How Does the UAE's 10 Year Golden Visa Work?
Golden Visa Benefits
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Allows you to live anywhere in the UAE
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Does not have any minimum stay requirement
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Allows you to sponsor spouses, unmarried children of any age, and elderly parents
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Valid for 10 years & renewable after 10 Years
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Benefit from the UAE's 0% Income Tax & 0% Capital Gains Tax and 0% Inheritance Tax ​
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6 Ways To Qualify for Dubai's 10 Year Golden Visa
Option 1
Dubai Real Estate Investment
Own Real Estate in Dubai Worth AED2 mill
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Can be multiple properties added up
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Properties may be mortgaged
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Properties may be under construction (off-plan)
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Can sponsor spouses, unmarried kids (any age) and elderly parents without additional investment
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But:
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You cannot mix properties from different emirates
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Properties have to be owned in your personal name
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Properties must be owned by 1 individual (no joint ownership)
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Timeline:
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2 Week Preparation Time (outside Dubai)
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5-10 working Days application (inside Dubai)
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Costs
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The Dubai Navigator Service Fee: USD 999/visa (One Time)
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Government Fees: AED 9,884.75 (Source)
Option 2
Fixed Deposit
Open a Fixed Deposit of AED2mill for 2Y at a UAE Bank
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Earn interest of around 3.5% for 2 years
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Withdraw the funds after 2 years, keep the 10 year Golden Visa
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Properties may be under construction (off-plan)
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Can sponsor spouses, unmarried kids (any age) and elderly parents without additional investment
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But:
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There is no federal deposit insurance scheme
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Properties have to be owned in your personal name
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Properties must be owned by 1 individual (no joint ownership)
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Timeline:
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Days 1-13: submitting your application at various banks
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Day 14 visit a UAE bank in person, sign opening documents
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Days 16-39: wait for the bank to complete their due diligence process
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Day 40: Bank account is open, fund the account
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Days 41-50: Wait for funds to arrive, receive bank confirmation letter
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Days 51-60: Visit Dubai for application process
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Costs
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The Dubai Navigator Bank Account Opening Fee: USD 1,499
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The Dubai Navigator Visa Service Fee: USD 999/visa (One Time)
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Government Fees: AED 0-5,500 (Some banks cover fees, source)
Option 3
Start Up Investment
Invest AED 500,000 in a government approed UAE Start Up
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75% lower investment (compared to real estate and fixed deposit pathways)
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Earn annual dividends, depending on the start up
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Buyback guarantee (depending on the start up)
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Potential for capital appreication (should the startup be successful)
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But:
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Risk of total loss of invested capital
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Difficult to identify "approved" startups
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Startups have to raise funds at the time when you are looking to apply for a Golden Visa
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Some startups are slow to work with, leading to delays
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Timeline:
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Days 1-13: Sign shareholders' agreement, make investment
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Days 14-28 visit the UAE for visa issuance
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Costs
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Introduction to Startups by The Dubai Navigator: Free
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The Dubai Navigator Visa Service Fee: USD999/visa (One Time)
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Government Fees: AED 0-5,500 (Some startups cover fees, source)
Option 4
2Y Salary of AED30K+
Earn a base salary of at least AED 30,000 per month for a period of 2 years
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The AED 30,000 salary must be paid in AED, from a UAE company
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Income must be earned for 2 years as part of an annual contract
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The salary must be the base salary (not including allowances)
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Salary can be paid from your own company
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But:
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Requires that you have earned a local UAE salary for 2 years
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If you start paying a salary to yourself from your own company today, in 2 years time, rules may change – meaning you may not qualify in the futute
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Timeline:
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2 Years: Earn monthly base salary of AED 30,000/month
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8-10 Working Days: Complete visa application process in Dubai
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Costs
The Dubai Navigator Visa Service Fee: USD1,499/visa (One Time)
Government Fees: AED 3,790 (One Time, source source)
Option 5
Special Talents
Have a unique talent, or be a leader in a specific field such as academics, science, sports, music etc.)
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No investment required; qualify based on your career track record or past achievements
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Many possible qualification options
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But:
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Requires
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Subject to approval - documentation doesn't guarantee a visa.
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Some categories require attestation or recommendation letters
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For more details visit here
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Timeline:
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Varies depending on category
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Costs
Variable - Not Supported by The Dubai Navigator due to often lengthy and complex requirements, and high rejection rates.
For application costs, visit here
Option 6
Be a Dependent of a Golden Visa Holder
If you already have a Golden Visa, you can sponsor spouses, elderly parents and unmarried kids
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No additional investment needed​​
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But:
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Need to provide an attested marriage certificate for spouses
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Need to provide an attested birth certificate for kids (any age)
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Kids must not be married!​
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When sponsoring elderly parents, need to sponsor both at the same time, and need to provide your own (attested) birth certificate
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Timeline:
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Attestation of certificates takes up to 3 months (at 2-4 government departments, depending on nationality)
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The applicant and sponsor have to spend 2 weeks inside the UAE
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Costs
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The Dubai Navigator Visa Service Fee: USD999/visa (One Time)
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Attestation: Third-party services range from USD250-500 depending on nationality. We support clients with attestation on a cost-basis (no markup)
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Government Visa Fees: from AED 3,500-6,100 (One Time, depending on route (real estate, fixed deposit etc.))
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