Dubai Permanent Residency Laws (Golden Residency)

Categories concerned with obtaining permanent residency in Dubai

In 2018, the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship in the Emirates announced that it would grant permanent residency in Dubai to some categories, and announced the conditions that must be met for these categories to obtain residency in Dubai, or residency and investment in Dubai. Residence in Dubai is called golden residency.

There are certain categories that the UAE allows to obtain permanent residency in Dubai (golden residency). These categories contribute in one way or another to the development of the Emirates, achieving a better future for it, and also achieving the primary goal of the Emirates, which is to ensure the existence of a permanent and sustainable economy.

These are some of the categories that the UAE grants permanent residency in Dubai (golden residency), in order to reside in Dubai or reside and invest in Dubai, and they are as follows:

1. Investors in public investments
2. Investor in real estate.
3. Entrepreneurs.
4. People with talent: This category includes everyone who has talent in a specialized field, such as doctors, researchers in science and knowledge, scientists, inventors, and creators in the fields of culture and art.
5. Academic achievers: This category includes students who obtained 95% in high school, whether public or private education, and also includes university graduates with a cumulative grade of 3.75 on the GPA system.

Conditions that must be met to obtain permanent residency in Dubai (golden residency)

We will present some conditions for the previous categories to obtain residency in Dubai, including the following: 

1. For investors in public investments, these are some of their conditions for obtaining investor residency in order to invest in Dubai:

1. The investor must own a deposit, company, or partner in a company with an investment value of no less than AED 10 million.
2. The value of these investments must be fully owned by the investor and not a loan, and proof of this must be provided in order to obtain residency and investment in Dubai.
3. These investments must be ongoing in the UAE for at least three years.
4. The percentage of investment in other than his own real estate should not be less than 60% of the total value of investments.

Investor category in Dubai

1. For the category of investors in real estate, these are some of their conditions for obtaining investor residency to invest in Dubai :

• The value of the property owned by the investor is not less than 5 million UAE dirhams.
• The amount owned by the investor must be his property and not a loan, and he must provide proof of this.
• The period of investment in the UAE must be no less than three years.

1. For the category of entrepreneurs, these are the conditions for obtaining residency in Dubai: 

• Owning a successful project with a previous business history in Dubai with a value of no less than 500 thousand UAE dirhams.
• Obtaining approval to conduct business from the authorized entity in Dubai.

1. For those with talent in specialized fields, they are as follows:

• The owner of this talent must have a valid contract from the authorities accredited in the country to practice this profession or talent.
• This talent should be of benefit to the state.
• For doctors and specialists in a field, a doctorate must be obtained from the best five hundred universities in the world and must be accredited by the Ministry of Education in the Emirates.
• The owner of the profession or talent must have a certificate of appreciation or an award specific to this profession.

1. The special conditions for the outstanding category are as follows: 

• High school students obtain an excellent grade of 95%, whether in public or private schools.
• University graduates obtain a cumulative grade of 3.75 from the GPA system.

Privileges granted by the UAE to these categories:

1. For the category of investors in public investments, the investor obtains a ten-year renewable residency, in addition to a residency for any partner, provided that his partnership is worth 10 million UAE dirhams. The wife and children also obtain a ten-year residency permit, and the same applies to only one executive director of the company, and also only one consultant. The investor obtains a six-month entry visa to the UAE.

1. As for the second category, which is the category of an investor in his own property, the UAE grants a residence permit for a period of five years, subject to renewal, and his wife and children also obtain a residence permit for the same period.

One CEO and one consultant also get a five-year residency, and the investor also gets a six-month UAE visa.

1. For the category of entrepreneurs, the UAE grants a five-year residence permit with the possibility of obtaining permanent residency for investors if the investor conditions are met. The wife and children also obtain five-year residency, in addition to five-year residency for three executive directors, and they also obtain an entry visa to the UAE for a period of six months, renewable for another six months.

1. For the category of talented people in specialized fields, the UAE grants a ten-year renewable residency that also includes the wife and children.
2. The Emirates grants a five-year, renewable residence permit for the category of outstanding students, and his family can also obtain a residence permit for the same period, also renewable, if his family is with him in the Emirates while studying there.

Dubai Permanent Residency Laws (Golden Residency)

There is another category that does not fall under the previous categories, and this category comes to the Emirates in order to study the market there in order to invest in the Emirates, or invest in the free zone. This category also studies the opportunities available to obtain scholarships, or the possibility of scientific research or creativity, and on the basis of this, applications for permanent residency in Dubai (golden residency) are made.

Therefore, this category initially obtains a multiple entry UAE visa, renewable for another six months, and holders of this visa will be treated as residents, until a decision is made whether to reside in Dubai or not.

Investing in free zones in Dubai

Investing in the free zone is considered one of the most important investments in Dubai , which the investor seeks to be present in and establish his investments in. One of the most important free zones in Dubai is Jebel Ali.

Steps to invest in Jebel Ali 

1. The type of investment activity or company must be determined, whether it is commercial, industrial, or professional.
2. Determine the company name appropriate to the type of activity.
3. Determine a location for the company, and obtain an ownership or lease contract for the location. 
4. Submit all company documents to the competent authorities to obtain a commercial license.
5. Submit an application to the competent authorities in the Jebel Ali region to obtain a permit to invest in Jebel Ali .
6. Obtaining an investment permit in Jebel Ali, and also obtaining a lease contract for the company’s headquarters in Jebel Ali, and receiving the keys to the headquarters and warehouses in the region.
7. Obtaining a company identification card in order to enter the free zone.

Frequently asked questions about Dubai permanent residency laws (golden residency)