United Arab Emirates

In 1971, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was declared as an independent, sovereign and federal state.

The UAE is a constitutional federation comprising of seven emirates; Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman, Umm al Qaiwain and Fujairah.

The UAE is well known for its solid economy attributed to its strategic location, strong financial reserves, large sovereign wealth fund, consistent government spending on infrastructure, progressive economic policies and increased foreign direct investment (FDI).

The UAE maintains a desert climate and is located in the South East of the Arab Peninsula, bordering Oman and Saudi Arabia. The UAE occupies a strategic location through the Western entrances of the Strait of Hormuz.

United Arab Emirates (UAE) Golden Visa

Established in 2019, the UAE Golden Visa is a long-term residence visa which enables foreign talents to live, work or study in the UAE while enjoying exclusive benefits. Investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, outstanding students and graduates, humanitarian pioneers and frontline heroes are among those eligible for the Golden Visa.  In addition, the program gives residency to these categories and their family members.

Benefits:

General Requirements:

Requirements for the Golden visa depend on the type of residence, whether investor, talent, entrepreneur, etc.

Investors in public investments

If you invest in an investment fund, you may be granted a Golden Visa for a period of 10 years without a sponsor, subject to the:

1. submission of a letter from an investment fund accredited in the UAE stating that the investor has a deposit of AED 2 million, or
2. submission of a valid commercial licence or industrial licence and a memorandum of association stating that the investor’s capital is not less than AED 2 million
3. submission of a letter from Federal Tax Authority stating that the investor pays the Government no less than AED 250,000 annually.

Additionally, you must:

1. own the invested capital completely; it must not be a loan and
2. provide proof of medical insurance for himself and his family (if any).

Real estate investors

If you own a property or a group of properties, you may be granted a Golden Visa for a period of 5 years, renewable on the same conditions and without a sponsor subject to the:

1. provision of a letter from the land department of the respective emirate stating that he owns one or more properties whose value is not less than AED 2 million
2. purchase of a property with a loan from specific local banks approved by the competent local entity.

Entrepreneurs

If you are an entrepreneur, you may get a Golden Visa for a period of 5 years, if you own an economic project of a technical or future nature based on risk and innovation. In addition, you must have an approval letter from each of the following:

1. an auditor in the UAE stating that the project value is not less than AED 500,000
2. the authorities in the emirate stating that the project is of a technical or future nature
3. an accredited business incubator in the UAE to establish the proposed activity in the country.

Outstanding specialised talents

If you have an outstanding specialised talent, you may get a Golden visa for 10 years.

Outstanding specialised talents include:

Path to Citizenship

There is no standardised path to citizenship through the UAE Golden Visa program. The only possibility is through allowance of citizenship by discretion through the Nationality Act, which needs to come from the rulers of the United Arab Emirates.