F.A.Q

The UAE launched the Golden Residency Program for ten years without a need for a guarantor in the country. The program includes talented individuals, researchers, outstanding students, doctors, specialists, innovators, athletes, entrepreneurs, investors in the economic and real estate sectors, and emerging companies. In addition, the program gives residency to these categories and their family members. Thus, it will create an attractive environment that allows talented individuals to work and settle to be part of the country's success story and its supremacy in creativity, research and development, health care, agriculture, financial services, and the startup sector.

• 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.

The Blue visa is a 10-year residence visa designed for individuals who have made an exceptional contribution towards the environment’s protection and sustainability, both inside and outside the UAE.This visa is given to supporters of environmental action, including members of international organisations, international companies, members of associations and non-governmental organisations, global award winners, and distinguished activists and researchers in environmental work. It is given to both, Emiratis and resident advocates of the environment.Sustainability advocates and experts interested in obtaining the UAE’s Blue visa can apply directly to Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, or through nomination by competent authorities in the UAE.

Green Residency in the United Arab Emirates

The Green Residency is a type of long-term residence permit launched by the UAE Government with the aim of attracting skilled professionals, talents, and qualified workers, and providing greater flexibility and stability for individuals wishing to work and reside in the country without the need for a sponsor. The Green Residency is granted for a period of 5 years, renewable, and includes specific categories such as skilled workers, freelancers, and investors or entrepreneurs, according to clear conditions related to qualifications, income, and experience.

The Green Residency offers extended benefits to its holder, such as sponsoring family members, facilitating residence procedures for dependents, and a flexible grace period of up to 6 months after the permit expires. This initiative is part of an integrated system to enhance the residency and work environment in the country, boosting its appeal to global talents and

Eligibility covers a range of different people.

1- Investors in Real Estate
Applicants must have at least AED 2 million worth of property in the UAE to apply. If the home is mortgaged, the letter must prove the payment of AED 2 million.Whether or not the property is built can be considered a good investment. Holding a property worth AED 1 million can allow those over 55 to get a 5-year visa. This is still among the main choices for acquiring a Golden Visa.

2- Public Investment & Owners of Business
You are eligible if you either invest AED 2 million in a public fund or own a company with AED 2 million in capital.Another way for entrepreneurs to qualify is by showing they hold shares worth AED 2 million. An alternative arrangement is open to businesses with annual taxes above AED 250,000, according to the Federal Tax Authority.

3- Entrepreneurs & Innovators
The project presented by an entrepreneur must be auditor-certified at AED 500,000 or get backing from UAE business incubators or emirate authorities for innovative businesses. Those who have started a company that sold for more than AED 7 million or who have annual revenues of AED 1 million or higher can apply.

4- Specialized Talents & Professionals
Among them are doctors, scientists, artists, inventors, athletes and executives. All subcategories require approval from UAE officials. Doctors must get clearance from the Ministry of Health,while inventors look for a recommendation from the Ministry of Economy. Executive directors should be paid at least AED 50,000 and have a bachelor's or higher degree along with 5 years of relevant experience.

5- Skilled Professionals
A professional working in AI, biotech, IT, or similar fields is eligible if the Ministry of Human Resources places them at level 1 or 2. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree and earn a monthly income greater than AED 30,000.This is part of the UAE's effort to contribute to high-quality science and technology.

6- Researchers & Academics
Any academic or researcher who produces knowledge in strategic sectors is invited. Registering successes that fit with the nation's main innovation priorities can help you obtain program benefits.Most career websites require you to show your research outcomes or academic achievements.

7- Spectacular Students & Graduates
The Ministry of Education recommends that outstanding UAE school students receive 5-year visas. Students of universities with a GPA of 3.8 or higher, as well as graduates from the top 100 global institutions (GPA: 3.5 or higher, within 2 years of graduation), may be eligible for 10-year visas.

8- Humanitarian Pioneers & Frontline Heroes
Those considered eligible have given five years of humanitarian help, won awards for this work, or provided AED 2 million or more for humanitarian causes.The government says the people who were on the front lines during a crisis like COVID-19 might also meet the eligibility requirements.

Golden Visa holders can take many benefits.

1- Long-Term Residency and Global Mobility
With the Golden Visa, you receive a 5- or 10-year residency that can be renewed as needed, so you won't have to renew it every year.People with this status may live more than half of the year outside Canada without risking their status, which is perfect for investors handling assets internationally.

2- Sponsorship isn't required
Unlike old UAE visas, the Golden Visa allows applicants to avoid finding a local sponsor. It will enable you to manage all your decisions in all areas of life and career.

3- Family Inclusion
Golden Visa holders can sponsor their spouse, children of any age (if unmarried), parents, and unlimited domestic workers.Those with a Golden Visa can also apply to sponsor parents, spouses, children who are not married at the time, and a limitless number of domestic workers.

4- Business Ownership and Expansion
Visa holders own 100% of businesses on the mainland and in free zones, meaning they need no local partner. Therefore, entrepreneurs who want to manage their businesses themselves can take advantage of this.

5- Favorable Tax Environment
As a result, people in the UAE do not have to pay taxes on their earnings, properties sold, or capital. In addition, with more than 130 double tax treaties, residents can enjoy great wealth security and tax avoidance.

6- Traveling with Ease & Strategic Flexibility
With a Golden Visa, you can travel abroad whenever you like while keeping your residency the same. You are welcome to book any duration, which often matters for business executives and international travelers.

7- Access to World-Class Infrastructure
Holders receive high-quality healthcare, popular international education, and readily accessible government help. They also have the right to get a UAE driver's license and an Easad Card for many savings.

1- Determine Eligibility: Your education and background should help you decide whether you qualify for the investor, professional, or student Golden Visa.

2- Prepare Documentation: Gather necessary documents (see below), including proof of investment, identity, housing, and health coverage.

3- Submit Application: You can submit your application through the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, and Port Security (ICP) or the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) portals.

4- Medical Examination: All expats must have a health check at a recognized center in the UAE before being allowed entry.

5- Biometric Verification: Biometric data is to be provided inside the UAE to check identity.

6- Approval and Visa Issuance: As soon as you get approval for your Golden Visa, it will be given to you electronically or at government service centers.

1- Application Fees
- Processing Fees: Processing fees amount to AED 2,800 to AED 4,500, and the whole process costs AED 9,684.75 for 10 years.
- Visa & ID Issuance: Getting a visa and Emirates ID in Dubai costs between AED 1,000 and AED 1,043. The Emirates ID itself costs AED 1,150 for 10 years.
- Family Sponsorship: You'll pay AED 3,000–5,000 for each sponsored family member, and each residence permit costs about AED 5,668.50.
- 5-Year Visa Fees: It costs AED 2,280 to obtain residency, AED 150 to apply, AED 500 to obtain the residency card, and AED 575 to get an Emirates ID.

2- Additional Costs
- Health Insurance: The cost of annual health insurance depends on several factors and can be as low as AED 800 or as high as AED 2,500.
- Medical Examination: Applicants should expect to pay between AED 800 and AED 1,000 for mandatory health checks.
- Legal and Documentation fees: The total time required to process translation, notarization, and document attestation can be AED 500 to AED 1,500+.
- Cancellation Fee: You need to pay around AED 500 to replace an existing visa.

3- Core Investment Requirements for UAE Golden Visa
- Real Estate Route: You need to invest a minimum of AED 2 million in one or more properties, and mortgaged assets should be proven to have been fully paid.
- Public funds or Business investments: You can also earn a visa if you put AED 2 million into an approved fund or an established business in the UAE.
- Entrepreneurs: Projects worth AED 500,000 or start-ups that earn no less than AED 1 million are eligible.
- Real Estate Registration Fee: When registering and transferring a property, the owner is required to pay roughly $21,800+ one time.

Note:
The costs shown are just illustrations and can change as new policies are introduced, government services are altered, providers are involved, or application details are revised. You should turn to official web resources or attorneys for the latest and accurate statistics on immigration.

The UAE keeps the Golden Visa strict to uphold the program's reputation and to ensure it goes only to the right holders. The main reasons applications are denied are mentioned below:

1. Incomplete or Incorrect Documentation
Many times, applications are turned away because the papers submitted are incomplete or have errors. This might occur when data is missing, unexpected forms are missing, or important documents like a medical report or rental contract are missing.

2. Ineligible Job Titles
Only specific sectors, such as AI, healthcare, and engineering, have professional categories available to them within the UAE's economic vision. Just because a job is general or unusual does not necessarily mean the applicant will be allowed, even if properly qualified, elsewhere.

3. Insufficient Experience
Experienced professionals and executives usually must show at least two continuous years of work in their field. Applications without work history are typically rejected.

4. Salary below Threshold
Among the Golden Visa categories, those for skilled professionals require employees to have a monthly wage of often AED 30,000 or more. Reaching this minimum income is necessary, or the application may still be rejected.

5. Unattested Academic Credentials
You must have both your degrees and certificates attested by the issuing country's government and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Not having your qualifications officially accepted will usually mean being denied the job.

6. Immigration or Visa Violations
Those who have previously stayed in the UAE beyond their visa, come in illegally, or broken immigration laws are not eligible for the program.

 7. Lack of Financial Stability:
Prospective passengers have to show that their finances remain constant; monthly income, positive bank balances, and a lack of major debts are important. Unknown or unclear financial data can make anyone uncertain about a company's ability to endure in the future.

8. Criminal Record or Security Concerns:
Minor crimes or misdemeanors can be enough to reject a visa application. Since the UAE conducts extensive security checks, those on the list are almost always stopped for reasons of national interest.

The visit visa requirements are
1.  Application form from Amer centres or through the GDRFA Dubai mobile application.
2.  One photo of the sponsored with white background.
3.  Valid colored passport copy of the sponsored.
4.  Sponsor`s original passport and Emirates ID card.
5.  Sponsor`s IBAN number.
6. Attested Relationship proof.
7. Attested tenancy contract.
8. Latest electricity and water Bill.
9. Arabic salary certificate for the government, semi government and free zone's employees.
10. Attested labour contract for private sector`s employees

There are four types of visit visa Type 

1: For short-term leisure visa single entry, which is 30 days from the date of entry and the Fees will be 505 AED.It could be extended twice (1st Extension would be 30 days & the 2nd extension would be 20 days).AED 810 are the extension fees for each extension + Amer Centers fees.

Type 2: For short-term leisure visa multiple entries, which is 30 days from the date of entry and not extendable, the Fees will be 805 AED.It could be extended twice (1st Extension would be 30 days & the 2nd extension would be 20 days).AED 810 are the extension fees for each extension + Amer Centers fees.

Type 3: For long-term leisure visa, single entry, which is 90 days from the date of entry and not extendable, The Fees will be 950 AED.It could be extended twice (1st Extension would be 30 days & the 2nd extension would be 20 days).AED 810 are the extension fees for each extension + Amer Centers fees.

Type 4: For long-term leisure visa multiple entries, which is 90 days from the date of entry and not extendable, the Fees will be 1855 AED.It could be extended twice (1st Extension would be 30 days & the 2nd extension would be 20 days).AED 810 are the extension fees for each extension + Amer Centers fees.

Please be informed that refundable deposit for first-degree relatives is 1020 AED and 2020 AED for second-degree family members.Please note that the overstaying fines are 100 AED per day plus 200 AED for an out pass.In case the overstaying is less than 30 days, you can pay either at DUBAI airports while exiting the country or at GDRFAD HQ. in case if it is more than 30 days, you can pay only at GDRFAD HQ.

Copyright: https://www.gdrfad.gov.ae/

The application must be submitted by a licensed tourism establishment

A bank balance of $4,000 is required for the multi-year visa
Health insurance and a travel ticket are required
Passport must be valid for at least 6 months

Permitted duration of stay:
30, 60, or 90 days
For the 5-year multiple-entry visa: stay must not exceed 90 days per visit, with a maximum of 180 days per year

The multiple entry 5-year tourist visa enables tourists to enter the UAE multiple times on self-sponsorship and remain in the country for 90 days on each visit, and can be extended for further 90 days. This type of tourist visa can be issued for all nationalities.

To obtain this visa, the applicant must have:

• a bank balance of 4,000 USD or its equivalent in foreign currencies during the last six months
• a valid health insurance policy applicable in the UAE, valid for 180 days
• a ticket to and from the UAE
• proof of stay (hotel/residential address) in the UAE.Documents required
  To apply for the multiple entry tourist visa, the applicant must provide the following:
• a colored photo
• a copy of the passport
• medical Insurance
• bank statement for the last 6 months with a balance 4,000 USD or its equivalent in foreign currencies
• tour programme
• a ticket for onward journey.

Read related news coverage on WAM.
 
Source: 
Family/group multiple entry long-term tourist visa - ICP 

You can check the progress of your Emirates ID application directly on the official ICP website. 

1. Go to the ICP Emirates ID Status page. 
https://icp.gov.ae/en/id-card-status/
2. Enter your application number (for new applicants) or Emirates ID number (for renewals or replacements).
3. Click “Check Status.”
4. Review your application details. The system will show your current stage, such as:

Application received
Under process
Card printing
Card ready for collection

You can also use the ICP mobile app, which provides the same functionality and sends push notifications when your ID status changes [1][2]. 

If you’re checking for family members or dependents, the ICP portal also allows you to manage multiple applications under one account, making it easy to monitor progress for everyone at once. 

Foreigners are granted a visit visa to search for a job without requiring a host/sponsor in the country, for one trip. You can apply for a job-seeker visa with a validity of either 60, 90 or 120 days. 

Eligibility for a jobseeker visa
To get a visit visa for the purpose of exploring job opportunities, the applicant must fulfil the following conditions:

1. He/she must be either:in the first, second or third skill level as per the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) professional levels of jobs,  
2. or a graduate from the best 500 universities in the world according to the classification approved by the Ministry of Education and must have graduated within the last 2 years.
3. He/she must hold a bachelor's degree or its equivalent.
4. He/she must fulfill the prescribed financial guarantee.

Read more in the Executive Regulation of Law No. 29 of 2021 on Entry and Residence of Foreigners (Arabic, PDF, 500 KB).Required documentsA coloured photoA copy of the applicant’s passportQualification certificate (attested)

Why I need the company? What we mean is that you need to clearly identify the purpose of the company. As there are various company types in the UAE it is rather important to decide on the main purpose you have. For example, you need a company for your trading operations abroad, for some services in the UAE or just for visa purposes. For these 3 cases, the solutions can be quite different in terms of company type, license, costs and time to register.
What I expect from the company? This is another common question to be answered. What you need is to decide what sort of additional features / expectations the company shall meet. For example, you need a company for foreign training operations with no office in the UAE, but expect to open such office in the UAE with personnel later. Such elements shall be built-in into the company structure preferably right at the beginning.
What are the bank requirements to be met? This is the very critical point to answer. The choice of the banking solution is very critical for further business operation. Thus you need to outline what main expectations you have and how such expectations can be synced with the available services of the banks in the UAE.
What type of company I need? This question is directly linked with points one and two in the present review. The type of corporate entity you need is directly linked with the activity you plan to execute over the company and the additional features it shall have.
How many visas I need – if any? The next top question which is if the true priority: Do you need now or may need later a residency visa in the UAE for you, your family or your employees. This defines the company type as there is a type of a company which does not provide the option for residence visa, and there is another type which offers such option. Whereby these two company types cannot be converted from one to the other thus the right type is to be chosen right at the beginning.
Which Emirate to choose? As you are aware there are 7 emirates in the UAE. And each one has its free zones. Thus the logical question arises – which emirates to choose. The key to the right answer to this question is putting together: company activity + requirements on company location + requirements on facilities + costs. Each emirate has some certain specifics and particulars. Putting the clear points on the elements above gives the option of identifying a couple of options and deciding which one is preferable for you.
How many times do I need to visit UAE to get my company ready? The answer to this question depends on a number of factors. First, it depends on the type of the company you choose. Some may require just one visit, some – may require 2 or more visits. Second element is the bank account and residency visa. If you need one or both options – you would need to come for it 2 to 3 times for each main issue. So in total, if you do it yourself, you may need to come 3 to 5 times, or maybe even more. If you do it over a consulting company – such company does most of the points on your behalf thus you need to come to UAE one time for company and account, and if you need residency visa – an additional visit is required. Thus you would need to come maximum 2 times.

How shall I register – myself or over consultant? The answer to this point is simple – you want to save some consulting fee and are ok to spend more time in the UAE and come to UAE a number of times - make it yourself. You want to save your time, energy and travel costs – make it over a consulting company.
What I shall be aware of? The answer to this question is simple – jut make sure you choose the right company type and have all the info on it. UAE is the very stable and secure country with good regulatory environment. Thus, when you know what you need, you are totally safe.
Which risks I may have? From the risks which we are aware the risks are typically associated with non-professional solutions offered to clients. In our praxis, we faced, for example, the cases when people got their “investor” visas over the companies which do not belong to them, and then such companies were closed, and people with such visas got into certain difficulties in the UAE. There were other cases which were resulted by non-reliable service providers. Thus, to answer to the last of our top 10 questions 

Note: if you do your company registration over a trusted company, there are no risks of whatever nature.

The main difference is market access & ownership:
Mainland companies (licensed by DET) can trade freely across the UAE and globally, often requiring a local partner (51%) but allowing 100% foreign ownership in some cases now, while Free Zones (regulated by FZA) offer 100% foreign ownership, tax exemptions, and easier setup but are limited to trading within their zone or internationally, needing an agent for direct UAE mainland sales, with both now subject to 9% corporate tax above thresholds but Free Zones often retaining 0% on qualifying income.  

Here's a breakdown of key distinctions:

Mainland Companies

Market: Full access to UAE local market and international.
Ownership: Traditionally needed a local partner (51%), but new laws allow 100% foreign ownership for many activities. 
Regulation: Department of Economic Development (
DED)/DET.Office: Physical office is generally required.Visas: Unlimited visas, tied to office size.


Free Zone Companies
 
Market: Primarily trade within the zone or internationally; need local distributor/agent for direct UAE sales.Ownership: 100% foreign ownership.
Regulation: Free Zone Authority (FZA).Office: Can have physical or virtual offices.
Visas: Limited, based on office/package.
Taxation (Post-2023 Corporate Tax Law)
Mainland: 9% corporate tax on profits over AED 375,000.
Free Zone: Can achieve 0% on "Qualifying Income" if conditions met; 9% on other income. 

When to Choose Which

Choose Mainland for: Direct access to UAE consumers, larger scale operations, diverse activities. 
Choose Free Zone for: 100% ownership, tax benefits (if qualifying), easier setup, international trade focus.