Golden visa services help you choose a route to the UAE’s long-term residence permit and prepare the file. The golden visa needs no sponsor, is valid for up to 10 years, and lets you stay outside the UAE for more than the usual six months. Routes: Dubai property worth AED 2 million, public investment, entrepreneurs, skilled professionals, outstanding students, and frontline and humanitarian workers. Property applicants apply themselves, from inside the UAE, through the Dubai Land Department; other routes go through ICP or GDRFA. Send your golden visa route and the number of family members on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote that separates government fees from our service fee.
WhatsApp Amir: my golden visa route and family
By First Idea Consultant. Reviewed by Amir Aslam, Founder. Updated September 2026.
Golden visa requirements: which route fits you
The golden visa UAE programme, which ICP calls golden residency, has one condition per route. The amounts are conditions you must meet, not the price of the visa. We checked every rule and fee on this page on the publisher’s own site on 25 September 2026.
| Route | Condition as published | Publisher | Validity as published | Main proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai property investor | Dubai property with a purchase value of AED 2 million or more, wholly owned in your name. Mortgaged property and market value are covered below. | Dubai Land Department; DLD Cube | 10 years (Dubai Land Department; DLD Cube; ICP). u.ae lists 5 years. | Title deed |
| Public investment | AED 2 million in an investment fund or national bank deposit; or a UAE company with capital, or your partner share, of at least AED 2 million, or one paying at least AED 250,000 a year in federal taxes. Your own capital, not a loan. | ICP | 10 years (ICP; u.ae) | Deposit certificate, audited financial report or Federal Tax Authority letter (GDRFA Dubai) |
| Entrepreneur | A UAE small or medium business with annual revenue of at least AED 1 million and an approved venture, or ventures sold for at least AED 7 million. Detail in golden visa for company owners. | ICP; u.ae; GDRFA Dubai | 10 years (ICP; GDRFA Dubai). u.ae lists 5 years. | Revenue evidence and the approval, or proof of the sale |
| Skilled professionals | MOHRE occupational level 1 or 2, a valid UAE work permit, at least a bachelor’s degree, and a monthly salary of at least AED 30,000. | ICP | 10 years (ICP; u.ae) | Work permit, contract, salary certificate, degree |
| Scientists, specialists and talents | A recommendation from the relevant body: the Emirates Scientists Council, the Ministry of Health and Prevention, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, or the local authority. Creative, sports and digital talents qualify on ICP’s criteria. | ICP | 10 years (ICP; u.ae) | Recommendation letter |
| Outstanding students | Secondary school: 95% or higher in Grade 12 at a UAE government or licensed private school. International graduates: a top 100 world university, GPA 3.5 or higher. UAE graduates: GPA 3.5 at a Category A or 3.8 at a Category B university. Graduates apply within 2 years. | ICP | 10 years (ICP). u.ae lists 5 years for high school, 10 for university. | Certificates attested by the Ministry of Education |
| Frontline and humanitarian workers | “The First Line of Defence” as ICP lists it; humanitarian pioneers with five years of qualifying work or AED 2 million of support, and a degree. | ICP | 10 years (ICP; u.ae) | As ICP or GDRFA state it |
| Educators in Dubai private institutions | Selection rounds run by KHDA for educators at Dubai private early childhood centres, schools and international higher education institutions, on the dates KHDA announces. | KHDA | As KHDA states it | As KHDA states it |
ICP’s guide, updated 10 September 2026, lists every category at 10 years. The u.ae portal, updated 28 July 2026, still lists real estate investors, entrepreneurs and high school students at 5 years. The authority that issues your permit decides.
The blue visa is a separate 10-year residence visa for environmental contributors, issued through ICP, not a golden visa route.
If you are below these thresholds, see the other routes on our UAE residence visa page.
Golden visa UAE price: government fees by authority
There is no First Idea price for the golden visa: the fees depend on your route and your family. These are the authorities’ own figures.
| Fee | Dubai Land Department service card (dubailand.gov.ae) | DLD Cube fee pages (dldcube.com) |
|---|---|---|
| 10-year property investor golden visa, primary applicant | Medical examination AED 700; Emirates ID (10 years) AED 1,153; confirmation of residency permit (10 years) AED 2,856.75; Dubai Land Department fees AED 4,020; administrative fees AED 1,155; total AED 9,884.75 | AED 9,984.75 (one line) |
| Family residence permit, 10 years (spouse or child) | AED 5,774.50 | New dependant visa, sponsor holding a 10-year investor visa: under 18 AED 5,118.50; over 18 AED 6,154.25 |
| Parents residence permit, 10 years | AED 5,774.50 | New parent investor visa, sponsor holding a 10-year investor visa: AED 6,054.25 |
| Family sponsorship file opening | AED 318.75 | Not shown |
| Added for each sponsored person | AED 100 | Not shown |
| Renewal, primary applicant | Not shown | AED 9,519.75 |
| Cancellation, primary applicant | Not shown | AED 190.75 |
The two Dubai Land Department sources differ; the fee charged on the day applies, and your written quote itemises it.
Service time stated by the Dubai Land Department: 7 to 10 business days.
| Fee component | Published figure | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Residence permit fee | AED 1,100, plus Knowledge Dirham AED 10 and Innovation Dirham AED 10 | GDRFA Dubai |
| Permits longer than two years | “The issuance fee increases by AED100 annually whenever the residency is over two years” | GDRFA Dubai |
| Fee inside the country (applicant already in the UAE) | AED 500 | GDRFA Dubai |
| Delivery | AED 20 | GDRFA Dubai |
| Six-month entry visa for applicants outside the UAE | Per ICP tariff | ICP names the visa; its guide shows no fee |
| Emirates ID (10 years) | Per ICP tariff | ICP |
The medical examination and health insurance are paid on top; your quote itemises them. Expected completion time stated by GDRFA Dubai: 5 days.
Send your golden visa route and the number of family members on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote that separates government fees from our service fee.
WhatsApp Amir for the government fees on your route
Dubai Land Department golden visa for property investors
Buying property in Dubai leads to a residence visa through the Dubai Land Department. At AED 2 million or more, the Dubai Land Department issues the property investor golden visa for 10 years (Dubai Land Department and DLD Cube, checked 25 September 2026). Below that, the Dubai Land Department runs a separate two-year investor residence visa (Dubai Land Department, Investor Residence Application, checked 25 September 2026). Other residence routes are on our UAE residence visa page.
What the title deed must show
- A purchase value of AED 2 million or more, one or more Dubai properties, wholly owned, in your name (Dubai Land Department).
- The name on the deed matches your passport exactly (DLD Cube).
- A joint deed is accepted if your share is at least AED 2 million (DLD Cube).
- A purchase price under AED 2 million with a market value above it: apply with an official DLD evaluation certificate (DLD Cube).
- Properties in other emirates and in DIFC are not accepted (DLD Cube).
- A lien is placed on the property “to ensure the continuity of ownership” (GDRFA Dubai).
Joint ownership between spouses
Where a shared property is worth under AED 4 million, one spouse applies as the primary holder and sponsors the other: either spouse with equal shares, otherwise the larger shareholder. The marriage certificate is attested by MOFA and legally translated into Arabic (DLD Cube).
Mortgaged property
The Dubai Land Department asks for a bank letter saying the bank does not object, with the paid amount and the balance; the DLD Cube also accepts a developer’s statement of account.
Where and how you apply
You must be inside the UAE, and you apply yourself: the Dubai Land Department accepts no representative, and the DLD Cube does not accept applications from a PRO or from a person holding a power of attorney (Dubai Land Department and DLD Cube, checked 25 September 2026).
The DLD Cube asks for online applications. The Dubai Land Department also lists the Al Manara Center (Cube) and the Golden Cube at Dubai World Trade Centre, and accepts resident and visiting foreign investors. The DLD Cube says you may not travel during the procedure.
Golden visa for company owners and entrepreneurs
ICP’s entrepreneur route is for owners or partners of a UAE small or medium business with annual revenue of AED 1 million or more and an approved venture, and for founders who have sold ventures for AED 7 million or more; ICP lists it at 10 years. The venture idea is approved by an accredited business incubator, the Ministry of Economy or another listed authority (ICP). u.ae lists the entrepreneur golden visa at 5 years and asks for proof of an innovative or technical project and a letter from a business incubator. In Dubai, GDRFA asks for a nomination from the Dubai Future Foundation. ICP’s public investment route also counts a UAE company with capital of at least AED 2 million, or one accounting for at least AED 250,000 a year in federal taxes.
If you do not have a UAE company yet, the company comes first, and a trade licence on its own does not meet any of these conditions. The full package most buyers look for is Premium: company, one residence visa and business bank account opening assistance, AED 28,136 at Meydan free zone or AED 28,436 at IFZA free zone. The residence visa in Premium is a standard residence visa through your own company, not a golden visa. Bank account opening is subject to each bank’s KYC, compliance review and final approval. We prepare the file, pre-check it against the bank’s requirements, and if one bank declines we apply to the next.
WhatsApp Amir: company, visa and bank account first
The rows behind Premium are on our cost of setting up a business in Dubai page, and all four options are in our Dubai company setup packages. See also free zone visa and Dubai free zone license.
0% personal income tax. Corporate tax is 9% only on profit above AED 375,000, and registration is included in every package from Standard upward.
The golden visa itself is quoted separately. Send your golden visa route and the number of family members on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote that separates government fees from our service fee.
Keeping your company licence renewed
No professional service fee on licence renewals; government and authority fees still apply. Send your business activity and visa count on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote. The steps are on our trade license renewal Dubai page.
Documents for a golden visa application
Your route decides which rows apply to you.
| Document | Who needs it | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Passport valid for more than 6 months | All routes | DLD Cube |
| e-title deed or title deed | Property | Dubai Land Department |
| Digital photo to ICP specifications | All routes | DLD Cube; Dubai Land Department |
| Old Emirates ID and current residence visa copy | If you hold them | DLD Cube; Dubai Land Department |
| Bank letter, or developer statement of account | Mortgaged or developer-financed property | Dubai Land Department; DLD Cube |
| DLD evaluation certificate | Property applied for on market value | DLD Cube |
| Marriage certificate attested by MOFA and legally translated into Arabic | Spouses sharing a property | DLD Cube |
| UAE health insurance | All routes | DLD Cube (citing GDRFA: compulsory for all residence permit applications); ICP lists it for investors, entrepreneurs and skilled professionals |
| National ID | Applicants from Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan, property route | DLD Cube |
| Deposit, capital or federal tax evidence, and proof the capital is not a loan | Public investment | ICP; GDRFA Dubai |
| Revenue evidence and the incubator or ministry approval, or proof of the venture sale | Entrepreneurs | ICP |
| Work permit, employment contract, salary evidence, degree | Skilled professionals | ICP |
| Recommendation letter from the relevant ministry or authority | Scientists and specialists | ICP |
| Certificates attested by the Ministry of Education | Students | ICP |
Family documents are listed under applying from outside the UAE.
How to apply for a golden visa in the UAE, step by step
To apply for golden visa UAE status, every route follows five steps; only the authority and the documents change.
- Route check. Confirm the route and its condition; ICP has an eligibility check on its guide page. Goes wrong: a deed below AED 2 million without an evaluation certificate, or a salary under AED 30,000.
- Documents checked against the route. Goes wrong: a title deed name that does not match the passport, or a mortgage letter that does not show the paid amount.
- Submission. Property route: you apply yourself, from inside the UAE, online through the DLD Cube or at a Dubai Land Department channel; no PRO, representative or power of attorney is accepted. Other routes: ICP smart services or GDRFA. Goes wrong: applying from abroad on the property route, or sending someone in your place.
- Medical examination and Emirates ID biometrics. Goes wrong: expired health insurance.
- Permit issued. The Dubai Land Department sends the residence permit by email. Goes wrong: planning travel before the procedure ends, which the DLD Cube does not permit.
Applying from outside the UAE
You can prepare most of a golden visa file before you travel, but the property route and the biometrics need you in the UAE.
Before you travel
- Check your route and collect the documents for it.
- Have marriage and birth certificates attested in the country that issued them and by the UAE Embassy there, then by MOFA in the UAE, followed by a legal Arabic translation (DLD Cube family visa page). Student certificates are attested by the Ministry of Education (ICP). Indian documents are covered below.
- Arrange UAE health insurance.
- For a mortgaged property, get the bank letter or the developer’s statement of account.
What needs you in the UAE
| Step | From abroad or in the UAE | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Route check and documents | From abroad | ICP; Dubai Land Department; DLD Cube |
| 2. Entry | Eligible applicants outside the UAE get a six-month multiple-entry entry visa, renewable for another six months, to complete the procedure | ICP |
| 3. Property route submission | In the UAE, in person; visiting foreign investors are listed among applicants | Dubai Land Department; DLD Cube |
| 4. Medical examination and Emirates ID biometrics | In the UAE, in person | Dubai Land Department service procedure |
| 5. Permit issued | By email on the property route | Dubai Land Department |
| 6. Family sponsorship | After your permit, in the UAE: the DLD Cube says family applications cannot be made from outside the country. See the family fees | DLD Cube |
Family documents
| Document | Spouse and children | Parents |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor’s original Emirates ID and original passport | Yes | Yes |
| Recent photo to ICP specifications | Yes | Yes |
| Health insurance | Yes | Yes |
| Certified marriage contract | Yes | No |
| Certified birth certificates for children | Yes | No |
| No objection letter from the father, notarised, if the mother is the sponsor | Yes | No |
| Undertaking that sons or daughters over 18 are not married | Yes | No |
| Certified dependency certificate from the consulate | No | Yes |
| Certified birth certificate (the sponsor’s, linking to the parents) | No | Yes |
| IBAN number | Yes | Yes |
To sponsor family on another residence visa, see our family visa UAE page.
Golden visa for Indian nationals: attestation
The Dubai golden visa for Indians has the same routes, conditions and government fees as for every other nationality. Only the attestation of Indian documents differs.
The UAE Embassy in New Delhi says India-issued documents must first be attested by the Ministry of External Affairs of India. The embassy’s digital attestation service then covers both the UAE Embassy in New Delhi and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs in one application, and it needs the original physical document (UAE Embassy in New Delhi). For a family file, the attested marriage or birth certificate is then legally translated into Arabic (DLD Cube).
Start before you travel; the documents table shows which certificates your route needs.
What the golden visa gives you, and what it does not
It gives you:
- No sponsor (u.ae; ICP).
- Time abroad: you may stay outside the UAE for more than the usual period of six months needed to keep a residence visa valid (u.ae).
- Family: residence permits for your spouse, children regardless of age, and parents (ICP); on the property route, unmarried sons and daughters for the same duration as your visa (DLD Cube).
- Domestic workers: up to 3 maids or drivers on the property route (DLD Cube).
- If the sponsor dies, sponsored family members may remain for the validity of their permits (ICP).
- Renewal: see renewing a golden visa below.
It does not give you:
- Citizenship. It is a residence permit.
- Free choice of employer: working for a private company still needs MOHRE permission (DLD Cube).
- A golden visa through your company: a standard company residence visa, including the one in Premium, is not a golden visa.
Renewing a golden visa
A golden visa is renewed through the authority that issued it. ICP describes golden residency as a ten-year permit “with automatic renewal” (ICP, checked 25 September 2026), and the DLD Cube still lists a renewal transaction for the property route.
GDRFA Dubai says the investor and entrepreneur permits “can be extended if the same conditions are met”, and that investors may not dispose of the property or have the deposit refunded during the permit (GDRFA Dubai, checked 25 September 2026). So selling the property or closing the company first removes the basis for renewal.
For the property route, the DLD Cube lists a renewal fee of AED 9,519.75 and a cancellation fee of AED 190.75 (DLD Cube published fees, checked 25 September 2026). Other routes renew at the fees ICP or GDRFA publish on the day.
Send your golden visa route and the number of family members on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote that separates government fees from our service fee.
WhatsApp Amir about your golden visa renewal
How First Idea Consultant LLC handles the file
First Idea Consultant LLC was founded in 2015 and works from Office 812, ParkLane Tower, Park Regis, Business Bay, Dubai. On a golden visa file the work is what this page describes: the route check, the documents checked against the route, and a written quote that keeps government fees apart from our service fee. On the property route you apply yourself. Amir Aslam is the person to message: send your route and the number of family members, and we usually reply on WhatsApp within a couple of hours on +971 56 500 6694. Reviews of First Idea Consultant LLC are on our Google Business Profile.
WhatsApp Amir: my golden visa route and family
WhatsApp Amir: I need a UAE company first
Golden visa services FAQ
How do I apply for a golden visa in the UAE?
A Dubai golden visa application on the property route is made by you, from inside the UAE, online through the DLD Cube or at a Dubai Land Department channel, with no representative, PRO or power of attorney (Dubai Land Department; DLD Cube, checked 25 September 2026). A golden residency application on the other routes goes through ICP smart services or GDRFA, and eligible applicants abroad get ICP’s six-month entry visa. Send your golden visa route and the number of family members on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote that separates government fees from our service fee.
What does the golden visa cost in the UAE?
For the 10-year property route, the Dubai Land Department’s service card shows a total of AED 9,884.75 for the primary applicant, and the DLD Cube shows AED 9,984.75 (both checked 25 September 2026). Other routes pay the ICP or GDRFA fees in the second table above. Send your golden visa route and the number of family members on WhatsApp and you get an itemised written quote that separates government fees from our service fee.
What is the salary requirement for the UAE golden visa?
At least AED 30,000 a month, with a bachelor’s degree, a valid UAE work permit and MOHRE occupational level 1 or 2 (ICP, checked 25 September 2026). Below that, see the other routes on our UAE residence visa page.
Is the Dubai golden visa 10 years or 5 years?
On the property route it is 10 years (Dubai Land Department; DLD Cube; ICP). ICP (updated 10 September 2026) lists every category at 10 years; u.ae (updated 28 July 2026) lists real estate investors, entrepreneurs and high school students at 5 years. The issuing authority decides.
Can teachers in Dubai get a golden visa?
ICP lists education specialists at 10 years on a recommendation from the Ministry of Education or the relevant local authority (ICP, checked 25 September 2026). KHDA announces rounds for educators in Dubai private institutions; outside a round, the education specialist route above applies.
How do students apply for the UAE golden visa?
ICP’s grade and GPA rules are in the routes table: 95% in Grade 12, or a GPA of 3.5 or 3.8 within 2 years of graduating, depending on the university (ICP, checked 25 September 2026). ICP lists students at 10 years; u.ae lists 5 years for high school and 10 for university. Applications go through ICP or GDRFA, with certificates attested by the Ministry of Education.
Can nurses get a golden visa in the UAE?
ICP’s guide does not name nurses. It lists “The First Line of Defence” at 10 years, and healthcare specialists on a recommendation from the Ministry of Health and Prevention or the relevant local authority (ICP, checked 25 September 2026). The authority sets who qualifies.
What is the difference between the blue visa and the golden visa?
The blue visa is a 10-year residence visa for people who have made an exceptional contribution to environmental protection and sustainability; you apply to ICP directly or through nomination by a competent authority (u.ae, updated 7 August 2026). The golden visa covers the routes in the table above. They are separate visas.
Talk to Amir about your golden visa
WhatsApp Amir: my golden visa route and family
First Idea Consultant LLC, founded 2015, Office 812, ParkLane Tower, Park Regis, Business Bay, Dubai. Call or WhatsApp +971 56 500 6694.
By First Idea Consultant. Reviewed by Amir Aslam, Founder. Updated September 2026.
