UAE Golden Visa Guide: Who Qualifies and How It Works
The main Golden Visa routes for investors, entrepreneurs and professionals, what family members you can sponsor, and the separate option for retirees.
Last reviewed 24 September 2026 · Updated · 6 min read
In short
The UAE Golden Visa is a long-term, renewable residence visa that needs no local sponsor and stays valid however long you spend outside the UAE. Investors generally qualify with AED 2 million in property, a UAE company or a bank deposit, skilled professionals with a monthly salary of at least AED 30,000 and a bachelor's degree, and entrepreneurs through a qualifying start-up or the sale of earlier ventures. Holders can sponsor their spouse and children of any age, while retirees use a separate five-year retirement residence permit.
What is the Golden Visa?
The Golden Visa, known officially as Golden Residence, is a residence visa valid for 5 or 10 years depending on the category. It can be renewed while the conditions continue to be met. Its main advantages over a standard residence visa are:
- no need for an employer or other sponsor
- no maximum period outside the UAE to keep the visa valid, instead of the usual six-month limit
- sponsorship of a spouse and children regardless of their age, and of domestic workers without a limit on numbers
- the right of family members to remain in the UAE until their own permits expire if the holder dies
The main routes and their headline conditions are:
| Route | Headline condition | Permit |
|---|---|---|
| Investor: property | One or more properties worth at least AED 2 million in total | 10 years |
| Investor: company | A share of a UAE company's assets worth at least AED 2 million | 10 years |
| Investor: bank deposit | At least AED 2 million with an accredited UAE bank | 10 years |
| Investor: tax | At least AED 250,000 a year in tax, confirmed by the Federal Tax Authority | 10 years |
| Entrepreneur | A UAE small or medium enterprise with annual revenue of at least AED 1 million, an approved start-up, or earlier ventures sold for at least AED 7 million | 10 years |
| Skilled professional | A UAE job at MOHRE's first or second occupational level, a bachelor's degree and a monthly salary of at least AED 30,000 | 10 years |
| Retiree (not a Golden Visa) | Aged 55 or over with 15 years of work, plus a property, savings or income test | 5-year retirement residence permit |
The UAE Government portal's summary table still shows 5 years for property investors and entrepreneurs, so confirm the term with the issuing authority when you apply. Each route is explained below.
Who qualifies for a Golden Visa as an investor?
For property, the 2022 executive regulations allow homes bought with a loan from specific local banks, and off-plan property worth at least AED 2 million from approved developers. In Dubai, a mortgaged property needs a no-objection letter from the bank, and the Dubai Land Department states that the amount paid must be at least AED 2 million. GDRFA states that the property may not be sold while the residence is in force.
The 2022 executive regulations, ICP, GDRFA Dubai and the Dubai Land Department all describe a 10-year permit for property investors. The UAE Government portal's summary table still shows 5 years, so confirm the term with the issuing authority when you apply.
GDRFA Dubai lists four investor routes, each giving a 10-year permit that can be extended if the conditions are still met:
- Real estate: one or more properties worth at least AED 2 million in total. A share in a jointly owned property must itself be worth at least AED 2 million.
- Company investment: an investor or partner in a UAE company whose share of the company's assets is worth at least AED 2 million, supported by an audited financial report.
- Bank deposit: at least AED 2 million with an accredited UAE bank. GDRFA asks for a bank certificate showing it is frozen for at least two years, and also states that it may not be withdrawn during the residence period.
- Tax contribution: a partner in one or more businesses paying at least AED 250,000 a year in tax, confirmed by a letter from the Federal Tax Authority.
Who qualifies for a Golden Visa as an entrepreneur?
Under the executive regulations, an entrepreneur can qualify by owning, or being a partner in, a UAE-registered small or medium enterprise with annual revenue of at least AED 1 million. Approval of a start-up idea by an official business incubator, the Ministry of Economy and Tourism or the relevant local authority can also qualify, subject to each emirate's own conditions. A founder whose earlier ventures sold for a total of at least AED 7 million may qualify too.
In Dubai, entrepreneur applications are nominated by the Dubai Future Foundation, and GDRFA notes that nomination is not final approval. GDRFA describes a 10-year permit for this category, in line with the 2022 executive regulations, although the UAE Government portal's summary table still shows 5 years.
Who qualifies for a Golden Visa as a skilled professional?
Employed professionals have their own 10-year route. Scientists, exceptional talents, outstanding students, humanitarian pioneers and frontline heroes have separate routes, each with its own requirements such as recommendation letters.
The professional route is tied to the job. GDRFA states that the Golden Visa will be cancelled if the salary falls below AED 30,000 or the contract is cancelled. GDRFA also asks for health insurance, six months of salary statements and, for regulated professions, a valid practising licence. The main conditions for a skilled professional are:
- a valid UAE employment contract
- classification at the first or second occupational level by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE)
- at least a bachelor's degree or equivalent, recognised by the Ministry of Education
- a monthly salary of at least AED 30,000
What about retirees?
Retirees are not among the Golden Visa categories listed on the UAE Government portal. Instead, a retired foreign resident can apply for a five-year retirement residence permit, renewable on the same terms and without a sponsor.
GDRFA's conditions require the applicant to be at least 55 and to have at least 15 years of service before retirement, inside or outside the UAE. The financial tests refer to UAE property worth at least AED 1 million, a deposit of at least AED 1 million, or a fixed annual income of at least AED 240,000. The federal regulations treat property and a deposit as alternatives, although GDRFA Dubai and the UAE Government portal word them as if both are needed, so confirm the requirement with the issuing authority in your emirate. Our retirement visa guide explains the tests.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get a Golden Visa with a mortgaged property?
Yes, but the amount you have paid matters. The 2022 executive regulations allow property bought with a loan from specific local banks. In Dubai, the Land Department asks for a bank no-objection letter and states that at least AED 2 million must have been paid, so a mortgaged property worth AED 2 million may not qualify on its own.
Will my Golden Visa lapse if I live abroad for long periods?
No. The UAE Government states there is no maximum period outside the UAE to keep the Golden Visa valid. Standard residence visas are usually subject to a six-month limit.
Which family members can a Golden Visa holder sponsor?
A spouse, children regardless of their age, parents, and domestic workers without a limit on numbers. If the holder dies, family members can stay until their own permits expire.
Is there a Golden Visa for retirees?
Retirees are not listed as a Golden Visa category. Retired foreign nationals can apply for a five-year retirement residence permit, subject to property, savings or income conditions. The federal rules ask for at least 15 years of work or an age of 55, while Dubai asks for both. A retiree who also meets an investor route, such as AED 2 million in property, may qualify for a Golden Visa on that basis.
How Indigo Group can help
Indigo Group can help with UAE visa applications, including Golden Visas and investor visas, and the government liaison involved, through our Corporate Services team. Where a route depends on a company or investment holding, we can set up that structure alongside the application. Indigo Group's regulated entity, Indigo Financial Analysis and Consultancy LLC, is licensed by the UAE Capital Market Authority (CMA), licence no. 706042.
Read more about our Golden Visa, residence visa and corporate services in the UAE.
To talk this through, book a consultation or message us on WhatsApp.
Related guides
See all our guides on property structures, costs and tax in the UAE.
Sources
- Golden visa, The Official Platform of the UAE Government (u.ae)
- UAE Cabinet approves Executive Regulations of Federal Decree-Law on Entry and Residence of Foreigners, UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Issuing a golden residence permit (investors), GDRFA Dubai
- Issuing a golden residence permit (entrepreneurs), GDRFA Dubai
- Issuing Golden Residence Permit (Specialized Scientists and professionals), GDRFA Dubai
- Issuing a residence permit for the retired foreigner, GDRFA Dubai
- Golden Visa application: Investor, Dubai Land Department
- Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022 Issuing the Executive Regulations of Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 Concerning the Entry and Residence of Foreigners, UAE Legislations Platform
- Golden Residency Guide, Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP)
Last reviewed 24 September 2026. This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial, legal or tax advice. Rules change, so please speak to a qualified adviser about your circumstances.
