UAE golden visa: who qualifies, what it costs and when a PRO helps

The UAE golden visa is a long-term residence, granted for 10 years according to ICP, that needs no employer or sponsor. It is open to investors (AED 2 million in property, a deposit or a company), entrepreneurs, skilled professionals earning at least AED 30,000 a month, scientists and specialists, exceptional talents, top students and humanitarian pioneers.

Those are the official categories as of November 2026, according to the ICP Golden Residency Guide and the UAE government portal. In Dubai, applications go through GDRFA Dubai; elsewhere, through ICP or, in Abu Dhabi, TAMM.

This is a regulated topic, so this guide sticks to what the authorities publish. It covers each category, the length of the visa, family sponsorship, where and how to apply, the government fees, and what a PRO company can honestly do for you. Nobody outside the government decides your file, and nobody can promise you approval.

The investor route is the one most people ask about. The ICP Golden Residency Guide and GDRFA Dubai set these conditions as of November 2026.

Real estate investors

• One or more properties in the UAE with a total value of at least AED 2,000,000, registered in your name.
• A property bought with a loan can count, if the loan is from an approved local bank.
• Off-plan units count if the total is at least AED 2,000,000 and they were bought from an approved local developer.
• In Dubai, the value is certified by a Dubai Land Department property status certificate. If you own a share in a jointly owned property, your share alone must be worth at least AED 2,000,000.
• GDRFA Dubai places a lien on the property so that you keep it for the life of the residence. Dubai real estate applications are submitted through the accredited centres listed on the GDRFA page.

Public investment investors (any one of these)

• A deposit of at least AED 2,000,000 with an investment fund or a national bank in the UAE. GDRFA Dubai asks for a bank certificate showing the deposit is frozen, and says it cannot be withdrawn during the residence.
• A company in the UAE with capital of at least AED 2,000,000, or a partner's share worth at least that.
• A company that pays at least AED 250,000 a year in federal taxes, or a partner whose share of the tax paid reaches that figure. GDRFA Dubai asks for a letter from the Federal Tax Authority.

The capital must be your own, not borrowed, and you must show where it came from. You and your family also need valid health insurance. If you run a company, keeping your tax filings clean helps here, and our guide to VAT registration and returns explains the basics.

Skilled professionals. According to the ICP Golden Residency Guide, as of November 2026 you need:

• a job at occupational level 1 or 2 in the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation classification (level 1 covers chairpersons and chief executives, level 2 covers specialists)
• a valid UAE work permit under an approved employment contract
• at least a bachelor's degree or equivalent
• a monthly salary of at least AED 30,000
• health insurance for you and your family

Entrepreneurs. ICP lists three routes: owning or being a partner in a UAE-registered small or medium enterprise in an approved field with annual revenue of at least AED 1,000,000; getting your project idea approved by an accredited business incubator, the Ministry of Economy or a relevant authority; or having founded ventures that were sold for a total of at least AED 7,000,000. In Dubai, GDRFA Dubai asks for a nomination letter from the Dubai Future Foundation.

Scientists and specialists. Scientists, senior scholars, and leading specialists in industry, healthcare and education qualify on a recommendation from the relevant authority, such as the Emirates Scientists Council or the Ministry of Health and Prevention. In Abu Dhabi, the Abu Dhabi Residents Office explains which of these go through TAMM.

Exceptional talents. Culture and the arts, inventors, athletes, digital technology and other fields named by the authorities. Creatives apply for a recommendation from the Ministry of Culture.

Outstanding students. UAE secondary school students with at least 95 percent; graduates of UAE universities with a GPA of at least 3.5 (Category A university) or 3.8 (Category B); and graduates of the world's top 100 universities with a GPA of at least 3.5. Graduates must apply within two years of graduating.

Humanitarian pioneers. At least five years with an international, regional or non-profit organisation, award winners, outstanding volunteers, or financial supporters of humanitarian work with contributions of at least AED 2,000,000.

Length. The ICP Golden Residency Guide, updated in September 2026, lists a 10-year residence for every category, renewable if you still meet the conditions. The summary table on the UAE government portal still shows 5 years for some routes, such as real estate, entrepreneurs and secondary school students. GDRFA Dubai's own service pages for investors and entrepreneurs say 10 years. Your permit states your actual term, so check it, and use ICP's eligibility checker before you apply.

Family. According to ICP, a golden visa holder can sponsor:

• a spouse
• children, regardless of age
• parents
• domestic workers, under the usual rules

If the golden visa holder dies, the family members they sponsored can stay in the UAE until their own residence permits expire.

Time outside the UAE. Ordinary residence visas lapse after a long stay abroad. GDRFA Dubai says golden residence holders are exempt from the 180-day rule, and the permit is only void if it expires while you are outside the country.

Keeping it. GDRFA Dubai says you must be able to support yourself and your family without government support, and the authority can check that you still meet the conditions. An investor who sells the qualifying property or withdraws the deposit can lose the basis for the visa.

Where you apply depends on the emirate where you live or where your investment sits.

• Dubai: GDRFA Dubai, online through its smart services with UAE Pass, or in person at an Amer centre. Dubai real estate applications go through the accredited centres named on the GDRFA page.
• Other emirates: ICP's smart services website.
• Abu Dhabi: through TAMM, with guidance from the Abu Dhabi Residents Office.

The usual sequence:

1. Check your eligibility with the ICP eligibility checker, linked from the UAE government portal.
2. Get the nomination or recommendation your category needs, for example a Dubai Land Department property certificate, a Dubai Future Foundation letter, an FTA tax letter, or a ministry recommendation.
3. Gather documents: passport, photo, current visa or Emirates ID if you have one, proof of the qualifying asset, salary or degree, and health insurance for you and your family. Degrees usually need attestation.
4. Submit and pay the fees online or at the centre.
5. Complete the medical fitness test and Emirates ID biometrics, then receive the residence and Emirates ID.

If you are outside the UAE, ICP grants eligible applicants a six-month multiple-entry visa, renewable once for another six months, to finish the process. GDRFA Dubai lists an expected completion time of five days for its investor and entrepreneur services once the file is complete.

There is no single price, because the total depends on your category, your emirate, family members and extra services. Government fees are set by the authority and change from time to time.

As of November 2026, GDRFA Dubai publishes these fees for issuing a golden residence permit for investors (the entrepreneurs page shows the same):

• residence permit fee: AED 1,100
• Knowledge Dirham: AED 10, and Innovation Dirham: AED 10
• a fee of AED 500 listed as "fee inside the country"
• delivery: AED 20

The same pages note that the issuance fee increases by AED 100 for each year when the residence is longer than two years. The amount shown on the payment screen is the one to trust.

On top of that, expect separate costs for:

• the medical fitness test and the Emirates ID
• health insurance for you and each family member, which is a condition of the visa
• category paperwork, such as a Dubai Land Department property certificate, degree attestation or a property valuation
• each family member's own residence permit and Emirates ID
• a PRO or typing centre service fee, if you use one

Ask any agent for a written quote that lists government fees separately from their own service fee. Government fees should come with the official receipt. Our PRO services price guide shows typical service fees for visa work.

Many people apply on their own, and for a simple case that is fine. A PRO earns their fee when the paperwork is heavy or you are short of time. To see what the job normally covers, read what a PRO service actually does.

A good PRO can:

• check which category fits you before you spend money on documents
• organise attestation, translation, the property certificate or the tax letter
• prepare and submit the application, book the medical test and Emirates ID, and follow up
• handle the family visas and keep track of renewal dates

A PRO cannot change the conditions, speed up a decision the authority has not made, or approve anything. For simple form filling, a typing centre may be enough.

Red flags:

• "Guaranteed approval" or "100 percent golden visa"
• selling a "nomination" or "recommendation" as a product, or offering one for a category you plainly do not meet
• asking for your UAE Pass password or one-time codes
• a lump sum with no split between government fees and service fee, or government fees paid without official receipts
• pressure to buy a specific property "for the visa" through the same person

Before you pay, verify the company's trade licence and get the scope and the price in writing.

You can compare licence-checked PRO companies in Dubai, or across the UAE on our PRO services page, and request quotes from a few.