Golden Visa Cost in UAE: Full Breakdown for 2025

Regardless of your qualifying route, every UAE Golden Visa applicant pays a core set of federal and emirate-level fees. At the federal level, ICA (the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security) charges approximately AED 2,800 to AED 5,000 for the visa issuance, Emirates ID, and entry permit combined. Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah each apply their own processing surcharges on top, so the emirate you register in matters. Budget AED 3,500 to AED 6,000 as a realistic government-fee baseline before adding any professional or sponsor fees.

The property route requires a minimum AED 2 million (roughly USD 545,000) in real estate, held without a mortgage or with mortgage paid down to that threshold. The property itself is the dominant cost. On top of the purchase, Dubai Land Department charges a 4% transfer fee, and you will spend AED 3,000 to AED 10,000 on conveyancing, title deed issuance, and valuation certificates. Add the government visa fees above, and an all-in property-route Golden Visa costs approximately AED 2.1 to 2.15 million including all transaction friction. If you are comparing UAE property to other residency-by-investment programs, the Golden Visa cost in Greece starts at EUR 250,000 in lower-demand zones, which is a materially different capital commitment.

Doctors, engineers, scientists, and other specialists on the approved federal talent list can qualify without a property purchase or cash deposit. The government fees of AED 3,500 to AED 6,000 remain, plus attestation and translation of credentials, which typically adds AED 1,500 to AED 4,000 depending on the number of documents and country of origin. Some employers sponsor the visa fees entirely, bringing the applicant's out-of-pocket cost close to zero. Without employer sponsorship, a skilled-professional applicant should budget AED 5,000 to AED 10,000 all in.

Entrepreneurs need either an existing UAE-registered company valued at a minimum AED 500,000 (verified by an accredited auditor) or prior exit approval from a UAE business incubator. Auditor fees run AED 2,000 to AED 5,000, incubator approval letters are typically free but take one to three months, and the visa fees are the same AED 3,500 to AED 6,000 as other routes. The total realistic spend for an entrepreneur applicant is AED 8,000 to AED 15,000 excluding any business setup costs, which are a separate matter.

Most applicants use a PRO (Public Relations Officer) service or a licensed typing center to prepare and submit documents. Fees for a reputable UAE-based PRO range from AED 1,500 to AED 5,000 depending on complexity and whether the firm handles status changes, medical tests, or document attestation. Medical testing, mandatory for all applicants, costs AED 700 to AED 1,200 at approved government health centers. A straightforward skilled-professional application handled by a good PRO, end to end, will typically come in at AED 8,000 to AED 12,000 total. Investors using the property route should add PRO fees on top of their transaction costs.

The UAE Golden Visa is valid for 10 years and renewable, which compares favorably to the 2 or 5-year cycles of most competing programs. Renewal fees mirror initial issuance fees, currently AED 2,800 to AED 5,000 in government charges plus any PRO and medical test costs. Dependents, spouse and children, each require their own visa application at similar per-head government fee levels, roughly AED 2,500 to AED 4,000 per dependent. Families of four should budget AED 12,000 to AED 20,000 for the initial application round across all family members, not per person.