Individuals who wish to relocate to Dubai and become legal residents are met with a highly flexible and versatile UAE visa policy, that offers multi-year residencies for investors, students, professionals, remote workers and even retirees.

Holders of a Dubai residency are eligible to sponsor their immediate family members. Holding a valid residency is essential to apply for the Emirates ID card, open a bank account, acquire a UAE driving license, sign up for Etisalat or Du mobile and home packages, and access many other services.  

Employment Visa

When starting to work for a company in Dubai, expatriates must be sponsored by the hiring company who is legally required to apply for the respective employee’s entry visa and work permit, in addition to sponsoring their residency. The residence permit would be valid for either one or two years depending on the employment contract.

Employer-sponsored expats may also sponsor their immediate family members, subject to conditions which include minimum salary of AED 4,000 or AED 3,000 plus accommodation.

For more information on obtaining residency through employment, please read here.

Real Estate Visa

Purchasing real estate in Dubai may grant the buyer a residence permit. According to the UAE investor visa program, the property must be completed upon the purchase and its value must be of at least AED 1 million. Holders of residence visas through real estate purchase may also sponsor their dependents.

For more information on obtaining residency through employment, please read here. 

Investor Visa

Foreigners who start a business or invest in an existing company in Dubai’s mainland or the free zones are eligible for a residence visa.

This visa is granted to investors who own shares in an existing company worth at least AED 72,000, or are establishing a company with a capital investment worth the same amount.

The investor visa falls under the Golden Visa scheme which grants investors a long-term visa for themselves and their dependents, subject to additional conditions related to investment size and capital.

For more information on obtaining residency through starting a business, please read here.

Remote Work Visa

The remote work visa is eligible for employees who are based outside the UAE and wish to relocate to Dubai. The one-year renewable visa falls under the virtual working program that is tailored for people, start-ups and entrepreneurs who meet specific eligibility criteria.

If you are an employee, you need to:

• provide proof of employment with a contract valid for one year from your current employer
• earn a salary of minimum USD 5,000 per month
• provide a salary slip for the last month and bank statements for the preceding three months.

If you are a company owner, you need to:

• provide proof of ownership of company for one year or more
• have an average monthly income of at least USD 5,000 per month
• provide bank statements of the company’s account for the preceding three months.

If the application to live in Dubai is approved by the UAE’s authorities, the holder of a remote work visa may also sponsor immediate family members.

For more information on obtaining residency through remote work, please read here.

Student Visa

Expats who are at least 18 years of age and decide to enroll in a college or university in Dubai are eligible for a residence visa that is sponsored either by the parents (male students only) or by one of the accredited universities and colleges in Dubai.

The student visa is generally valid for one year and renewable for a similar period upon submitting official proof of continuation of educations, issued by the relevant higher educational institute.

A 5-year Golden Visa is granted to university students within and outside the country having a distinction GPA of at least 3.75 upon graduation.

For more information on obtaining residency through academic studies, please read here.

Cultural and Special Talents Visa

A 10-year Cultural Visa is granted to creative talents in the fields of literature and culture; arts; heritage, history, and cognitive studies; and creative industries.

At the moment, only existing UAE residents may apply for this visa should they meet at least five mandatory conditions set by The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) in coordination with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs - Dubai (GDRFA).

A 10-year visa is also granted to specialized talents and researchers in the fields of science and knowledge such as doctors, specialists, scientists, and inventors.

For more information on obtaining residency through a cultural visa, please read here.

For more information on obtaining residency through a specialized talents visa, please read here.

Retirement Visa

Retired residents over the age of 55 may apply for a 5-year visa if they meet the eligibility criteria.

For a retiree to be eligible for a 5-year renewable retirement visa, he/she must fulfill one of the following criteria: invest in a property worth AED 2 million, have financial savings of no less than AED 1 million, or have an active income of no less than AED 20,000 per month.

For more information on obtaining residency through a retirement visa, please read here.