What is the UAE Golden Visa?

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Golden Visa is a 10-year employment and study permit for exceptionally talented foreign nationals. Investors and those with outstanding skills are among the few groups given priority under this renewable golden residence programme.

The United Arab Emirates Golden Visa programme provides its holders with a number of advantages, such as the right to live and work in the country, access to high-quality education and healthcare, and the option to sponsor family members for residence visas, all in an effort to attract foreign investment and expertise. The Golden Visa is valid for 10 years, after which time it must be renewed.

The advantages of a Golden Visa in the UAE

The United Arab Emirates Golden Visa programme has several advantages.

• six-month multiple-entry visas for visitors followed by permanent resident cards
• A 10-year visa for permanent residency that may be renewed
• self-sponsored Visa
• sponsorship of spouses and children of any age, regardless of the visa holder’s age, sponsorship of parents for a 10-year residence with no extra payments required, and the right to remain outside the UAE for any length of time without having the Visa revoked
• supporting an infinite number of au pairs and other household workers
• If the primary Golden Visa holder dies away, his or her dependents may remain in the UAE until the end of the permit’s validity period.

For further assistance, each of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has its own Golden Visa privileges.

Dubai

Officials have announced that foreign nationals living in Dubai who have a “golden visa” and a valid driver’s licence from their home country are eligible to take a driver’s test in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) without first doing driver education.

Driver’s licences from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Italy, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, New Zealand, Qatar, Kuwait, and Ireland are among the 32 nations recognized by the United Arab Emirates as valid for obtaining a UAE driver’s licence.

The Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has announced that the best international students and their families will be eligible for a Golden Visa that would allow them to live in the emirate for ten years. 

Abu Dhabi

In Abu Dhabi, anyone with a Golden Visa may take advantage of deals and discounts on things like vehicles, real estate, medical care, lodging, insurance, and banking. The incentives are provided via a collaboration between the Resident’s office and businesses from various sectors.

In accordance with the Abu Dhabi Residents Office’s business relationships, Abu Dhabi golden visa holders will be eligible for discounts on chosen homes from developer Imkan Properties.

Golden visa investors in real estate will be able to take advantage of lower mortgage fixed-interest rates from banks like Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and First Abu Dhabi Bank, while investors in other asset classes will be able to take advantage of attractive savings account rates.

To top it all off, cardholders will be eligible for discounts on yearly family and individual health insurance plans that provide extensive benefits and a wide range of providers in the United Arab Emirates and throughout the world.

In addition to preferential booking for new releases and discounted automobile prices, those with golden visas will also be offered convenient payment plans, special maintenance deals, and streamlined licencing procedures.

Users will be eligible for discounts at a variety of restaurants, spas, fitness centres, and hotels.

Eligibility for the Golden Visa in the UAE

The requirements for the United Arab Emirates Golden Visa have recently been loosened. Senior academics and clerics, top professionals in business and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, specialists in the health areas, and specialists in education are just some of the recent recruits to Abu Dhabi.

This new information confirms the following people may now apply for a Golden Visa in the United Arab Emirates:

For Real Estate investors

Investors in real estate who meet one of the following requirements are eligible to apply for the Golden Visa: 

1) purchase a property with a value of at least AED 2 million; 

2) obtain a loan to finance the purchase of a property from one of a list of approved local banks; or 

3) purchase one or more completed or off plan properties in Dubai with a value of at least AED 2 million from a list of approved local real estate companies.

Property owners in the UAE now have 180 days before their residency visa expires or is cancelled. 

For entrepreneurs and startup owners

If an investor in a UAE-based startup can show that their firm generates at least AED 1 million in yearly sales, they will be eligible for a Golden Visa. In addition, the Golden Residence for Entrepreneurs can be obtained if the applicant meets the following criteria: 

 and 

(a) the project or idea has been approved by the Ministry of Economy or the competent local authorities.

(b) he or she is a founder or co-founder of a previous entrepreneurial project that was sold for a total of not less than AED 7 million (USD 19,05,850),

For scientists

• Scientists and researchers who satisfy the following requirements will now be eligible for the Golden Visa programme:
• Have advanced degrees in engineering, technology, life sciences, or the natural sciences from one of the top institutions in the globe.
• Obtaining this Visa requires a recommendation from the Emirates Scientific Council.

For skilled professionals

The qualifying requirements for the Golden Visa for talented professionals have been greatly broadened and now include a wide range of occupations in every subject imaginable, from teaching to law to engineering to IT to the social sciences and beyond.

• A legitimate job contract in the UAE is required for skilled professionals to be eligible for the Golden Visa programme.
• The Ministry of Human Resources Emiratisation specifies that the position is at either Occupational Level 1 or Occupational Level 2.
• The starting wage must be at least AED 30,000 per month.
• The qualified individual is expected to have a bachelor’s degree.

It should be noted that skilled professionals are given an additional six months to complete their residency requirements.

For students.

The 10-year Visa and the Golden Visa programme are also available to students who have excelled academically in secondary schools or colleges in the United Arab Emirates.

Additionally, the Golden Visa programme is open to brilliant individuals who have attended one of the top 100 colleges in the globe. These include grade point average, graduation year, and major/class standing at the college or institution.

Please be aware that the six-month grace period only applies to students who have graduated.

For humanitarian pioneers.

The “Golden visa” is available to humanitarian pioneers like the ones listed below.

Volunteers and financial backers who have made significant contributions to humanitarian causes are also recognized, as are members of prestigious worldwide and regional organizations who have received prizes for their work.

For doctors and nurses.

In “honour of their efforts and sacrifices,” the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has begun awarding permanent residence to medical professionals who serve as the first line of defence.

Recently, the UAE expanded eligibility for the coveted Golden Visa programme to include nurses and medical professionals, the unsung heroes in the battle against COVID-19. All around the Emirates, seven centres have been set up to assist medical professionals who seek to apply for visas directly with the Federal Authority for Identification and Citizenship.