UAE Golden Visa: Investment Routes, Requirements and Official Sources

Last checked: 3 November 2026. Every figure on this page links to the official government source it was read from on that date. Anything we could not verify from an official source is left out. We re-check this page every quarter.

Route type

• The Golden Residency is a residence programme, not citizenship. It gives eligible people long-term residency in the UAE for ten years, with automatic renewal and no need for a sponsor. (Source: icp.gov.ae)
• ICP lists a residency duration of 10 years for investors in public investments and 10 years for investors in the UAE's real estate sector. (Source: icp.gov.ae)
• GDRFA Dubai grants the Golden Residence Permit to foreign investors in real estate or public investments. The permit is valid for 10 years and can be extended if the same conditions are met. (Source: gdrfad.gov.ae)
• The UAE Government portal describes the Golden visa as a long-term, renewable residence visa valid for 5 or 10 years. (Source: u.ae)
• Through the Dubai Land Department service, a real-estate investor can apply for a 10-year renewable residence permit. (Source: dubailand.gov.ae)

Official sources differ: the UAE Government portal (u.ae) lists 5 years for real-estate investors, while ICP, GDRFA Dubai and the Dubai Land Department all state 10 years. Confirm with the issuing authority before applying. (Sources: u.ae, icp.gov.ae, gdrfad.gov.ae, dubailand.gov.ae)

Minimum investment

• For the real-estate route, ICP requires one or more properties in the UAE worth at least AED 2,000,000 in total, fully owned and registered in the investor's name. (Source: icp.gov.ae)
• ICP also accepts the purchase of one or more off-plan property units worth at least AED 2,000,000 in total, bought from an approved local real estate company. (Source: icp.gov.ae)
• For public investments, ICP requires a financial deposit of at least AED 2,000,000 with an investment fund or with a national bank operating in the UAE. (Source: icp.gov.ae)
• ICP also accepts setting up a company in the UAE with capital of at least AED 2,000,000, or holding a partner's financial share of at least AED 2,000,000 in an existing or new company. (Source: icp.gov.ae)
• ICP accepts ownership of a company that pays at least AED 250,000 a year in taxes due to the Federal Government. (Source: icp.gov.ae)
• The Dubai Land Department service applies to a property with a purchase value equal to or more than 2 million AED at the time of purchase. (Source: dubailand.gov.ae)
• GDRFA Dubai accepts proof of a financial deposit of no less than AED 2,000,000 in a local bank. The deposit may take the form of local Sukuk or investment bonds. (Source: gdrfad.gov.ae)

Qualifying assets

• For public investments, the capital must be fully owned by the investor and must not come from a loan, and the investor must document its source and ownership. (Source: icp.gov.ae)
• For real-estate investments, ICP states that the property may be financed through a loan from an approved local bank. (Source: icp.gov.ae)
• GDRFA Dubai accepts one property or a group of properties within the UAE, including mortgaged property and all types of property. (Source: gdrfad.gov.ae)
• GDRFA Dubai requires a lien on the property, under Land Department procedures, so that ownership continues for the whole validity of the Golden Residency. (Source: gdrfad.gov.ae)
• GDRFA Dubai does not permit withdrawal of the deposit or investment at any point during the 10-year Golden Residency period. (Source: gdrfad.gov.ae)
• GDRFA Dubai states that the property may not be disposed of, and the financial deposit may not be refunded, during the 10-year residency period. (Source: gdrfad.gov.ae)
• The Dubai Land Department accepts a mortgaged property if a bank no-objection letter is submitted showing the paid amount and the balance. (Source: dubailand.gov.ae)

Processing time

• The Dubai Land Department gives a service time of 7 - 10 business days for its Golden Visa application service for real-estate investors. (Source: dubailand.gov.ae)
• GDRFA Dubai gives an expected completion time of 5 days for issuing a golden residence permit for investors. (Source: gdrfad.gov.ae)
• ICP gives a service completion duration of 2 days for issuing the entry permit for real-estate investor residency. (Source: icp.gov.ae)

Family inclusion

• ICP states that Golden Residency holders can obtain residence permits for spouses, for children of any age and for parents. (Source: icp.gov.ae)
• The Dubai Land Department lists a fee of AED 5,774.50 for a 10-year family residence permit, plus AED 318.75 to open a family sponsorship file. (Source: dubailand.gov.ae)
• The Dubai Land Department lists a fee of AED 5,774.50 for a 10-year parents' residence permit, and AED 100 is added for each sponsored person. (Source: dubailand.gov.ae)
• Family residence applications through the Dubai Land Department require a written undertaking that any sons or daughters over 18 years of age are not married. (Source: dubailand.gov.ae)
• ICP requires the real-estate investor and their family members to hold comprehensive and valid health insurance for the whole validity period of the residency. (Source: icp.gov.ae)
• ICP states that if the Golden Residency sponsor dies, sponsored family members may stay in the UAE until their residence permits expire. (Source: icp.gov.ae)
• ICP states that Golden Residency holders may sponsor domestic workers under the applicable regulations and procedures. (Source: icp.gov.ae)

Government fees

• The Dubai Land Department lists the investor's 10-year residency permit fees as: medical examination AED 700; Emirates ID (10 years) AED 1,153; confirmation of residency permit (10 years) AED 2,856.75; Dubai Land Department fees AED 4,020; and administrative fees AED 1,155. The total is AED 9,884.75. (Source: dubailand.gov.ae)
• GDRFA Dubai lists a residence permit fee of AED 1,100. Extra charges are Knowledge Dirham AED 10, Innovation Dirham AED 10 and a fee inside the country of AED 500, and delivery costs AED 20. (Source: gdrfad.gov.ae)
• GDRFA Dubai states that the issuance fee rises by AED 100 a year whenever the residency is longer than two years. (Source: gdrfad.gov.ae)
• ICP lists fees for the entry permit for real-estate investor residency of AED 100 application fees, AED 100 issuance fees and AED 100 smart services fees. (Source: icp.gov.ae)

Stay requirement

• GDRFA Dubai states that Golden Residence Permit holders are exempt from the 180-day residency law. The residency becomes void only if it expires while the holder is outside the country. (Source: gdrfad.gov.ae)
• The UAE Government portal states that Golden visa holders may stay outside the UAE for longer than the usual six months needed to keep a residence visa valid. (Source: u.ae)

Tax notes

• A natural person is also a tax resident if their usual or primary place of residence and the centre of their financial and personal interests are in the UAE. (Source: tax.gov.ae)
• A UAE national, a GCC national or a holder of a valid UAE Residence Permit who is physically present for 90 days or more within the relevant 12 consecutive months is a tax resident if they also meet further conditions set out in the Decision. (Source: tax.gov.ae)
• The Decision states that it came into effect on 1 March 2023. (Source: tax.gov.ae)

Official government source

Golden Residency Guide – Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) (icp.gov.ae)