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United Arab Emirates Visa Information And Requirements

People from all over the world have made the UAE their home. Foreign nationals have played an important role to shape this country’s economy. If you would like to be a part of this beautiful land, then look no further. Here is a list of different residency visas that you simply can avail to become a resident of the UAE:

• 10-year golden visa or long-term investor visa
• 5-year golden visa or property investor visa
• Retirement visa
• Employment visa
• Company investor visa
• Family visa
• Specialist resident visa
• Student visa

 What is a 10-year golden visa or long-term investor visa?

A 10-year golden visa is a type of investor visa wherein one must have made a certain amount of investment to be eligible for it. The validity of this type of visa is 10 years which gets renewed automatically. One of the given requirements should be fulfil to be eligible for a 10-year golden visa in UAE:

• You should have invested at least AED 10 million in the UAE
• If you are the owner of a company, then your capital investment should not be less than AED 10 million
• In case you own a company in partnership with another person, then your share in the company should not be less than AED 10 million
• Taking all the above points together, your minimum investment should not be less than AED 10 million, with not more than 40% in the real estate sector

Here are certain things you should keep in mind

• The money you invest should not be in the form of a bank loan
• You should stay invested for at least 3 years
• Your financial assets should not be less than AED 10 million
• In case you want to rope in business partners, each of the partners must invest a minimum of AED 10 million

What is a 5-year golden visa or property investor visa?

One can apply for this type of visa by buying a property in the UAE. The validity of the visa is 5 years which gets renewed automatically. Certain criteria need to fulfil to be eligible for this type of visa:

•  The property’s gross value should not be less than AED 5 million
•  The amount you invest should not be in the form of a bank loan
• You should have retained the property for at least 3 years

Documents required

• A copy of the passport
• A copy of your last visa
• Your photograph (against a white background)
• The property’s title deed
• A certificate of good conduct
• Bank statement
• DHA-approved health insurance policy
• Utility bill

 What is a retirement visa?

Retirement visas are for older expats above 55 years and hoping to spend the rest of their lives in the UAE can apply for this type of visa. The validity of the visa is 5 years and it is renewable. Following conditions to fulfil to be eligible for a retirement visa:

•  You should have invested in a property that is worth at least AED 2 million. In this case, it will be treated as a type of investment visa
• You must have minimum savings of AED 1 million
• You should have a monthly income of at least AED 20,000
• Your property investment and savings are taken together should amount to at least AED 2 million

 Documents required:

• A copy of the passport (applicants as well as their dependents if any)
• A copy of the marriage certificate (in case the spouse is also an applicant)
• Current UAE residency visa
• Emirates ID

Additional documents required on a case-to-case basis:

• A copy of the title deed to be eligible for a visa under the property investment scheme
• A copy of the retirement letter and proof of savings in the UAE if you want to apply under the savings scheme
• A copy of the retirement letter, monthly income certificate and six months’ bank statements under the fixed income scheme
• A copy of the title deed and proof of savings for a visa under the property investment and savings scheme

What is an employment visa?

This is perhaps the most common type of residency visa wherein an expat, who is employed by a company in the UAE, can legally live and work in the country. The employer acts as a sponsor for this type of visa. The employer can be private or a government company and located in the mainland or in the free zone. Separate documents will be required for companies located in the mainland and the free zone.

The following documents are needed in case a company is situated on the mainland:

 For a company

• Trade licence
• Company immigration card
• Labour card

For an employee

• A copy of the passport
• Employee’s photograph (against a white background)
• Copies of education certificates
• Previous residency visa (if applicable)
• Previous Emirates ID (if applicable)
• Tourist visa (if applicable)
• DHA-approved health insurance

The following documents are needed in case a company is located in the free zone or is a government entity:

 For a company

• Online visa application
• Trade licence
• Company’s immigration card
• A copy of the office lease agreement

For an employee

• A copy of the passport
• Employee’s photograph (against a white background)
• Copy of the offer letter or appointment letter
• Copies of education certificates
• Previous residency visa (if applicable)
• Previous Emirates ID (if applicable)
• Tourist visa (if applicable)
• DHA-approved health insurance

Visa validity

• For a mainland company, the visa validity is of 2 years while for one in the free zone or a government entity, the validity is of 3 years. Both types of visas are renewable

What is a company investor visa?

Company investor visa is for those foreign nationals who own companies in the UAE or hold shares in one. It is also beneficial for foreigners looking for doing businesses in the country. The investor visa gives the legality to live and work in the UAE during the validity of the visa. The validity of this type of visa is 3 years, subject to renewal.

 The following documents are needed in case a company is situated on the mainland:

 For a company

• Trade licence
• Immigration establishment card
• Memorandum of Association (LLC)
• Local service agreement
• Partnership contract (if available)
• Partners list (LLC)

 For an investor

• A copy of the passport
• A photograph (against a white background)
• Bank statement (if applicable)
• Previous visa (if applicable)
• Previous Emirates ID (if applicable)

The following documents are needed in case a company is located in the free zone or is a government entity:

 For a company

• Trade licence
• Share certificate
• Immigration card
• Memorandum of Association
• Certificate of Incorporation

 For an investor

• A copy of the passport
• A photograph (against a white background)
• Bank statement (if applicable)
• Previous visa (if applicable)
• Previous Emirates ID (if applicable)

 What is a family visa?

Family visa allows you to sponsor your spouse, children and parents to come and live in the country.

 Certain guidelines need to be followed for a family visa:

• Those looking to sponsor their family members must pay a refundable fee of AED 3,000 for each family member
• If an employee wants to sponsor a family member, the person’s salary must be at least AED 4,000. Alternatively, the salary can be AED 3,000 plus monthly rent
• In case a person is sponsoring both parents, the person’s monthly income should be at least AED 20,000. In the event one of the parents is dead, his/her death certificate is required

 The following documents are required by the sponsor and dependants for a family visa:

 For a sponsor

• A copy of the passport
• A copy of the UAE residency visa
• Original Emirates ID
• A copy of the labour card and contract from the Ministry of Labour
• Salary certificate in Arabic in case the sponsor is employed by a company located in the free zone or by a government entity

What is a specialist resident visa?

Specialist resident visa is granted to talented individuals working in the fields of science and knowledge and who are currently employed in the UAE. The validity of the visa is 10 years and is subject to renewal.

 Following are the requirements for those looking to apply for a specialist resident visa:

• In the case of a scientist, the person must be accredited by the Emirates Scientist Council or is a winner of the Mohammed bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Excellence
• For an individual working in the field of art and culture, he/she must be accredited by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development
• For an individual holding a patent, it should add value to the UAE’s economy and must be approved by the Ministry of Economy
• An exceptionally talented individual should have patents in his/her name or have his/her articles published in globally recognized journals
• Besides, an individual who owns a globally reputed company can apply for a specialist resident visa

In case of doctors and specialists, they should be able to meet at least two of the conditions given below:

• The individual’s PhD must be from a university that is on the list of 500 best universities in the world and must have at least 10 years of work experience
• The individual’s work must have been recognised by a special award or a certificate of appreciation
• The individual must have made a significant contribution in large-scale scientific research in his/her respective field
• The individual must have published an article or written a scientific book that has been published by a well-known publication
• The applicant must be a member of a reputed organization that specializes in his/her field of work
• The individual’s skill and talent is considered a priority profession in the UAE

What is a student visa?

Students who want to study in world-class educational institutes in the UAE can apply for student visa.

 Following are the documents required to apply for a student visa:

• A copy of the passport with a validity of at least 6 months
• A passport-size photo (against a white background)
• Receipt of visa and tuition fees
• A copy of the current visa (if applicable)
• A copy of the admission letter from the university

Visa validity

• The validity of a student visa is 1 year. Students can apply for renewal annually till their education is over