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Glossary

Golden Visa

The Golden Visa is the UAE's ten-year, renewable residence permit that needs no sponsor. It exists in law as the "Golden Residence Permit" of Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, and the property route into it is AED 2,000,000 of real estate. One federal web page still says five years for property; the regulation, ICP, GDRFA and DLD all say ten.

Where the term comes from

The word "golden" is not in the entry-and-residence law. Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021, issued 16 September 2021 and in force from 26 October 2021, says only, in Article 8, that ICP "shall be responsible for issuing, renewing and cancelling residence permits" and that "the Executive Regulation of this Law by Decree shall determine the types of residence permits in the State". The permit is created by that regulation: Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, issued 12 July 2022 and in force from 3 October 2022, whose annex is titled "Regulating Golden Residence Permits". Its Article 1: ICP "shall issue a long-term Residence Permit for a period of (10) ten years. The Golden Residence Permit shall be subject to renewal, for certain categories of the Foreigners and their families, allowing them to self-reside without the need for the Guarantor/the Host Party".

The scheme is older than the regulation. ICP's own page traces it to "the Cabinet Decision Resolution (56) of 2018 regarding the regulation of residence permits for investors, entrepreneurs and those with specialized talents". We could not read that resolution's text; the 2022 annex is the operative instrument. The federal portal's plain definition: "The Golden visa is a long-term residence visa which enables foreign talents to live, work or study in the UAE while enjoying exclusive benefits."

Who qualifies: the seven categories

Annex Article 6, verbatim: "1. Investors; 2. Entrepreneurs; 3. Brilliant talented persons; 4. Scientists and specialists; 5. Excellent students and graduates; 6. Pioneers of humanitarian work; 7. The first line of defense", plus a discretionary clause for "prominent and influential personalities" at the ICP chairman's approval. ICP's current guide, updated 10 September 2026, expands each into sub-tracks: five for scientists and specialists, five for humanitarian pioneers, three for students, and a talents list covering culture, invention, sport and digital technology. The federal portal compresses the same list into five rows, which is where the confusion in the next section begins.

The property route

Annex Article 7 splits investors into "public investments" and "Real Estate within the State", and the real-estate condition is: "The Investor shall own one or more Real Estate with a total value of not less than (AED 2,000,000) two million dirhams, and that the Real Estate is wholly owned by the Investor. It may be a loan, on condition that the loan is from one of the local banks determined by the Competent Local Authority."

In Dubai, GDRFA's service card applies it: total value "no less than AED 2 million", certified by "a property status statement certificate issued by the Dubai Land Department" or a valuation certificate from a licensed office; "mortgaged property is acceptable"; a lien is placed for the term; and a share in joint property must itself be worth AED 2 million. GDRFA's fee lines total AED 1,640 (permit AED 1,100; inside-country AED 500; AED 20 knowledge and innovation; AED 20 delivery), rising AED 100 a year beyond two years, with "Expected Completion Time 5.0 Day(s)". DLD's own page quotes an all-in bundle of AED 9,884.75 including medical, Emirates ID and residency confirmation, and "7 - 10 business days". They are measuring different things; neither says so.

What it gives

No sponsor. Article 1 above; ICP: "Long-term residency without the need for a sponsor."

No 180-day rule. GDRFA: "Golden Residence Permit holders are exempt from the 180-day residency law, as the residency is considered void only if it expires outside the country."

Family. Annex Article 3: residence permits "to family members of the Foreigner who has obtained Golden Residence Permit, including the spouse and children, regardless of age and parents, for a renewable period of (10) ten years". DLD's Dubai page adds a condition the annex doesn't: "An undertaking that the daughters or sons over 18 years of age are not married." The regulation says any age; the counter asks about marital status.

Domestic workers. Annex Article 3(2): the holder "may recruit Domestic Service Workers in accordance with his financial solvency."

The Esaad card. Announced by the state news agency in July 2022 as a Dubai Police privilege card "provided free of charge to holders of 5-year and 10-year Golden Visas in Dubai". We found no 2026 page restating the offer, so treat it as a 2022 announcement.

Renewal, and selling the property

Annex Article 5: permits "are renewed with the approval of the ICA and the Competent Authorities ... in accordance with the same standards and conditions under which it is granted, and after paying the prescribed fees." GDRFA's card: "can be extended if the same conditions are met", and, on the property: the authority "reserves the right to take the necessary measures to ensure that individuals ... continue to meet the conditions ... (property may not be disposed of nor the financial deposit refunded throughout the 10-year residency period)". That is the whole official statement. No page says what happens, or how fast, if you sell; the lien exists so that you don't.

Five years or ten

The federal portal's category table, updated 28 July 2026 and sourced to ICP, reads: "10 years (public investments) 5 years (real estate investments)". Every issuing text says ten: the annex's Article 1 sets a single ten-year term with no property exception; ICP's guide says "10 years for investors in the UAE's real estate sector"; GDRFA's card says "valid for 10 years"; DLD's page says "a 10-years renewable residence permit". One table on u.ae is out of date, and it is the first page most people find. Our five-or-ten page keeps the texts side by side.

What changed in 2026

Confirmed: on 11 April 2026 GDRFA Dubai and the Land Department signed a memorandum transferring "the Golden Residency, the Retiree Residency, and the Property Residency" into "the GDRFA Dubai system". Reported by newsletters and consultancies but not found on a government page: a February 2026 removal of an upfront-payment condition on mortgaged property, a 16 April 2026 go-live with a five-working-day target, and new categories for nurses, teachers, esports professionals and content creators. We list those so you know what's being said, not because we've verified them.

Where this comes up

Golden Visa guide · 5 or 10 years · Eligibility · The property route

Frequently Asked Questions

This entry is part of the Home Guide Dubai glossary - the vocabulary a Dubai buyer or Golden Visa applicant actually meets, defined in plain English and kept consistent with our verified guides.