Golden Visa Eligibility in UAE: Who Can Apply?

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The Golden Visa is a long-term residency visa that allows foreigners to live in the UAE without a sponsor. It is granted to investors, business professionals, talented artists, scientists, outstanding students and graduates, humanitarians, and frontline workers. The Golden Visa is also known as the retirement visa.

The Golden Visa allows the holder to sponsor their family members for a residency visa of the same duration. However, there are specific eligibility requirements that must be met in order to apply for the Golden Visa.

Who is eligible & how to apply for it?

Under the ‘Retire in Dubai’ scheme, eligible expat residents aged 55 and over can apply for a retirement visa that would be renewable every 5 or 10 years. To be eligible, they must meet one of the following requirements:

• You have a monthly income of 20,000 dirhams (around US$5,000)
• You have cash savings of one million dirhams (around US$275,000)
• You own property in Dubai, with a minimum value of two million dirhams (around US$550,000)
• You have a combination of the second and third options (cash savings and property) with an aggregate value of at least two million dirhams (US$550,000).

The requirement for active monthly income may vary slightly depending on the Emirate that issues the visa. This is under Article 52 of Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022 related to Golden Residency Permits.

If you need further clarification on the Golden Visa, you can contact the following authorities:

• MoHRE, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs if you are a resident of Dubai.
• Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security if you reside in other UAE emirates.

What are the other requirements?

You must also meet other requirements, such as having a valid passport, a clean criminal record, and medical insurance.

If you are interested in applying for a retirement visa in the UAE, you should also contact a qualified immigration lawyer to discuss your eligibility and the application process. You can email us here. 

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