Related services

Apply for a creative talented accreditation (cultural visa) – Dubai Culture
Get an endorsement certificate for creative people – Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism
Get a recommendation letter for golden visa request – Ministry of Culture and Youth

Executive Directors

a copy of a university degree accredited by Ministry of Education with educational attainment not less than a bachelor's degree
a letter of experience of no less than 5 years holding the same position
a salary certificate with a salary of AED 50,000 at least
a valid work contract.
a recommendation letter from General Sports Authority or one of the sports councils

Specialists in engineering and science

a copy of a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree certified by Ministry of Education and a work contract.

Outstanding Students

High school students

If you are a high school student and a national-level topper, (with a minimum grade of 95 per cent in public or private secondary school) you may be granted a Golden visa for 5 years without a sponsor, subject to submission of a recommendation letter from Ministry of Education (Emirates Schools Establishment).Duration of the Golden visa for students is 5 years and may be extended if he/she is enrolled in one of the majors/colleges in the country that requires a study period of more than five years.

University students

If you are an outstanding university student, you may be granted a Golden visa for a period of 10 years without a sponsor, provided that:

the university must be rated either A or B class by Ministry of Education
a recommendation letter from the university or an accredited graduation certificate or an accredited academic record stating that the student’s cumulative GPA is not less than 3.5 for A class universities and 3.8 for B class universities is submitted.

it has not been more than 2 years since you graduated.

Outstanding students of foreign universities may be granted a Golden visa for a period of 10 years without a sponsor, provided that:

The university is rated among the best 100 universities global according to the rating system recognized by Ministry of Education
The student’s cumulative GPA is not less than 3.5
It has not been more than 2 years since you graduated
Graduation certificate is accredited by the Ministry of Education

Pioneers of humanitarian work

If you are a pioneer of humanitarian work, you may get a Golden visa for 10 years. You must be one amongst the following categories to qualify as a pioneer of humanitarian work:

members and outstanding employees who have worked for international and regional organisations for a minimum of five years
members and outstanding employees who have worked for civil associations and institutions of public interest for a minimum of five years
individuals who have received an appreciation award from a local, regional or international organisation that focuses on humanitarian work
funders of humanitarian work provided that the value of the support does not fall below two million UAE dirhams or its equivalent.

Frontline heroes

Frontline heroes who displayed extraordinary effort in crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic also may get the Golden visa with a recommendation from a competent authority. Frontline heroes include nurses, medical assistants, lab technicians, pharmacologists and other cadres approved by the Frontline Heroes Office.

‘One touch’ Golden visa service is a comprehensive service designed to simplify the application and the renewal process for a Golden residence visa , saving the applicants’ time and effort.

The service will assist the applicants with their applications for the visa, issuance of other visas, regularisation of status, the issuance of residency and identity documents, and renewing all of these in one step.

eServices related to Golden visa - ICP
Check your eligibility for Golden visa – ICP
Golden visa services - GDRFA
Apply for a recommendation of a Golden visa (for creatives) - Ministry of Youth and Culture

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Explained: All the long-term visit visa options available in the UAE

Living in uae.

From three months to five years, different types of visas are available to visitors

Dubai: If you are thinking of visiting the UAE, the country offers long-term entry permits as well, with some of these visas allowing you to stay for up to six months.

So, whether you want to visit family or friends, or look for job or investment opportunities, here are all your long-term visit visa options in the UAE.

1. Three-month visit visa for friends and family

UAE residents planning to invite their friends or family to the country can apply for a 90-day single- or multiple-entry visit visa . The three-month visa is specifically for visitors who have a friend or relative residing in the UAE.

If your family or friend who is sponsoring the visa has a residence visa issued in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah or Umm Al Quwain, they can apply for entry permit through the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP). Click here to find out the overall cost, documents, and process. If the sponsor has a Dubai visa, he or she can apply for the visa through the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) Dubai.

The visa can be issued for a period of 30, 60 or 90 days , and you also have the option to extend the visa for up to three months within the UAE. According to GDRFA Dubai, the extension period should not exceed 180 days.

The extension of the visa can only be done by the sponsor or an authorised travel agent on their behalf.

For a detailed explanation on how to extend this visa for 90 days, click here .

2. Five-year multiple-entry visa

If you frequently visit the UAE for work or to meet family and friends, the longest visit visa available in the UAE is the five-year multiple-entry permit.

You can stay in the UAE continuously for no longer than 90 days in a year . This period may be extended for a similar amount of time as long as the total number of days spent in the UAE in a year is not more than 180 days .

To be eligible for the visa, you must meet all these requirements:

• A passport or travel document valid for at least six months at the time of application. • A round-trip travel ticket. • Valid health insurance in the UAE. • Documentation demonstrating a bank balance of $4,000 (Dh14,689) or equivalent in other currencies over six months before the application is submitted.

If you want to apply for the visa in Dubai, you must apply through GDRFA. Click here for a detailed step-by-step guide.

To find out how you can apply through typing centres, click here .

3. Four-month jobseeker visa in the UAE

If you want to come to the UAE to look for a job, in October 2022 the UAE government introduced a new entry permit that allows jobseekers to come to the country without the need for a UAE-based individual or company to sponsor this visa.

You can apply for a period of two, three or four months . As per the announcement made by the UAE Cabinet when the new visa system was launched, the visa will be granted to:

• Those classified in the first, second or third skill level as per the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE). To find what skill levels are, click here . • Fresh graduates of the top 500 universities in the world. To find out if your university degree is accepted click here . • The minimum educational level of the applicant should be a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent.

Want to look for a job in Dubai? Here is how to apply for the jobseeker visa
UAE jobseeker visa: Want to look for a job in the UAE? Here’s how to apply for the visa

4. Four-month UAE investor visa

If you are looking to invest in the UAE or explore business opportunities, you can apply for a single entry visa to ‘Search for investment opportunities’, without the need for a UAE-based sponsor. The visa allows you to stay for up to 120 days in the country , with options for a two, three or four-month visa.

To find out the cost, documents, and application process, click here for a detailed guide.