Visas and residence
Golden Visa in the UAE: 10-year residence without a sponsor
The Golden Visa is the UAE's long-term residence. ICP describes it as a 10-year residence that is renewable and needs no sponsor. It is open to defined categories, including investors, entrepreneurs, scientists and specialists, exceptional talents, outstanding students and humanitarian pioneers. Each category has its own conditions and its own evidence.
At a glance Fact sheet
- Official name
- Golden Residence, widely called the Golden Visa
- Validity
- 10 years, renewable while the conditions are still met
- Sponsor
- None needed
- Authorities
- ICP federally, and GDRFA Dubai for applications in Dubai
- Main categories
- Investors, entrepreneurs, scientists and specialists, exceptional talents, outstanding students, humanitarian pioneers
- Family
- Spouse, children of any age and parents can be sponsored
Overview
Most residence visas depend on a sponsor: an employer, a company or a family member. The Golden Visa removes that link. You hold the residence in your own right, so a new job or a restructured company does not end it, provided you still meet the conditions of the category you qualified under.
The ICP guide groups applicants into categories. Investors qualify through public investments or real estate. Entrepreneurs qualify through a business that meets the programme's criteria. Scientists and specialists cover researchers, leading professionals in fields such as healthcare, education and industry, and skilled professionals at senior levels. There are also categories for exceptional talents in culture, sport, invention and digital technology, for outstanding students and graduates, for humanitarian pioneers and for frontline heroes.
Every category has thresholds and supporting evidence, and several need a recommendation from a federal or local body before the application can be filed. ICP publishes these conditions and revises them from time to time, so we do not list figures here. Your Caliph consultant confirms what applies to you, checks your documents against the current rule and tells you plainly if another category fits you better.
What the Golden Visa gives you
No sponsor
The residence is in your own name. You do not need an employer or a company to sponsor you.
Family included
You can sponsor your spouse, your children whatever their age, and your parents.
Freedom to spend time abroad
The usual rule that cancels a residence after more than six months outside the UAE does not apply. You can return at any time while the residence is valid.
An entry visa to finish the process
Applicants outside the UAE can receive a six-month multiple-entry visa to come to the country and complete the application.
Continuity for your family
If the main holder dies, sponsored family members may stay until their own permits expire.
Domestic workers
Holders can sponsor domestic workers under the UAE rules that apply to them.
What to have ready
- Your passport copy, valid for at least six months
- A recent personal photograph
- Proof that you meet your category, such as investment records, property title deeds, company documents, degrees or awards
- Any recommendation or nomination letter your category requires
- Health insurance for you and your family
- Your current visa and Emirates ID, if you already live in the UAE
- Attested marriage and birth certificates, if you will sponsor family
Investor categories ask for evidence of where the capital came from, and company-based applications are usually supported by audited accounts. Your consultant gives you the list for your category.
How a Golden Visa application works
Category assessment
Your consultant reviews your profile against the published categories and tells you which one you can evidence.
Evidence and nomination
We collect the proof for your category and, where one is needed, request the recommendation from the relevant body.
Application filed
The application goes to ICP, or to GDRFA Dubai for applications in Dubai.
Entry visa or current residence
If you are abroad, you travel on the entry visa issued for the application. If you already live in the UAE, your consultant handles the move from your current visa.
Medical test and Emirates ID
You take the medical fitness test and give your Emirates ID biometrics in the UAE.
Residence issued
The Golden Residence is issued and your Emirates ID card is delivered. Family applications follow.
Good to know
- A Golden Visa is not citizenship or permanent residence. It is renewed when it expires, provided you still meet the conditions.
- A holder who takes a job with a mainland employer still needs a work permit. MOHRE has a specific permit for Golden Residence holders.
- Some investment routes require you to keep the asset for the life of the visa. Ask before you sell a property or withdraw a deposit.
- ICP describes the residence as 10 years, while the federal portal still shows five years for a few sub-categories. Your consultant confirms the validity for yours.
Questions people ask
Who can apply for a UAE Golden Visa?
The ICP guide lists investors in public investments or real estate, entrepreneurs, scientists and specialists, exceptional talents in culture, sport, invention and digital technology, outstanding students and graduates, humanitarian pioneers and frontline heroes. Each category has its own conditions, and some need a recommendation from a government body before you apply.
How long is the Golden Visa valid?
ICP describes the Golden Visa as a 10-year residence that is renewed while the holder still meets the conditions. Check the validity for your own sub-category with your consultant, because the official pages are revised from time to time.
Do I need to live in the UAE to keep a Golden Visa?
The official guides do not state a minimum stay. Ordinary residence visas are cancelled after more than six consecutive months outside the UAE, but Golden Visa holders are exempt and can enter at any time while the residence is valid. If your category rests on an investment, you must keep that investment.
Can I apply for a Golden Visa from outside the UAE?
Yes. ICP provides a six-month multiple-entry visa so that applicants abroad can travel to the UAE and complete the process. You need to be in the country for the medical fitness test and the Emirates ID biometrics, which cannot be done remotely.
Can my family get residence with my Golden Visa?
Yes. A Golden Visa holder can sponsor a spouse, children regardless of age, and parents. If the main holder dies, sponsored family members may stay until their permits expire. You will need attested marriage and birth certificates and health insurance for each person.
Can I work or run a business on a Golden Visa?
Yes. The Golden Visa lets you live, work, study and invest in the UAE. If you take a job with a mainland company, the employer obtains the MOHRE work permit designed for Golden Residence holders. Running your own company still requires a trade licence for that company.
Reviewed by Caliph Business Solutions on . Rules differ by activity and by authority. Your Caliph consultant confirms what applies to you.
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