UAE Golden Visa

The UAE Golden Visa is a 10-year, self-sponsored residence permit. Octavon checks which category you fit, builds the file and takes it through GDRFA Dubai or ICP, depending on where you live and where your property or business is.

Description

The UAE Golden Visa is a long-term residence permit created by Cabinet Resolution 56 of 2018 and its later amendments. It is a federal visa, so the categories and core requirements are the same in every emirate. What changes is who processes it: residents of Dubai, and investors using Dubai property, apply through GDRFA Dubai (General Directorate of Identity and Foreigners Affairs); residents of Ajman and the other northern emirates apply through ICP, the federal immigration authority. So a golden visa in Dubai and a Golden Visa issued in Ajman are the same visa, with a different authority and a different property office.

UAE Golden Visa benefits. Under current ICP and GDRFA Dubai rules the visa is issued for 10 years and can be renewed while you still meet your category's conditions. You don't need an employer or other sponsor. You can sponsor your spouse and children regardless of their age, your parents, and domestic workers. You can stay outside the UAE for longer than the usual six months: GDRFA Dubai says the permit is void only if it expires while you are abroad. Every category requires valid UAE health insurance for you and your family, and GDRFA Dubai adds that you must be able to support yourself and your family without government support.

Golden Visa requirements by category. Real estate investors need property worth at least AED 2,000,000 in total, in their own name; one or more properties can be combined, and a mortgaged property counts with a no-objection letter from the bank. Public investors need AED 2,000,000 deposited in a UAE bank or investment fund, or a company share of AED 2,000,000, or a company that pays at least AED 250,000 a year in federal tax. Entrepreneurs need a UAE project with annual revenue of at least AED 1,000,000, an idea approved by an accredited incubator or the Ministry of Economy, or past ventures sold for at least AED 7,000,000; in Dubai the nomination comes from Dubai Future Foundation. Specialised professionals need a bachelor's degree, a valid UAE work permit in MOHRE skill level 1 or 2, and a salary of at least AED 30,000 a month. Scientists, doctors, educators, people in culture and the arts, athletes, inventors and digital talent apply with a nomination letter from the relevant ministry or authority. Outstanding students and graduates, humanitarian pioneers and frontline workers have their own routes. Holding cryptocurrency does not qualify; ICP confirmed this in July 2025.

The UAE Golden Visa salary requirement is the one people ask about most. GDRFA Dubai's specialist route asks for a monthly salary of at least AED 30,000 (or the foreign-currency equivalent), a valid employment contract and work permit, six months of salary bank statements and an attested bachelor's degree. If your salary later drops below AED 30,000 or your contract ends, the permit can be cancelled. If you don't have a UAE work permit yet, you need a Dubai employment visa or an Ajman employment visa first.

Dubai Golden Visa through property. For Dubai property the application goes through the Dubai Land Department (DLD). DLD's Golden Visa service centres check ownership and value, take the medical test on site and issue the residence by email; DLD can issue the family and parents' permits for 10 years at the same time. You must be in the UAE and attend in person, as DLD does not accept representatives for this service. GDRFA Dubai accepts value evidence from a DLD property status statement or a valuation by a DLD-licensed valuer, and the property must stay in your name for the life of the permit. Since early 2026 there is no longer a minimum amount you must have paid up front; the total value is what counts. Off-plan property can qualify under ICP rules, but in Dubai DLD decides case by case.

Other Dubai routes. Dubai also runs nomination routes that only Dubai bodies can open: private-school and university educators nominated by their institution through KHDA (usually in a yearly window from mid-October to mid-December), long-serving Dubai Health nurses, content creators through Creators HQ, gaming professionals through Dubai Culture, and waqf donors through Awqaf Dubai. You cannot apply for these through Ajman or through Octavon directly; the nominating body starts the process.

Ajman and the northern emirates. Outside Dubai, ICP processes the application. For property in Ajman, the Ajman Department of Land and Real Estate Regulation (DLRER) issues the ownership and valuation letter that ICP asks for, and Ajman Law No. 1 of 2025 lets registered joint real estate contributions count toward the AED 2,000,000. Business owners in Ajman often hold an Ajman Free Zone investor visa; once approved, the Golden Visa replaces that permit while the company licence stays as it is.

How to get a Golden Visa in the UAE with Octavon. We first tell you honestly which category you fit, or that you don't fit one yet, before you spend money on valuations and attestations. We then collect and attest documents, arrange legal translations, obtain the DLD or DLRER property evidence or the authority's nomination, submit through GDRFA Dubai, the DLD centres or ICP Smart Services, and answer the authority's queries. After approval we book the medical test and Emirates ID biometrics. There is no passport sticker; your residence is linked to your Emirates ID. If you don't qualify yet, a standard Dubai investor visa may be the right step for now.

Golden Visa UAE price: what the cost is made of. The total depends on your category and emirate. It is made up of the residence permit fee, the entry permit or in-country status change, the medical test and Emirates ID, health insurance, property evidence (a DLD property statement or valuation, or the DLRER letter in Ajman), attestation and translation of foreign documents, any nomination or approval fees, the same items again for each family member, and our service fee. Message us on WhatsApp or live chat for a written quote for your case.

Approval is the decision of GDRFA Dubai or ICP. The authorities' own service steps are short once a file is complete (GDRFA lists about 5 working days for investors, DLD 7 to 10 business days for property applicants); the time that varies is before submission. After approval, our PRO services package can handle family visas, renewals and status changes.

What's Included

Eligibility check against the current ICP and GDRFA Dubai category lists, with a clear yes or no and the category to use
Document checklist specific to your category and emirate
Attestation and legal translation of foreign documents
Dubai property: preparation for the DLD Golden Visa centre (title deed, bank NOC, property status statement or DLD-licensed valuation)
Ajman property: liaison with DLRER for the ownership and valuation letter
Nomination routes: liaison with the ministry, incubator or nominating authority where the route accepts direct applications
Application on GDRFA Dubai or ICP Smart Services, and tracking
Responses to the authority's requests for more documents
Entry permit or status change, medical test and Emirates ID biometrics booking
Cancellation of your existing residence permit where required
Family and domestic-worker sponsorship after approval (quoted separately)

Requirements / Prerequisites

You meet one Golden Visa category in full; partial matches do not qualify
Valid UAE health insurance for you and any family members you will sponsor
Property route: AED 2,000,000 or more in total, registered in your name (with DLD in Dubai or DLRER in Ajman); any mortgage with a bank no-objection letter
Public investor route: deposit or capital fully owned by you, not borrowed, kept in place for the permit period, with proof of source
Professional route: valid UAE work permit in MOHRE skill level 1 or 2, salary of AED 30,000 or more a month, bachelor's degree
Dubai property applicants must be in the UAE and attend the DLD centre in person
Passport valid for at least six months

Required Documents

Passport copy and recent photo (white background)
Current UAE residence permit and Emirates ID, if you live in the UAE
Health insurance valid in the UAE for you and each family member
Property route (Dubai): title deed or e-title, bank no-objection letter showing amount paid and balance if mortgaged, DLD property status statement or DLD-licensed valuation
Property route (Ajman): title deed or off-plan agreement, DLRER ownership and valuation letter, bank NOC if mortgaged
Public investor route: bank or fund deposit certificate, or company licence with partners' appendix and an audited financial report showing the AED 2,000,000 share, or an FTA letter confirming AED 250,000+ annual tax; proof of source of funds
Entrepreneur route: nomination or approval letter (Dubai Future Foundation in Dubai), trade licence and revenue evidence
Professional route: employment contract or salary certificate, six months of salary bank statements, attested bachelor's degree, professional licence if the job needs one
Talent and specialist routes: nomination letter from the relevant ministry or authority, portfolio of achievements
Family: attested marriage and birth certificates; for parents, a dependency certificate from the consulate
Legal translations of documents not in Arabic or English

Our Process

Eligibility check: we confirm your category and the authority (GDRFA Dubai, DLD or ICP)
Document collection, attestation and translation
Property evidence (DLD or DLRER) or the nominating authority's letter
Submission through GDRFA Dubai, a DLD Golden Visa centre or ICP Smart Services
Entry permit if you are outside the UAE, or status change inside the UAE
Medical fitness test and Emirates ID biometrics
10-year residence issued electronically; Emirates ID delivered
Family members, parents and domestic workers sponsored under your visa

Pricing

Contact via WhatsApp

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the UAE Golden Visa requirements?

You must meet one category in full: AED 2,000,000 in property or in a qualifying investment, an entrepreneur route with revenue or an approved idea, a specialist job with a salary of AED 30,000 a month or more, a nomination as a scientist, doctor, educator, creative or athlete, or a top student or graduate route. Every applicant also needs valid UAE health insurance and a passport valid for at least six months.

What is the UAE Golden Visa salary requirement?

AED 30,000 a month or more, plus a bachelor's degree and a valid UAE work permit in MOHRE skill level 1 or 2. GDRFA Dubai also asks for six months of salary bank statements, and the permit can be cancelled if the salary falls below AED 30,000 or the contract ends.

How do I get a Golden Visa in the UAE?

Confirm your category, collect and attest your documents, get the property evidence or nomination your route needs, then apply through GDRFA Dubai (or a DLD centre for Dubai property) if you live in Dubai, or through ICP if you live in another emirate. After approval you do the medical test and Emirates ID biometrics.

Is the Dubai Golden Visa different from the UAE Golden Visa?

No. It is the same federal visa. Dubai residents apply through GDRFA Dubai, and Dubai property investors through the Dubai Land Department's Golden Visa centres. Ajman and other northern-emirates residents apply through ICP. Dubai also has extra nomination routes (for example KHDA educators and Creators HQ content creators) that only Dubai bodies can open.

Can I get a Golden Visa with a mortgaged or off-plan property?

A mortgaged property counts if the total value is AED 2,000,000 or more and your bank issues a no-objection letter showing what has been paid. Since early 2026 there is no minimum amount you must have paid up front. Off-plan property can qualify under ICP rules, but in Dubai the Land Department decides case by case.

What are the UAE Golden Visa benefits?

A 10-year renewable residence with no sponsor, the right to sponsor your spouse, children of any age, parents and domestic workers, and no loss of residence for staying outside the UAE more than six months.

How much does a Golden Visa cost in the UAE?

It depends on your category and emirate. The cost is made up of the residence permit fee, entry permit or status change, medical test, Emirates ID, health insurance, property statement or valuation, attestation and translation, any nomination fees, the same items for each family member, and our service fee. Ask us for a written quote.

Do I need to keep the investment for the full 10 years?

Yes. GDRFA Dubai says the property cannot be disposed of and the deposit cannot be withdrawn during the permit. Selling or withdrawing can lead to cancellation.