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The UAE Golden Visa grants 10-year renewable residency from AED 2,000,000 (typically real estate). It offers 0% personal income tax, full family sponsorship, and no minimum-stay requirement to maintain status.
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Overview
UAE Golden Visa is a government-authorised residency by investment programme that grants residence permit in exchange for a qualifying investment in the country. It is regulated by the government's investment authority and administered through licensed advisers such as Mirabello Consultancy. Minimum investment starts from AED 2,000,000.
The UAE Golden Visa grants 10-year renewable residency from AED 2,000,000 (typically real estate). It offers 0% personal income tax, full family sponsorship, and no minimum-stay requirement to maintain status.
The United Arab Emirates Golden Visa is a long-term (5 or 10-year), renewable residence permit for investors, entrepreneurs and select professionals. It grants the right to live, work and study in the UAE, to sponsor family, and to remain resident without living in the country full time. The outcome is a residence permit, not citizenship: there is no formal path to an Emirati passport, which is granted only rarely and at the discretion of the UAE leadership.
The principal qualifying threshold is AED 2,000,000 [], via a held real-estate asset or an equivalent public investment or deposit; an entrepreneur route recognises an economic project of significant value (project value from around AED 500,000, higher for sold ventures) []. A separate two-year investor visa (sometimes marketed under the Taskeen banner, from a lower amount) exists but is not the Golden Visa and should not be confused with it. Thresholds, durations and fees vary by emirate (Dubai, Abu Dhabi and others), so the exact terms are confirmed for the specific emirate and route.
On the Mirabello Investment Migration Index the UAE Golden Visa is strong on speed and lifestyle and weaker on cost and the absence of a citizenship path; investors often weigh it against the Greece Golden Visa and other Gulf routes. Every figure is provenance-tracked and time-sensitive items are confirmed against the official UAE Government portal and the UAE Ministry of Economy. This is information, not advice; a Mirabello specialist confirms the precise route and emirate for your circumstances.
Investment routes
The UAE Golden Visa programme offers 3 approved investment routes, each independently verified by the Mirabello data team against official government sources. Minimum required investment starts from AED 2,000,000. A Mirabello specialist will confirm which route best matches your nationality, family composition, budget and preferred timeline.
| Route | From | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Real-estate investor (property held) | AED 2,000,000 | real estate |
| Public investment / deposit or fund | AED 2,000,000 | public investment |
| Entrepreneur / economic project | AED 500,000 project value | business |
Cost calculator
Most advisers quote the headline figure only. Choose your route and family, and see the complete government-side cost, the investment plus every mandatory official fee, itemised line by line, so the number you budget is the number you pay.
On the Real estate investor (AED 2M property) route. Every figure below is an official government-side cost, computed by the same engine that powers the calculator and the Mirabello data API.
| Line item | Amount (AED) |
|---|---|
| Real estate investor (AED 2M property), minimum investment | AED 2,000,000 |
| ICP application fee, Main applicant | AED 100 |
| Residence-permit issuance (10-yr), Main applicant | AED 1,000 |
| Smart-services e-fee, Main applicant | AED 100 |
| Emirates ID card (10-yr), Main applicant | AED 1,100 |
| In-country status adjustment, Main applicant | AED 500 |
| ICP application fee, Spouse | AED 100 |
| Residence-permit issuance (10-yr), Spouse | AED 1,000 |
| Smart-services e-fee, Spouse | AED 100 |
| Emirates ID card (10-yr), Spouse | AED 1,100 |
| In-country status adjustment, Spouse | AED 500 |
| ICP application fee, Child (age 10) | AED 100 |
| Residence-permit issuance (10-yr), Child (age 10) | AED 1,000 |
| Smart-services e-fee, Child (age 10) | AED 100 |
| Emirates ID card (10-yr), Child (age 10) | AED 1,100 |
| In-country status adjustment, Child (age 10) | AED 500 |
| Estimated government-side total | AED 2,008,400 |
Plus 6 official fee(s) we hold as being re-verified against the source and therefore exclude from the total above: Medical fitness test, Main applicant; Entry permit / establishment, Main applicant; Medical fitness test, Spouse; Entry permit / establishment, Spouse; Medical fitness test, Child (age 10); Entry permit / establishment, Child (age 10). A specialist confirms these for your family.
MCPScored on cost, mobility, speed, path, stability, family and tax.
Our read: The UAE Golden Visa grants 10-year renewable residency from AED 2,000,000 (typically real estate). It offers 0% personal income tax, full family sponsorship, and no minimum-stay requirement to maintain status. Regulatory status: . Strategic perspective, advisory only; figures provenance-tracked, unconfirmed items flagged for verification.
A four-question indicative check to see whether this programme fits your profile. A Mirabello specialist then reviews your nationality, family structure, budget and timeline in full confidence, confirming your detailed eligibility and which investment route best suits you, at no cost and with no obligation.
Based on your answers, UAE Golden Visa looks worth a closer look. A Mirabello specialist will map the precise route to your nationality, family and tax position.
Book a free consultationHow it compares
The table below compares UAE Golden Visa against its closest alternatives, scored on the Mirabello Investment Migration Index across cost, visa-free mobility, processing speed, regulatory stability and path to citizenship. All investment figures and processing times are sourced from official government data and independently verified by the Mirabello data team.
Sourced live from the MirabelloMCP · | Programme | From | Timeline | Min. stay | Mobility | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇦🇪 UAE Golden Visa | AED 2,000,000 | 2-3 months | None | 187 visa-free | Residence permit |
| 🇯🇵 Japan Business Manager Visa | $200,000 | Approximately 1-3 months for the residence-status examination once a complete application is filed. A Certificate of Eligibility | No fixed annu | 187 visa-free | Residence permit |
| 🇸🇮 Slovenia Business Residence | €50,000 | n/a | Must reside genuinely | 182 visa-free | Residence permit |
| 🇲🇾 Malaysia MM2H | $150,000 | Approximately 2-3 months after complete document submission current service standard. | Mainland tiers reporte | 183 visa-free | Residence permit |
Questions
The UAE Golden Visa programme starts from AED 2,000,000 via Real-estate investment.
Indicative processing time is 2-3 months (investor route); 4-8 weeks (professional categories).
None. Residing outside the UAE does NOT invalidate the Golden Visa. Must enter UAE within 6 months of visa issuance.
No formal path. UAE citizenship is extremely rare and granted at the discretion of the UAE leadership. Some long-term residents have been offered citizenship under the January 2021 amendments to the nationality law, but this is by invitation only and not tied to Golden Visa status.
The principal qualifying threshold is AED 2,000,000, held as a real-estate asset or an equivalent public investment or deposit. An entrepreneur route recognises a significant economic project (project value from around AED 500,000, higher for sold ventures). Exact thresholds vary by emirate and are. A separate two-year investor visa exists from a lower amount but is not the Golden Visa.
No. The UAE Golden Visa is a long-term residence permit with no formal path to citizenship. Emirati nationality is granted only rarely and at the discretion of the UAE leadership, by invitation, and is not tied to Golden Visa status.
No. You can live outside the UAE without losing the Golden Visa, which is one of its main attractions. Some emirate-level entry conditions may apply after issuance; confirm the current rule for your emirate ().
Yes. The qualifying investment is assessed on the main applicant, who then sponsors a spouse and children, and in some cases parents, subject to conditions. The investment does not increase with family size, but each sponsored dependant pays separate visa and Emirates ID fees.
The UAE authorities do not publish binding processing times. Recent experience is commonly a few weeks to a few months depending on the route and emirate, but this is not guaranteed and should be treated as.
The UAE levies no federal personal income tax on employment income for most individuals. The Golden Visa is not positioned as a tax-relocation programme, and your personal tax position depends on your circumstances and residency elsewhere; seek independent tax advice.
The primary official sources the UAE Golden Visa figures on this page are verified against. Where a mandatory fee is not in a published schedule, it is marked as disclosed by Mirabello from case experience.
Book a confidential, no-obligation consultation with a Mirabello investment migration specialist, in your own language. We will confirm which programme fits your profile, your budget and your timeline, and outline the precise path to your second citizenship or residence permit, at no cost and with no commitment.
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