Which Golden Visa route fits your situation?
Each route has a published test, and the detail under it decides close cases. Specialised talent and outstanding students have routes too.
Property AED 2,000,000
Owning UAE real estate
Worth AED 2,000,000 or more on an updated title deed. A mortgaged property qualifies with the bank’s no-objection letter, and off-plan from an approved developer counts.
Bank deposit AED 2,000,000
Holding funds with a UAE bank
Your own money rather than a loan, with its source documented and the deposit held for the whole residency term. More in our guide to the Golden Visa through a bank deposit.
Business AED 2,000,000 or tax paid
Owning or investing in a UAE company
Company capital or a partner share worth AED 2,000,000, AED 250,000 a year in federal tax, or the entrepreneur route on revenue, an approved venture or an exit. A trade licence alone does not qualify you.
Salary AED 30,000 a month
Qualifying as a skilled employed professional
A salary of at least AED 30,000 a month, for professionals already employed in the UAE. Company ownership cannot make up a shortfall.
Investor visa or Golden Visa?
Two different permits often get treated as one. The investor or partner visa comes with the licence and is tied to your company, often for two to three years. It is full residency, with family sponsorship included.
The 10-year Golden Visa is granted on a qualifying route, judged on your assets, salary, business or recognition. A trade licence by itself rarely meets one.
The gap matters because it shows at the worst moment: at renewal, when you sponsor family, or when a long-term decision rests on a visa you never held.
The useful question is which route you meet, and whether you need the Golden Visa yet.
That turns on your assets, role, income and plans. Sometimes a standard investor visa serves you well for now and the 10-year route comes later; we tell you which applies, even when it is the less impressive answer.
Our page on UAE Golden Visa requirements covers how we assess eligibility and run the application. The investor visa vs Golden Visa comparison sets the two permits side by side.