How to Get UAE Golden Visa? – A Simple Guide (2023)

The United Arab Emirates Long-Term Residence Visa is a new kind of immigration offered by the government of the United Arab Emirates. This is aimed at foreigners who are affluent or well-qualified.

The Golden Visa program allows non-UAE nationals to live, work, conduct business, and attend education in the UAE without the need for a local sponsor.

Additionally, foreign business owners and investors are permitted to own 100 percent of their own businesses in the UAE. These visas will be valid for either five or ten years and will be automatically renewed upon expiration.

The visa is granted to individuals who are highly talented in specialized professions or work in vital sectors. Individuals with exceptional talents like researchers and medical professionals, investors and entrepreneurs are all eligible for this visa.

Those who show academic excellence in high school and college are also eligible for this visa. This visa differs from a standard residence permit, which must be renewed every two or three years to be valid.

Ever since it was introduced in 2019, the UAE Golden Visa system has generated significant interest among ex-pats wishing to establish themselves as permanent residents in the UAE.

This article covers everything you need to know about the UAE Golden Visa, including current criteria, advantages, and application processes.

What is a UAE Golden Visa?

The United Arab Emirates citizenship-by-investment program is also known as the Golden Visa program. Golden Visas are often resident permits granted in exchange for investments in the host country’s economy.

Individuals with substantial assets are eligible to apply for the UAE Golden Visa, which offers them permanent residency in the nation. The objective is to maintain the skilled people in the nation where it belongs.

Golden Visa holders who choose to settle permanently in the United Arab Emirates or Dubai may anticipate receiving a variety of extra incentives from the government. There are several investment options available, and individuals, together with their family members, may apply for this program provided they meet all of the requirements.

What Does UAE Golden Visa Offer?

Under the Golden Visa program, those with extraordinary talents, such as researchers, medical specialists, and those working in the scientific and information industries, as well as excellent students, are able to apply for a long-term residence visa (five or 10 years).

The biggest advantage of obtaining this visa will be increased safety. By issuing the Golden Visa, the UAE government has made it quite clear that they are dedicated to providing expatriates, investors, and anybody else interested in making the UAE their home with an additional reason to feel secure about the future.

In addition, Masdar City Free Zone, which serves as a hub for the study and development of environmental concepts and technologies, is eligible for the golden visa.

The Dubai General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) has begun implementing the ‘You are Special’ service, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Golden Visa holders are predicted to benefit from the program.

Key Benefits of UAE Golden Visa:

Foreigners possessing a golden visa are permitted to reside, work, and study in the UAE, as well as own 100 percent of a business there. This is among the most important advantages of living in the UAE. The benefits of the Golden Visa scheme are as follows.

• A visa is valid for six months which allows numerous entries into the country, followed by the issuing of residence permits.
• A visa for a long-term stay that is renewable A visa sponsored by the applicant with a 10-year validity period.
• Freedom to leave the UAE for whatever length of time without fear of visa cancellation.
• Carrying financial responsibility for wives and children of any age within the immediate family.
• Having an infinite number of maids and housekeepers.
• If the principal holder of the Golden Visa passes away, family members may remain in the UAE until the conclusion of their visa duration.
• Residents have access to health care and insurance coverage. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is one of the most popular medical tourism destinations, according to the World Bank.
• Residents have the right but not the obligation to remain in the United Arab Emirates. Consequently, you are not required to remain in the nation permanently.
• Easier to Set up Your Company in UAE
• In Abu Dhabi, residents of the United Arab Emirates are eligible for discounts and deals on real estate, automobiles, healthcare, and leisure.
• Investors holding a Golden Visa are eligible for certain benefits offered by Abu Dhabi banks, such as lower mortgage fixed-interest rates and special savings account interest rates.

Eligibility Criteria for Golden Visa:

Investors must invest a minimum of AED 10 million in a public investment fund or company to qualify for the 10-year visa. Applicants may utilize any application format they like. Real estate must constitute at least 60% of the entire investment, no loans may be utilized to support the purchase, and the new asset must be owned outright.

The law also requires investors to have at least three years of financial experience. This visa can be extended for another ten years for company partners in exchange for a ten million UAE dirham investment per partner. In addition to their families and children, long-term visa holders may bring one executive director and one advisor.

The visa is not only available to business owners; individuals with unique abilities are also encouraged to apply. These persons are entitled to apply for a 10-year visa that will extend coverage to their families after establishing proficiency in their particular industries.

The 5-year visa costs a fixed fee of 5 million AED more than the 2-year visa. For investors, the terms of both visas are comparable.

International students who excel academically and are accepted to a university in the UAE are eligible for a five-year residency visa (UAE). Those who earned a 3.75 GPA or above at a qualifying college or university, as well as those who finished top or second in their high school’s national and/or state rankings.

Those from outside the UAE who want to start a business in the UAE can seek permanent residency after five years through the Golden Business Visa program.

Process for Getting UAE Golden Visa:

Similar to the rest of the immigration processes, the application for the UAE golden visa program requires a substantial number of documents and a high degree of attention to detail.

If you meet the minimum immigration standards as well as the golden visa program’s requirements, there is a good likelihood that you will be accepted into the program.

• Choose the heading that will serve as the home for your application (investor, exceptional student, skills, talents, and so on).
• Gather all of the essential application paperwork – You will be needed to give proof of your identification, provide information for background checks, provide evidence that you meet the immigration and golden visa criteria, etc. On the government’s website, you may get an exhaustive list of everything you need.
• To begin the application procedure, visit this link on the website of the United Arab Emirates government. 
• Ensure that your nomination for the program is submitted.
• Within the following thirty days, your request will be considered, and you will be notified by email of its acceptance or refusal.
• If your request is approved, you will be given a link to an application form that you may use to submit the necessary information and paperwork.
• The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, the immigration authority for the UAE, will review your application. They will decide whether or not to give you a long residency visa based on their findings.
• Upon acquiring the visa, you will be able to enter the United Arab Emirates.

UAE Golden Visa: Cost

The price of a UAE Golden Visa varies significantly based on the kind of service required and the visa category that is chosen. The Golden Visa costs between AED 2,800 and AED 3,400 for UAE applicants. AED 3,800 to AED 4,400 will be levied to applicants who submit their applications from outside of the UAE.

Validity of Golden Visa:

Those who have been awarded the UAE Golden Visa need not worry about losing their resident status regardless of how long they spend outside the UAE. Prior to this, they were only able to spend a total of six months outside the UAE before having their residency revoked. We have a detailed guide about how you can check your visa status to know if your visa is still valid or not.

Golden Visa holders may sponsor their immediate family members regardless of the ages of their relatives. Including their spouses and children. They are capable of financially supporting an unlimited array of support services (domestic help).

In addition, family members may remain in the United Arab Emirates following the death of the Golden Visa holder until their own residence visa expires.

Golden Visa Eligibility Requirements for 10 years

1. People with Special Talents

Either you need to have scientific research that has been published in a publication that is considered to be of the highest caliber, or you need to have a patent.

2. Doctors

In “honor of their efforts and sacrifices,” the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has decided to award long-term residence to medical professionals, who serve as the first line of defense. Between July 2021 and September 2022, the website will accept applications for the Golden Visa from any medical practitioners who have been granted a license by the UAE health regulatory organizations.

In each of their areas of practice, general practitioners and specialists are required to fulfill at least two prerequisites. A Doctor of Philosophy degree earned from one of the top 500 colleges in the world. Both a doctoral degree and ten years of relevant professional experience are required of applicants.

Honour is given to the candidate in recognition of their achievements in their chosen area of employment. A significant contribution to the advancement of scientific research.

Having your papers or scholarly books published in prestigious periodicals is a significant accomplishment. Membership in an organization that is relevant to the sector and expertise in areas that are priorities for the UAE are both desirable.

3. Professionals

This category has seen a significant expansion in order to attract highly skilled workers who have educational qualifications as well as professional experience in a variety of fields, such as healthcare, engineering and science, information and technology, business and administration, education, law, culture, and the social sciences.

Some of these fields include: The Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation uses a category system, and one of the requirements for candidates is that they have a current job contract in the UAE and that they are in the first or second occupational level.

As a minimum educational level, you need a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent, and the monthly income must not be lower than 30,000 AED.

4. Scientist

On the basis of the recommendations made by the Emirates Scientists Council, the United Arab Emirates will award the “Golden Visa” to any and all scientists and researchers who have shown a high level of expertise, accomplishments, and impact in their respective fields.

You are required to have a doctorate or master’s degree in a field related to engineering, technology, biological sciences, or natural sciences from one of the most prestigious educational institutions in the world. In addition to this, you should have a considerable body of published research.

Golden Visa Eligibility Requirements

1. Entrepreneurs

A Golden Visa may be available to entrepreneurs who own or are partners in a start-up registered in the UAE as a small and medium business. At least one million Emirati Dirhams (approximately $272,000) is the company’s yearly income.

If an official business incubator, the Ministry of Economy, or any other local authority has approved an entrepreneur’s start-up idea, they may also be eligible for a Golden Visa. Entrepreneurs may take advantage of this opportunity.

2. Students of distinction

Outstanding high school and university students can apply for a 5-year resident visa in the UAE. High school students (with a minimum grade of 95 percent) and university students (from selected universities) graduate with a GPA of 3.75 or above. Long-term visas are also available to the families of outstanding students.

2. Real estate investors

When acquiring a property for less than 2 million Emirati Dirhams (AED), investors in real estate may submit an application for a Golden Residence.

FAQs About UAE Golden Visa

Conclusion

The process of selecting the appropriate visa, compiling the necessary papers, and satisfying the requirements for a UAE Golden Visa may be complicated, thus it is recommended that you seek expert assistance.

The processing period for the UAE Golden Visa is around 48 hours after all of the required papers have been submitted. You will get an email notification of the result of your nomination application within the next thirty days if you apply for one.

If you want to learn more about how to set up a business in Dubai, we have a comprehensive guide for you. With an in-depth overview of the UAE’s business landscape, you should be well aware of how to set up a business in the country.