UAE Golden Visa: Who Qualifies and How to Apply (Updated September 2026)

What the Golden Visa is

The Golden Visa is a renewable long-term residence visa, generally issued for ten years. Unlike most UAE visas it does not need an employer sponsor, and holders can usually stay outside the UAE for longer than six months without the visa lapsing. Holders can typically sponsor their spouse and children, and in some cases domestic staff.

Rules and thresholds have changed several times since the programme began. This guide is a starting point; the official sources are the ICP portal and, for Dubai, the GDRFA. Please confirm every figure there before you act.

Main categories

The property route in more detail

The property route is the one we are asked about most. In general, you need one or more properties in the UAE with a combined value at or above the threshold, registered in your name, with a title deed from the Dubai Land Department for Dubai property. Jointly owned property may count if your share meets the threshold. For mortgaged property, banks may need to issue a letter confirming the amount paid.

In Dubai, applications on the property route have been processed with involvement from the Dubai Land Department's services. A licensed real estate adviser or PRO provider will know the current channel.

What the visa does, and what it does not

A Golden Visa changes your residence status; it does not change your tax position, your citizenship or your obligations elsewhere. It does not make you a UAE national, and it does not by itself create a right to work in any role — employment still follows the usual labour rules. It is also not a substitute for company licensing if you intend to trade.

What it does give, in practice, is stability. You are not tied to one employer's sponsorship, the renewal cycle is long rather than annual, and the rules on time spent outside the country are generally more forgiving than on a standard residence visa. For families who plan to keep a base in Dubai while working across several countries, that predictability is usually the real reason to apply.

• Residence status, not citizenship or a passport
• No employer sponsor required for the visa itself
• Long renewal cycle rather than an annual one
• Family sponsorship generally available, with separate documents per person
• Health insurance and Emirates ID still required and still need renewal

Sponsoring your family

Most applicants apply for the family at the same time or shortly after approval. Each family member is a separate application with their own documents, medical test and Emirates ID, and the supporting evidence of the relationship — marriage and birth certificates — normally has to be attested in the country of issue before you arrive. That attestation is the step that most often delays a family, because it is done abroad and cannot be rushed from Dubai.

Plan it as early as you plan the main application. If children are joining mid-school-year, the school will usually want to see the visa or proof it is in process before confirming a place, so the two timelines have to be run alongside each other rather than one after the other.

• Marriage certificate attested in the country of issue
• Birth certificates attested for each child
• Passports valid well beyond the application window
• Health insurance arranged for every family member
• Medical fitness tests booked once the main application is approved
• School admissions started in parallel, not afterwards

Documents usually requested

• Passport valid for at least six months
• Recent passport-style photo on a white background
• Current visa or entry stamp, and Emirates ID if resident
• Proof of eligibility: title deed, salary certificate, degree or nomination letter
• Attested degree certificate for professional routes
• Health insurance valid in the UAE
• Medical fitness test once the application is approved
• Marriage and birth certificates, attested, to sponsor family

How the application works

• Confirm your category and check the current criteria on the official portal
• Gather and, where needed, attest documents
• Submit through ICP, GDRFA or the relevant authority's channel, or through an authorised typing centre
• Pay the government fees shown at submission
• Complete the medical fitness test and biometrics
• Receive the visa and a new Emirates ID

Timelines vary. Some applicants receive a decision within weeks; others wait longer while documents are checked. Government fees depend on the category and the number of family members, so we do not list them here — the portal shows the exact amount before you pay.

Keeping the visa valid

A long-term visa is easy to forget about, which is exactly how people run into trouble. The visa itself has a long renewal cycle, but the things attached to it do not: health insurance renews annually, the Emirates ID has its own expiry, and if your status rests on an asset or a role, the basis has to still be true when you renew. If you hold the visa through property, keep the title deed, mortgage statements and ownership details in one place and current.

Set reminders at six months and three months before any expiry rather than relying on a text message from a government portal. Keep your contact details updated with the authorities and your bank, because notifications go to whatever number and address they hold. If you move house, change your registered address rather than assuming the old one will keep forwarding.

• Health insurance renewed on time for every family member
• Emirates ID expiry tracked separately from the visa
• Proof of the qualifying basis kept current and filed
• Contact details updated with the authorities, bank and school
• Reminders set six and three months ahead of each expiry

Common mistakes to avoid

• Relying on figures from an old article instead of the official portal
• Leaving degree attestation until the last minute — it can take weeks abroad
• Assuming a property qualifies without checking value, ownership share and title deed
• Letting the current visa expire while the new application is pending
• Forgetting that family members need their own documents and medicals

After approval

Once the visa is issued, update your Emirates ID details with your bank and DEWA where needed, keep health insurance active, and set a reminder well before renewal. If you are relocating, the relocation guide sets out what comes next, and the neighbourhoods guide helps with choosing where to live.

Where we fit in

We do not process Golden Visa applications and we are not a licensed PRO or immigration adviser. Applications are referred to licensed partners. What we do is keep the practical side moving: gathering documents, booking appointments, arranging the medical and keeping one clear list of what is done and what is outstanding. More on the relocation support page.