Key takeaways
- The UAE Golden Visa bank deposit route needs AED 2 million of your own funds with a UAE bank, and gives ten years of residence that renews automatically.
- The money cannot come from a loan, its source has to be documented, and the deposit stays in place for at least two years.
- Many banks offer an overdraft or credit line against the deposit while it is held, so the money keeps working.
What is the Golden Visa bank deposit route?
It is the investor route for people whose wealth sits in cash rather than in property or a company. You place at least AED 2 million with a bank operating in the UAE, keep it there, and the deposit carries the Golden Visa.
The visa runs for ten years and renews automatically while the conditions still hold. No employer or sponsor is involved. It covers your spouse and your children of any age, and you can sponsor your parents as well.
On the federal rules, an investment fund in the UAE can hold the money instead of a bank. GDRFA Dubai asks for the deposit with an accredited local bank, which can confirm the amount and the hold in one certificate.
Who the deposit route suits
It suits people who hold cash and have no plan to buy property or run a company here. A founder after selling a business is a typical case, and so is a family bringing savings to Dubai ahead of a move.
It also keeps your residence apart from the property market. The figure that counts is the balance in your name at the bank, so no valuation or title deed enters the file.
If the money already sits in a property you own, or in a UAE company, another route usually fits better. Owners of a UAE company have four ways in, set out in our guide to the Golden Visa for business owners.
What the authority checks
Ownership comes first. ICP requires the capital to be fully owned by the investor and not derived from a loan, so borrowed money does not count.
The source of the funds has to be documented as well. That is quick when the money has sat in your own account for years. It takes more work when it arrives from abroad, from a business sale or from several accounts at once.
Then time. The deposit has to stay in place, and in Dubai GDRFA asks for a bank certificate showing it frozen for at least two years. Moving the money before then puts the visa at risk.
Banks word these certificates in their own way, which matters because the authority reads them closely. We confirm the current position with the bank before the file goes in.
Does the deposit sit idle?
It does not have to. Many UAE banks offer an overdraft or a credit line against a deposit while it is held, so the money keeps working while it secures your residence.
The terms depend on the bank. Rates differ between banks, so does the share of the deposit they will lend against, and not every bank offers credit on a deposit held for the Golden Visa.
Credit against a deposit is usually secured by a lien on it, so its terms have to sit comfortably with what the authority expects. We check that the bank’s paperwork meets what is required before you sign.
What changes the cost and timing
The deposit is fixed at AED 2 million. How much work sits around it depends on your circumstances.
| What varies | How it changes the work |
|---|---|
| Where the money comes from | Funds that have sat in your own account need little explaining. Money from abroad, from a business sale or from several sources needs a fuller trail. |
| The bank you choose | Banks differ on deposit terms, on credit against the deposit and on how quickly they issue the certificate. |
| Who joins the file | Each family member adds a residence application, a medical and health insurance. |
| Where you apply from | Applying from abroad starts with an entry visa valid for six months, before the residence stage. |
You get a written quote before anything starts, and it only changes if your plans do.
How we handle the deposit route
A deposit large enough to qualify can still stall on a thin paper trail.
We start with the money: where it came from, whose name it sits in and how the bank will show it. A senior advisor then checks the bank’s certificate and any credit terms against what ICP or GDRFA Dubai expects. From there we manage your Golden Visa for you and help at every step.
If the deposit is not your best route, we say so. Property owners can read our guide to the property Golden Visa in Dubai, and every route is on our UAE Golden Visa requirements page.
