Visa · 10-Year Residence
UAE Golden Visa for Business Owners & Investors
Long term, self sponsored residency, for you and your family.
The Golden Visa is a 5 or 10 year, renewable, self sponsored residence visa that lets you sponsor your spouse, children and parents. Business owners, property investors and skilled professionals can all qualify under different routes.
What's involved
Property investors
Own UAE property worth ≥ AED 2 million (ready or off plan from approved developers; mortgaged property can qualify).
Entrepreneurs
Own or found a project (commonly ~AED 500,000) with approval from an accredited incubator or authority.
Skilled professionals
Basic salary ≥ AED 30,000/month, a degree and an eligible occupation.
Family sponsorship
Sponsor spouse, children and parents, the whole family on long term residency.
Which route do you actually qualify under?
The Golden Visa is not one scheme, it is several with different thresholds, different evidence and different issuing authorities. Most founders qualify under more than one and pick badly because they compare only the visa term. The table below is the practical shortlist.
| Route | Core threshold | Term | What decides it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property investor | UAE property from AED 2 million | 10 years | Title deed value; off plan from approved developers and mortgaged property can count once paid equity reaches the threshold |
| Entrepreneur | Project commonly cited from AED 500,000 | 5 or 10 years | Approval from an accredited incubator or the relevant authority, not just company ownership |
| Skilled professional | Basic salary from AED 30,000 per month | 10 years | Employment contract, degree, and an occupation on the eligible list |
| Specialised talent | Nomination-based | 10 years | Field-specific: science, medicine, culture, sport and similar, assessed case by case |
Thresholds and categories have been expanded repeatedly and several routes moved to nomination. Confirm current criteria with ICP or the relevant emirate authority before relying on any figure here.
Why founders usually take an investor visa first
- The Emirates ID is the bottleneck, not the visa term
- Banking, telecoms and tenancy all need an Emirates ID. An investor visa through your own company delivers one in weeks. Golden Visa nomination and approval routes take longer, so most founders take the investor visa to get operational, apply for the Golden Visa in parallel, and switch once approved.
- Self-sponsorship is the real prize
- An investor visa is tied to the company. Close or restructure the entity and the visa goes with it, and your family's status follows yours. The Golden Visa is self sponsored, which removes that dependency entirely.
- Residency is not tax residency
- Holding a Golden Visa does not by itself make you UAE tax resident, and it does not end tax residency in your home country. Those are separate tests with their own day-count and ties rules. Take advice in both jurisdictions before relying on a visa for a tax position.
- Budget for the family, not just yourself
- Sponsoring spouse, children or parents means attested marriage and birth certificates, legal translation, medical insurance per person and a residential tenancy contract. Start attestation before you move; doing it remotely afterwards adds weeks.
Frequently asked
01Can my business qualify me for a Golden Visa?＋
Yes, entrepreneurs with an accredited project (commonly ~AED 500,000), property investors (≥ AED 2m) and high earning skilled professionals can qualify. Categories keep expanding; confirm current criteria with ICP.
02How long is the Golden Visa valid?＋
It's a 5 or 10 year, renewable residence visa, and it's self sponsored, not tied to an employer.
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