The UAE Golden Visa program provides foreign investors, entrepreneurs, and outstanding professionals with the opportunity to obtain residency status in the UAE for 5 or 10 years based on specific investments or achievements. The program was launched in 2019 with the aim of attracting investments, highly skilled professionals, and entrepreneurs from around the world to stimulate the economic development of the country.
The following categories of individuals may receive the UAE Golden Visa:
- Investors contributing funds to the UAE economy;
- Individuals with a deposit of at least AED 2,000,000 invested for a period of at least two years in one of the UAE banks participating in the Golden Visa program;
- Companies' shareholders who have contributed a share capital of at least AED 2,000,000;
- Individuals holding ownership of one or more real estate properties with a total value of at least AED 2,000,000;
- Individuals annually paying taxes to the UAE government budget in the amount of at least AED 250,000;
- The individuals listed above may receive a ten-year Golden Visa.
- Outstanding specialized talents:
- Doctors, scientists, athletes, creative artists, inventors, executives, specialists in scientific fields, top managers and doctoral degree holders who demonstrate outstanding achievements and have recommendations from relevant regulatory authorities;
- The individuals listed above may receive a ten-year Golden Visa.
- Entrepreneurs:
- Founders of an economic project focused on technical innovations, assessed by an auditor for at least AED 500,000 and accredited by UAE business incubator;
- The individuals listed above may receive a five-year Golden Visa.
- Outstanding Students:
- The top students of public high schools or private secondary schools with a minimum grade of 95%;
- Outstanding students of universities approved by the UAE Ministry of Education as Class A and B universities, with GPAs of 3.5 and 3.8 respectively, who completed their studies no more than two years ago;
- Outstanding students of foreign universities from the world's top 100 universities with a GPA of at least 3.5, who completed their studies no more than two years ago;
- The individuals listed above may receive a ten-year Golden Visa.
- Pioneers of humanitarian work;
- Outstanding employees who have worked in international and regional organizations for a minimum of five years;
- Outstanding employees who have worked for civil associations and institutions of public interest for a minimum of five years;
- Individuals who have received an appreciation award from a local, regional or international organisation that focuses on humanitarian work;
- Funders of humanitarian projects providing financing of no less than AED 2,000,000;
- The individuals listed above may receive a ten-year Golden Visa.
- Frontline heroes:
- Nurses, medical assistants, lab technicians, pharmacologists and other specialists approved by the Frontline Heroes Office who have demonstrated extraordinary efforts in crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic;
- The individuals listed above may receive a ten-year Golden Visa.