Checked on an official page
Golden visa (5 or 10 years)
investment / talent / other categories
Who it suits: investors, entrepreneurs, skilled professionals, exceptional talents and others
Main requirements
Investors (public investments or real estate): 10 years (public investments) / 5 years (real estate); minimum capital AED 2 million; property ownership or contribution to an establishment paying at least AED 250,000 a year in taxes. Entrepreneurs: 5 years; proof of innovative/technical projects, documents proving project value, letter from a business incubator or relevant authority. Exceptional talent / rare specialisations: 10 years; doctors, scientists, inventors, creatives in culture & arts, executives, athletes, PhD holders, specialists in priority scientific/engineering fields; subcategory-specific requirements. Outstanding students: 5 years (high-school achievers) / 10 years (top university students). Humanitarian pioneers and frontline heroes: 10 years. (Source on page: ICP.)
Family: holder can sponsor family members including spouses and children; no employer sponsor needed
Read on the official page (7 Oct 2026). Official page
Employment residence visa + family sponsorship
work
Who it suits: parent employed by a UAE company
Main requirements
Sponsor minimum salary AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation. Sponsored family members aged 18+ must pass medical fitness tests at approved UAE centres.
Family: Spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25 and children with special needs. Green visa holders may also sponsor first-degree relatives. Dependants' permits are linked to the sponsor's. After expiry or cancellation, dependants have a 6-month grace period.
Read on the official page (7 Oct 2026). Official page
Remote work (virtual work) residence visa
remote work
Who it suits: parent employed by a foreign company
Main requirements
One-year virtual work visa under self-sponsorship for foreigners employed by a company outside the UAE. Apply to ICP or GDRFA Dubai with: health insurance, a medical fitness test result, proof of work outside the UAE, and a salary certificate of a minimum of USD 3,500 or the equivalent in foreign currency.
Read on the official page (7 Oct 2026). Official page
Visa rules change often, and this is not legal advice. Check the official page and the embassy before you apply.
Also: 21 international schools in United Arab Emirates · Visas in other countries