Guides · golden-visa
Golden visa
The UAE Golden Visa is a long-term, renewable residence visa (5 or 10 years) for investors, entrepreneurs, and exceptional talents. It allows holders to live, work, and study in the UAE without a sponsor, sponsor family members, and stay outside the UAE beyond the usual 6-month limit. Investors need a minimum of amount not yet confirmed in public investments, real estate, or company capital, or annual tax payments of amount not yet confirmed. Entrepreneurs must own an SME with amount not yet confirmed annual revenue, obtain approval from a business incubator or relevant authority, or have sold a previous venture for at least amount not yet confirmed. The visa is issued by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) and processed through local authorities like GDRFA in Dubai or ADRO in Abu Dhabi.
Dates that carry a penalty
Who it applies to
Public investors (10-year visa) with amount not yet confirmed capital in an investment fund, company, or as a partner
Real estate investors (5-year visa) owning property worth at least amount not yet confirmed
Tax-paying investors (10-year visa) whose establishment pays amount not yet confirmed+ annually in federal taxes
Entrepreneurs (5-year visa) with an SME generating amount not yet confirmed annual revenue, or with an approved business idea from an incubator/Ministry of Economy, or who sold a previous venture for amount not yet confirmed+
Exceptional talents (10-year visa) such as doctors, scientists, inventors, executives, athletes, PhD holders, and specialists in priority fields
Outstanding students (5 or 10 years) and humanitarian pioneers
The rules that decide it
Investor capital must be fully owned, not from a loansource
For public investment and company capital routes, the invested capital must be fully owned by the investor and not derived from a loan. Proof of source and ownership is required. icp.gov.ae
Real estate may be financed through an approved local banksource
For the real estate route, the property can be mortgaged, but financing must be from an approved local bank, and a no-objection letter from the bank is required. icp.gov.ae
Health insurance is mandatory for the investor and familysource
The investor/entrepreneur and their family members must have comprehensive and valid health insurance coverage throughout the validity period of the residency. icp.gov.ae
Entrepreneur must be nominated or approved by a relevant authoritysource
In Dubai, the entrepreneur category is nominated by the Dubai Future Foundation. Alternatively, approval from an accredited business incubator, the Ministry of Economy, or a competent local authority is sufficient. gdrfad.gov.ae mofa.gov.ae
Property or deposit cannot be disposed of during the 10-year residencysource
For the 10-year investor visa, the property may not be sold nor the financial deposit refunded throughout the validity period. gdrfad.gov.ae
Golden Visa holders are exempt from the 180-day outside UAE rulesource
The residency is only considered void if it expires while the holder is outside the country. gdrfad.gov.ae
Thresholds and rates
Minimum investment for public investor (deposit/company capital/partnership share)source
amount not yet confirmed
Minimum property value for real estate investorsource
amount not yet confirmed (one or more properties, wholly owned)
Annual federal tax payment threshold for investorsource
amount not yet confirmed (investor's share of tax paid by the establishment)
Entrepreneur SME annual revenue (first condition)source
amount not yet confirmed
Entrepreneur project income from incubator/Ministry of Economy (alternative condition)source
amount not yet confirmed
Previous venture sale value for entrepreneursource
amount not yet confirmed (total for one or more ventures)
Residence permit fee (base, official)source
amount not yet confirmed (increases by amount not yet confirmed annually for residencies over 2 years; e.g., 10-year permit = amount not yet confirmed + 800 = amount not yet confirmed)
Knowledge Dirham and Innovation Dirham (official)source
amount not yet confirmed each
Fee inside the country (official)source
amount not yet confirmed
Delivery fee (official)source
amount not yet confirmed
Total cost for 10-year real estate investor visa via Dubai Land Department (official breakdown)source
amount not yet confirmed (Medical amount not yet confirmed, Emirates ID amount not yet confirmed, Residency confirmation amount not yet confirmed, DLD fees amount not yet confirmed, Admin fees amount not yet confirmed)
Step by step
Step 1source
Determine eligibility and gather documents (passport copy, financial reports, trade license, bank statements, tax receipts, property deeds, etc. as per category).
Step 2source
For entrepreneurs in Dubai, obtain nomination from Dubai Future Foundation or approval from an accredited business incubator/Ministry of Economy.
Step 3source
Apply through the smart services system (UAE Pass or username) on the ICP website or visit an Amer Service Center.
Step 4source
Fill in the application data, upload required documents, and pay the service fees.
Step 5source
For real estate investors in Dubai, submit the application via Dubai Land Department's e-service, including medical examination and Emirates ID processing.
Step 6source
Await approval (subject to evaluation by GDRFA or relevant authority) and receive the residence permit.
Common mistakes
Assuming nomination by an authority guarantees final approval, final approval is subject to evaluation by GDRFA after reviewing all conditions.
Using loaned capital for the public investment/company route (only real estate allows financing from approved local banks).
Not maintaining comprehensive health insurance for the investor and family throughout the visa validity.
Disposing of the property or withdrawing the financial deposit during the 10-year residency period, which can lead to visa cancellation.
Failing to provide proof of housing in Dubai for the financial deposit investor route.
Free zone specifics
For companies registered in free zones, a certificate from the free zone authority proving the company's capital and the investor's share is required, along with the certified financial report. gdrfad.gov.ae source
Questions the guide answers
How long is the Golden Visa valid?
5 or 10 years, depending on the category, and it is automatically renewable if conditions are still met. u.ae
Can I sponsor my family?
Yes, the Golden Visa allows you to sponsor your spouse and children. u.ae
Can I stay outside the UAE for more than 6 months?
Yes, Golden Visa holders are exempt from the rule that cancels residency after 6 months abroad. The visa is only void if it expires while you are outside the country. gdrfad.gov.ae
What happens if I sell my property during the 10-year visa?
The property may not be disposed of throughout the 10-year residency period; doing so can lead to visa cancellation. gdrfad.gov.ae
What the research does not settle
- No information on penalties for non-compliance or overstaying was found in the provided sources.
- Detailed fee breakdown for the entrepreneur route beyond the base GDRFA fees (e.g., medical, Emirates ID, administrative fees) is not available from the given sources.
- Processing times for investor routes via GDRFA (non-real estate) are not specified; only the DLD real estate timeline is given.
- Specific fees for Abu Dhabi (ADRO) Golden Visa applications are not detailed in the provided snippets.
- The exact annual increase mechanism for the residence permit fee (amount not yet confirmed per year over 2 years) is mentioned but not illustrated with a final 10-year total in the GDRFA source; the calculation is inferred.
Sources
Dubai Land Department - Golden Visa application - Investorhttps://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/request-for-golden-visa-investor/read 2026-10-20
Golden Residency Guide | Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Securityhttps://icp.gov.ae/en/services/uae-golden-residency/read 2026-10-20
Golden visa | The Official Platform of the UAE Governmenthttps://u.ae/en/information-and-services/visa-and-emirates-id/residence-visas/golden-visaread 2026-10-20
Issuing a golden residence permit (investors)https://www.gdrfad.gov.ae/en/services/8ea80da4-f43e-11eb-0320-0050569629e8read 2026-10-20
Issuing a golden residence permit (entrepreneurs)https://www.gdrfad.gov.ae/en/services/8ea80da7-f43e-11eb-0320-0050569629e8read 2026-10-20