UAE Golden Visa

5-year Golden visa
10-year Golden visa

UAE Golden visa is a renewable residence visa offered to researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, individuals with specialized talents, and even students with excellent academic performance to stay in the United Arab Emirates for 5 to 10 years. There is no need for a sponsor or employer to get the visa. The visa holder also gets access to education and healthcare facilities and can sponsor his family members to have extended stay privileges in the United Arab Emirates.

UAE Golden Visa

The UAE Golden visa was first introduced in 2019 and since then until today hundreds of thousands of UAE residents have received it. Remember, not everyone is eligible to apply for a golden visa in the UAE; instead, there are certain eligibility requirements that you have to fulfill to apply for a UAE Golden visa. Let’s look at what those requirements are and what you have to fulfill to get the visa.

Who Can Apply? Eligibility Requirements

Investors, entrepreneurs, specialized talents, researchers, students with excellent academic skills, and humanitarian pioneers are eligible to apply for a UAE Golden visa if they fulfill the requirements. Since there are two types of Golden visas available based on applicants’ contributions and profiles, here we will discuss the eligibility requirements of each applicant for both types of visas. Well, the available types of visas are,

5-year Golden visa
10-year Golden visa

Requirements For Investors

For 5 Years Golden Visa

Investment of a minimum of AED 5 million should be made in real estate.
You have to make sure that you have the property for a minimum of 3 years.

For 10 Years Golden Visa

You have to make sure to invest a minimum of AED 10 million in companies and investment funds.
Moreover, you also have to make sure that the investment you have made is not loaned.
Provide proof that you have been the property owner for more than 3 years.
Moreover, you also have to make sure that you have a financial solvency of a minimum of AED 10 million.

Requirements For Entrepreneurs

You need to make sure that you are the owner of a project that has a minimum of AED 500,000 capital
You have to make sure that you have received approval from an accredited business incubator located in the UAE.

Requirements For Researchers And Specialized Talents

To be eligible for the Golden UAE visa, you should be a scientist or researcher who is either the holder of the Muhammad Bin Rashid Medal For Scientific Excellence or is accredited by the Emirates Scientist Council.
You could be a medical doctor or specialist in any priority field in medicine, like virology or epidemiology.
You should be a professional in any of the cultural or creative industries.

Requirements For Students With Exceptional Skills

High School Students

High school students, to get a Golden UAE visa, should achieve a minimum of 95% in any of the public and private schools.

University Students

University students, to get a UAE Golden visa, should graduate with a minimum of 3.8 GPA from UAE University.

Requirements For Humanitarian Pioneers

The category of human pioneers includes those humanitarian workers or volunteers who have won awards in humanitarian fields.
Moreover, distinguished members of regional and international organizations can also apply for a UAE Golden visa.

Step-By-Step Application Process To Get UAE Golden Visa

Here is the step-by-step procedure that you have to follow to apply for a UAE Golden visa. Pay attention to understand the steps clearly so you can easily follow every step and apply for the visa without any problems.

The first and most important step that you have to take to apply for a UAE Golden visa is to check for eligibility. Well, the requirements of every category are mentioned above. Make sure to meet the specific eligibility criteria according to your purpose.
Now you have to make sure that you have all the necessary documents with you according to the requirements.
After determining the eligibility, you have to gather the required documents. Make sure to gather both the basic documents and the documents according to the category.
Then you have to visit the Federal Authority For Identity and Citizenship ICA Website or the General Directorate Of Residency and Foreign Affairs Portal. You can do this by simply clicking on, smartservices.icp.gov.ae/echannels/web/client/default.html#/login
Then you have to get the application form from the website for a Golden visa.
Now that your application forms are ready, pay the fees and apply.
Now you have to undergo the necessary medical tests. Make sure that you are undergoing the tests at some approved Health Centre located in the UAE.
Now you have to wait until you receive a response from the UAE government about your golden visa. You will either be notified via email or an online application portal.

Documents You Need to Submit

Let’s look at the documentation that must be attached to the application form to get a UAE Golden visa. The detailed breakdown of the required documents based on the category of the applicant visa is mentioned below.

Investors

Valid passport copy
Recent passport-size photographs
Investment proofs in the form of investment certificates or real estate ownership documents
Valid bank statements to prove enough finances in your account
Proof that you have retained the investment for a minimum of 3 years and it is not a loan

Entrepreneurs

A valid passport copy
Valid and recent passport-size photographs
Original business ownership and registration documents
Business financial statement
UAE business incubators approval letter

Special Talent And Researchers

A passport copy that should be valid
Passport size recent photographs
Original degrees and professional certificates
You also have to submit an employment contract offer letter or job offer letter.
You have to submit accreditation letters from the UAE authorities that are relevant to your field.

Students With Exceptional Qualities

Valid passport copy
Recent passport-size clear photographs
Original academic certificate and transcripts
You also have to submit the proof of your GPA (Only for university students)
You have to attach a letter of recommendation from a relevant institute

Humanitarian pioneers

Valid passport copy
Recent and clear passport-size photographs
Original certificate that you have received and awards you have got in humanitarian fields
You also have to submit a recommendation letter from a humanitarian organization

Processing Time

Although the processing time for obtaining a golden visa varies based on several factors, generally, it takes somewhere between 10 to 30 days to receive a response from the UAE. Remember you will receive the decision of your golden visa application via email.

Cost Of Golden Visa

It varies based on the nationality of the applicant. Those who are applying from UAE have to pay the golden visa cost of somewhere between 2800 AED and 3800 AED. Moreover, those applicants who are applying from other UAE regions have to pay the UAE Golden visa fees between 3800 AED to 4800 AED.

What Should I Do If My Golden Visa Application Is Declined?

In case your golden visa has been rejected, no need to worry. You still have to reapply. If you have received the notification of rejection within 30 days. What you have to do is to,

First look for the rejection cause and what was the matter that resulted in declining your application.
After that, you have to wait a minimum of 90 days and then have to reapply for the Golden visa.
It would be better for you to get help from a visa professional who is experienced and skilled in his field in Dubai.
Moreover, make sure that you are not repeating the mistake that first led you to the decline of your application.
This second time, you have to submit a perfect application with all the legal, genuine, and accurate documents so that your visa gets approved easily.
Take help from a visa professional to make sure that you get your golden visa on the very first attempt.

How To Renew Already Existing Golden Visa?

If you have an already existing Golden visa you have the choice of renewing your residence visa within the main duration. This is important as it allows you to stay in the UAE legally with a residence permit for a longer term.

You need to make sure to meet the renewable criteria as set by UAE immigration policies. To renew your UAE gold visa, you have to submit all of the up-to-date and current documents and have to provide proof of continued eligibility.

You have to submit your updated personal documents including recent photos and current passport copies.
You also have to submit proof of employment continuation and investment you have made in the UAE.
Moreover, then you have to pay the related renewal fees.

Remember the fees are not specific and instead vary according to the policies of the UAE government. You need to keep an eye on the visa expiry date so that you can renew your visa timely.

To make your long-term residence in UAE convenient and stress-free, you have to renew your visa before it expires. Remember to renew it before expiry to continue living in the UAE without any problems.

FAQ’s

A UAE golden visa provides individuals with lots of advantages, including long-term residency that helps an individual live, work and study in the UAE with exceptional security and extended validity of the visa. Moreover, it also is renewable and also allows the inclusion of family members of the visa holder.

You need to submit a valid passport copy, recent photographs that should be passport-sized, a visa application form, eligibility proofs such as records and documents of specialized talent, and official degrees and investment records. Moreover, you also have to provide medical clearance in the form of a medical fitness certificate and health insurance that covers the UAE.

The charges of application fee, issuance fee, residency fee and identity fees are included in Golden visa fees. Keep in mind the cost of a 5 year visa is different from a 10 year visa. You should check for the latest updates about the fee structure because the UAE government often keeps on changing its cost policies of visa.

Individuals have to make sure that they have a clean criminal record and they have applied for Emirates ID too. Moreover they also have to make sure that their work contracts are articulated according to UAE rules and regulations.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly the United Arab Emirates Golden visa has resulted in a notable increase in the country’s approach to enhance investment and increase foreign talent. It is a long term residency program in which the visa is provided to qualified individuals and their families so they can work, live and study in the UAE territory. This not only benefits the individuals and their families but also benefits the UAE economy.

Above guide tells you about the details related to how you can apply for a UAE Golden Visa and what step by step procedure you have to follow. You need to pay attention to understand the procedure so that you can apply for the visa, renew it and understand the basic information about it.