UAE Golden Visa How to Apply: Every Route, Real Steps, and What It Costs

The UAE offers six main Golden Visa categories: real estate investment (minimum AED 2 million property value), business investment (AED 2 million in a UAE company or startup), skilled professionals (salary of AED 30,000 per month or above in designated fields), outstanding students, humanitarian pioneers, and self-employed freelancers with a valid permit. Property must be fully paid or financed through approved UAE banks only, off-plan does not qualify unless the developer has specific approval. Startups must be registered with an accredited UAE incubator. Identify your category before touching any portal, because the document checklist differs completely between routes.

Every applicant needs a valid passport with at least six months remaining, a recent passport-sized photo on a white background, Emirates ID if you are already a UAE resident, and proof of the qualifying criterion (title deed, salary certificate, trade license, or accreditation letter). Skilled professionals also need an employment contract stamped by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) plus a certificate from a recognized professional body in their field. Property investors need a title deed from the relevant emirate land department and a no-liability letter from the bank or developer confirming the payment status. Have all documents notarized and, if foreign-issued, attested through the UAE embassy chain before you begin.

If you are applying in Dubai, use the GDRFA Dubai smart app or gdrfad.gov.ae. For all other emirates including Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah, apply through the ICP portal at icp.gov.ae. You create an account, select Golden Visa under long-term residency, choose your category, upload scanned copies of all required documents in PDF or JPEG under 2MB each, and pay the government fees online by card. This page breaks down each route's requirements and exact steps in full detail if you want a deeper reference alongside the official portals.

Government fees for the Golden Visa itself run approximately AED 2,800 to AED 4,000 depending on your emirate and processing speed, paid at the portal checkout. After approval of the initial application, you must complete a medical fitness test at an authorized UAE health center (around AED 320 to AED 700 depending on the center and any required X-rays), then enroll biometrics at a typing center or ICP service center to receive your Emirates ID. The Emirates ID is issued within 5 to 10 working days after biometrics. Your visa entry stamp or status change is applied to your passport at this stage, and you receive a digital copy of the 10-year visa via the ICP app.

Once your own Golden Visa is active, you can sponsor a spouse, children of any age (unmarried daughters have no age cap, sons are typically covered up to age 25), and domestic workers through a simplified process on the same portals. Each dependent requires a separate application, their own medical test, and an Emirates ID enrollment. Dependent fees run approximately AED 1,000 to AED 2,000 per person, not including the medical and Emirates ID costs. There is no cap on the number of dependents you can sponsor, and their visas match the 10-year validity of the primary holder.

The UAE Golden Visa has no mandatory minimum stay requirement, which is one of its biggest advantages over European programs. You do not need to spend a set number of days per year in the UAE to keep the visa active. However, you must renew your Emirates ID before it expires, keep your qualifying asset (property or business) in place, and ensure any employed-route holders maintain the conditions of their MOHRE contract or equivalent. The visa is renewable at the 10-year mark by repeating the standard fee payment and document check. Selling the qualifying property before renewal without replacing it with another qualifying asset will void the visa category.