DubaiInvestorVisa/PartnerVisa

Advising UAE-based founders and companies on business immigration from our Dubai office.

Overview

A business owner or investor can hold UAE residence in their own right, rather than as someone else's employee. There are three distinct levels, and it matters which one you are applying for:

• Partner or investor residence through your company. You hold shares in a UAE-licensed company, and the company sponsors your residence under its establishment card.
• Green Residence (investor or partner). A 5-year renewable residence for investors whose contribution to the company is at least AED 1,000,000.
• Golden Visa. A 10-year renewable residence for investments of at least AED 2,000,000, through property, a deposit or a business.

The published thresholds

Threshold	What it gives you	Authority
Partner's share of at least AED 48,000	Lets a partner sponsor family members	GDRFA Dubai
Investor contribution of at least AED 1,000,000, in cash or its equivalent in foreign currency	Green Residence, 5 years, renewable	ICP
Investment of at least AED 2,000,000	Golden Visa, 10 years, renewable	Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022

No federal minimum shareholding is published for standard partner residence below the Green Residence threshold. Some free zones apply their own practice, so XIPHIAS confirms the requirement for your licence before you invest.

Golden Visa: the investment routes

Under Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022:

• Property. One or more properties with a total value of at least AED 2,000,000. Mortgaged property qualifies where the loan is from a local bank, and the Dubai Land Department asks for the bank's no-objection letter. Where a property is jointly owned, the applicant's share itself must be worth at least AED 2,000,000. GDRFA's golden residence permit fee is AED 1,100, and a lien is placed on the property for the 10-year validity.
• Off-plan property. Permitted federally when bought from developers approved by the local authority. In Dubai, however, the Land Department in practice requires a registered title, so confirm the specific project before you buy.
• Public investment. A bank deposit of at least AED 2,000,000, new company capital of at least AED 2,000,000, a partnership share of at least AED 2,000,000, or annual tax paid of at least AED 250,000.
• Entrepreneurs. A project with annual revenue of at least AED 1,000,000, or a previous venture sold for at least AED 7,000,000.

Other Golden Visa categories, for talented individuals, scientists and specialists, outstanding students, humanitarian pioneers and frontline workers, do not depend on investment.

Lifetime golden visa offers. The UAE has no lifetime golden visa and no nationality-specific golden visa. On 8 July 2025 the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security publicly denied reports of a "lifetime golden residency for a number of nationalities" offered from outside the UAE through consultancies on relaxed conditions, stating that the claim had no basis in law and that applications are handled exclusively through official UAE government channels. The official nomination service for golden residence is free of charge. Golden residence is granted for ten renewable years under Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022; the property threshold is AED 2,000,000.

Government fees

Fee	Amount
Residence permit (GDRFA)	AED 200
Knowledge and Innovation fees	AED 10 each (AED 20)
Inside-country fee, if the applicant is already in the UAE	AED 500
Delivery	AED 20
Entry permit for residence (GDRFA)	AED 200 plus 5% VAT
Status change inside the UAE (GDRFA)	AED 500, plus AED 10 + AED 10
Golden residence permit (GDRFA)	AED 1,100
Financial guarantee per family member (ICP)	AED 3,000, up to AED 15,000 in total

Each family member's residence permit follows the same GDRFA schedule. Medical fitness and Emirates ID fees are charged separately. Company licensing charges depend on the free zone or on Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism, and are set out on the free zone and mainland company pages.

Timeline

The immigration steps are measured in days. GDRFA processes residence permits and green residence in 48 hours, ICP issues an establishment card in 2 days, and Dubai Land Department Golden Visa requests take 7 to 10 business days. The longer part is what comes first: licensing the company, or completing and registering the property purchase.

Family

To sponsor family, the resident needs a salary of at least AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation. This is a single test for the sponsor. It covers a spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25 and children with special needs, with no separate threshold for a wife or for children. Family members over 18 must pass a medical fitness test. A partner who sponsors family as a partner must also hold a share of at least AED 48,000 under the partnership agreement (GDRFA). Golden Visa holders can sponsor family for the full term of their own permit.

Keeping your residence

• Company-based residence lasts only as long as the trade licence and establishment card stay active, so renew both on time.
• If a residence permit is cancelled, ICP allows a grace period of 30 days as standard, 60 days where there is a guarantor or host, 90 days for skilled workers at levels 1 to 3 and for property owners, and 180 days for Golden and Green residence holders and their families. Overstaying costs AED 50 per day.

Tax

The UAE levies no personal income tax. A company you own pays corporate tax at 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above; the free zone 0% treatment applies only to the Qualifying Income of a Qualifying Free Zone Person. Small Business Relief, for revenue up to AED 3,000,000, applies only to tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2026.

Indian tax residence: an important caution

A UAE residence visa is an immigration status. It does not by itself end Indian tax residence. Under Section 6 of the Income-tax Act, 1961, residence turns on the days you spend in India: 182 days or more in the financial year, or 60 days in the year together with 365 days over the preceding four years, with longer limits for Indian citizens who leave India for employment or who are visiting. An Indian citizen whose Indian income exceeds Rs. 15 lakh and who is not liable to tax in any other country is treated as resident regardless of days spent in India. This deemed-residence rule matters precisely because the UAE levies no personal income tax.

Take Indian tax advice before you relocate. Indian residents who invest in a foreign company also have Indian exchange-control and foreign-asset reporting obligations to plan for.

Risks

• Choosing the wrong level. Company-based partner residence, Green Residence and the Golden Visa have different thresholds and durations. Confirm which one your investment supports before you commit funds.
• Property title. For a Golden Visa through Dubai property, expect the Land Department to require a registered title.
• Unofficial offers. Applications go only through official UAE government channels. Treat any offer of a lifetime or nationality-specific golden visa as false.
• Company standing. Expired licences or unpaid fines put company-based residence at risk.

Fees and rules on this page reflect the official sources listed below as at 1 October 2026.

Talk to our UAE business immigration consultants in Dubai

XIPHIAS Immigration has advised families and businesses since 2009, and our Dubai team works with UAE residents. We were named Best Immigration Consultant by The Times of India in 2022. Our immigration consultants in Dubai will take you through the requirements, costs and timeline for your specific case.

• Book a consultation
• Verify an immigration consultant
• Second passport for UAE residents

Sources

• ICP — Issuing a residency permit
• GDRFA Dubai — Green residence (partner or investor)
• GDRFA Dubai — Golden residence for investors
• GDRFA Dubai — Entry permit for family members
• GDRFA Dubai — Issuing residence permits for the private sector
• GDRFA Dubai — Status amendment
• UAE Legislation — Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022 (annex)
• Dubai Land Department — Request for golden visa (investor)
• u.ae — Golden visa
• ICP — Statement on lifetime golden residency, 8 July 2025
• ICP — Cancellation of residency permits
• u.ae — Residence visa for family members
• u.ae — Corporate tax
• Ministry of Finance — Small Business Relief decision
• Income Tax Department (India) — Residential status