Golden visa - Your ticket to stay long in the UAE

If a long-term residence in the UAE is your plan, the UAE Golden Visa could be your best option. It was implemented in 2019 by the UAE as part of a new system for long-term residence visas.

This visa works along with the premise of enabling foreigners to live, study, and work in the UAE without the need for a national sponsor. The visa holders can also have 100% ownership of their business on the mainland of the UAE.

The Golden visa is issued for terms of 5 and 10 years. The visa is subject to the automatic renewal.

If the introduction to the Golden visa interests you, let’s see who is eligible for the visa. To start with, the Golden visa is granted to the following categories of people:

• Entrepreneurs
• Investors
• Bright students with promising capabilities in science
• People who are either researchers or those with specialized talents in various fields of knowledge and science

Who’s eligible for a 10-year Golden visa?

If you are any one of the following, you are eligible to apply for a Golden visa valid for 10 years:

• Those who invest at least AED 10 million in public investments which may be:
  • A minimum deposit of AED 10 million in an investment fund in the UAE
  • Investing at least AED 10 million to establish a company in the UAE
  • Having a share of at least AED 10 million as a partner in a new or an existing company
  • Having a minimum total investment of AED 10 million in all areas specified, agreeing to invest not more than 60% of the total investment in sectors except real estate
• Those who possess specialized talents who may be:
  • Creative people in art and culture accredited by the Ministry of Culture & Knowledge Development
  • Scientists who held the Mohammed Bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Excellence, or who are accredited by Emirates Scientists Council
  • People with exceptional talents with patents or published scientific research that came in a journal of a world class
  • Inventors with a patent of value, adding to the economy of the UAE and has patents approved by the Ministry of Economy
  • Executives owning an internationally recognized company in a leading stature or holding a high achievement and position academically
  • Doctors and specialists who satisfy at least 2 of the following requirements:
    • Certificates of appreciation or an award in the field where the applicant wants to work
    • D. from one of the best 500 universities in the world
    • Scientific books or published articles in distinguished publications related to the applicant’s respective field of work
    • Contribution to major scientific research in the applicant’s respective field of work
    • Membership in an organization related to the applicant’s field of work
    • A Ph. D. besides a professional experience of 10 years in the applicant’s field of work
    • Specialization in UAE’s priority areas

Who’s eligible for a 5-year Golden visa?

If you are any one of the following, you are eligible to apply for a Golden visa valid for 5 years:

• Investors in a property in the UAE if:
  • The investor invests in a property valued at not less than AED 5 million
  • The money for investment does not come from a loan
  • The property invested in is retained for at least 3 years
• Entrepreneurs who have a project running currently with a minimum of AED 500,000 as capital investment or those who possess the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE
• Outstanding students including
  • Those with at least 95% grade in private and public secondary schools
  • University students within and outside the UAE with a distinction of at least 3.75 upon graduationLearn about the UAE’s Golden visa

If you want to apply for a Golden visa, you can do it online.

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