UAE Golden Visa categories: who qualifies?

Published 8 November 2026 · 6 min read

The UAE Golden Visa is a long-term residence permit that does not need a sponsor. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) sets the categories, and the UAE government portal u.ae publishes the eligibility table.

The main categories

• Investors: public investment or real estate, generally with a minimum of AED 2 million, or a contribution to an establishment that pays at least AED 250,000 a year to the government.
• Entrepreneurs: an innovative or technical project, with evidence of its value and a letter from an incubator or the competent authority.
• Specialised and exceptional talents: doctors, scientists, inventors, creatives, executives, athletes, PhD holders and engineering or science specialists, each with its own evidence.
• Outstanding students and graduates: top high-school students and top university graduates.
• Humanitarian pioneers and frontline heroes.

Skilled professionals form a further route. Official emirate pages tie it to a high occupational level and a minimum salary, and the details are worth confirming with the authority in your emirate.

Benefits that make it attractive

• A renewable long-term residence of 5 or 10 years, depending on the category
• No local sponsor required
• The ability to stay outside the UAE for longer than the usual six months
• The ability to sponsor family members

Documents that often need translation and attestation

• Degrees and professional certificates issued abroad
• Marriage and birth certificates for family sponsorship
• Company documents and financial statements for investors and entrepreneurs
• Awards, licences or letters supporting talent applications

Foreign documents usually go through the attestation chain, and documents not in Arabic or English need a legal translation. Preparing these early is often what decides how smoothly an application runs.