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MIDDLE EAST · LONG-TERM RESIDENCY BY INVESTMENT

UAE Golden Visa

A renewable long-term residence visa with no local sponsor required, on a real estate investment that also generates rental income.

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Minimum Investment
AED 2,000,000 (~$545,000)
Key Benefit
A renewable 10-year residence visa in the UAE, with no requirement for a local sponsor or employer, and full family sponsorship for the same duration.

United Arab Emirates Golden Visa Overview

The UAE Golden Visa is a long-term residence system introduced to attract capital, talent, and stability-seeking individuals to the United Arab Emirates without requiring a national sponsor or employer relationship — a structural departure from the UAE's traditional employment-tied visa system.

Indohill's tracked route into the programme is the real estate investment track: acquiring qualifying property at or above the Dubai Land Department's current AED 2,000,000 threshold, which can be met with a single property or a combined portfolio.

Benefits of United Arab Emirates Golden Visa

  • A renewable residence visa valid for 10 years, versus 2–3 years for standard UAE employment or investor visas
  • No requirement for a UAE national sponsor or employer to hold the visa
  • No personal income tax and no capital gains tax on qualifying UAE real estate
  • Full family sponsorship: a spouse, children (with no upper age limit for children under this visa category, unlike standard family visas), and parents can be sponsored for the same 10-year term
  • No minimum salary threshold applies to family sponsorship under this visa category
  • Mortgaged and off-plan property can qualify, provided the certified property value meets the AED 2,000,000 threshold

Requirements

Applicants qualify for the real estate route by holding qualifying property at or above the current threshold, verified through the UAE's federal identity authority:

1. Real Estate Investment Route

Ownership of one property, or a combined portfolio of properties, with a certified total value of at least AED 2,000,000 (approximately $545,000). As of the programme's most recent update, eligibility is assessed on the property's officially certified value rather than the amount already paid — mortgaged and off-plan property now qualify on that basis.

Procedure

Applications are processed federally by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP), through its official platform and smart-app service channels. The published procedure runs: submitting a nomination request, entering the required applicant data, attaching supporting documents (including certified property valuation), and settling government service fees electronically.

Once approved, the Golden Visa is issued for a term of 10 years (the standard duration for the real estate investment route), renewable indefinitely provided the qualifying property is retained and the holder continues to meet eligibility conditions.

Fees & Costs

Beyond the qualifying property investment itself, applicants pay government service and Emirates ID fees per applicant and dependant, plus separate legal and application-support fees. Indohill discloses the full statutory and legal fee breakdown for this programme, and every other programme we track, in the Global Matrix Marketplace fee breakdown tool before you commit to anything.

Family Sponsorship Terms

Family members sponsored under a Golden Visa holder's status are directly linked to that status: if the primary Golden Visa lapses, is cancelled, or is not renewed, dependants' visas are affected in turn. Renewal of the primary holder's visa and their dependants' visas is designed to occur together, provided the underlying property and eligibility conditions still hold.

Background & Legal Considerations

The UAE Golden Visa system operates under Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 on the Entry and Residence of Foreigners, which provides the primary federal legislative framework, and Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022 Regarding the Entry and Residence of Foreigners, which significantly expanded and replaced the original Cabinet Resolution No. 56 of 2018 that first introduced the programme. The multi-track system is administered federally by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP).

Why Indohill Advises This Program

  • A private, advisor-reviewed intake — every application is scoped by a person before any specific property or route is recommended
  • Coordination with pre-vetted real estate developers and brokers whose inventory is confirmed in advance to satisfy the certified AED 2,000,000 valuation threshold — reviewed against Indohill's Certified Partner Network standards before any introduction is made
  • Full statutory and legal fee disclosure through the Global Matrix Marketplace, including family-sponsorship terms, before you commit to a property
  • The same 5-phase advisory methodology Indohill applies across every programme, from initial audit through lifelong governance and renewal support
FREQUENTLY ASKED

United Arab Emirates Golden Visa FAQ

It is the United Arab Emirates' long-term residence visa system, granting renewable 10-year residence without requiring a UAE national sponsor or employer, available through several routes including real estate investment.

Qualifying real estate with a certified value of at least AED 2,000,000 (approximately $545,000), which can be a single property or a combined portfolio of properties reaching that threshold.

No. Eligibility is assessed on the property's officially certified value, not the amount already paid — mortgaged and off-plan property can qualify provided the certified value meets the AED 2,000,000 threshold.

Yes. A Golden Visa holder can sponsor a spouse, children, and parents for the same 10-year term, with no minimum salary threshold required for family sponsorship and no upper age limit on children under this visa category.

The real estate investment route is issued for 10 years and is renewable indefinitely, provided the holder retains the qualifying property and continues to meet eligibility conditions.

No. This is one of the programme's defining features — Golden Visa holders do not require a UAE national sponsor or an employer relationship to maintain their residence status, unlike standard UAE employment visas.

Dependants sponsored under a Golden Visa are linked to the primary holder's status. If the primary visa is cancelled, lapses, or is not renewed, dependants' visas are affected as a result — renewal is designed to happen together.

The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP), which processes applications through its official platform and smart-app channels under Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021 and Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022.

Related Middle East Programs

Qatar — Permanent Residency Permit Bahrain — Golden Residency Permit Türkiye — Citizenship by Investment Jordan — Citizenship by Investment Saudi Arabia — Premium Residency

Comparing Middle East options? View every Middle East program we track in the Global Matrix Marketplace →

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