A 10-year UAE residence with no sponsor and no obligation to live in the country: for property from AED 2,000,000 (a mortgage from an approved local bank and off-plan from an approved developer are allowed), for a deposit, company capital or a shareholding from AED 2,000,000, for an entrepreneurial venture, or on qualification with a salary from AED 30,000 a month. Spouse, children of any age and parents receive residence under the holder's sponsorship.
Facts verified October 8, 2026 against official sources · Sources
Facts verified October 8, 2026 against official sources · Sources
Owner, regional partners, the migration consulting and case management department and senior experts. These are the people you will speak to on the phone and meet in the office.
Founder & Managing Partner
Partner, Middle East & MENA Region
Managing Director, India & South Asia
Partner, Russia & CIS Region
Head of Migration Consulting & Case Management
Immigration & Compliance Specialist
An ordinary UAE residence is tied to an employer or sponsor and issued for 2–3 years. The Golden Visa is issued to the applicant personally for 10 years: changing jobs, closing a company or selling another asset does not cancel the status while the basis remains.
An ordinary resident loses status after 6 months outside the UAE. Under GDRFA Dubai rules Golden Visa holders are exempt from the 180-day rule: you can live in India or anywhere else and keep the UAE residence as a stable second base.
Spouse, children with no age limit and parents receive residence under the holder's sponsorship. So do domestic workers. If the holder dies, the family keeps its status until its permits expire.
Property is an asset you can rent out and sell after the term; a deposit is returned when the residence ends. One condition: the basis must remain for the whole term, so the deposit is not withdrawn and the property is not sold without replacement.
The UAE levies no income tax on individuals; VAT is 5%. A residence visa by itself does not make you a UAE tax resident and does not end obligations in your previous country of tax residence — that is planned separately.
ICP issues the entry permit for a real estate investor in 2 days, GDRFA Dubai issues the residence permit in 5 days, the DLD package in Dubai takes 7–10 working days. These are service times after a complete file, not a promise: a request for documents extends the path.
Facts verified October 8, 2026
| Investment | from AED 2,000,000 property, deposit, company capital or shareholding; entrepreneurs and professionals under their own criteria |
|---|---|
| ICP: entry permit for a real estate investor | AED 300 100 application + 100 issuance + 100 smart services; service time 2 days |
| ICP: residence visa for an investor in public investments | AED 247 100 application + 47 issuance + 100 smart services; 2 days; applicant inside the UAE |
| GDRFA Dubai: golden residence permit (investors) | AED 1,640 1,100 permit + 10 Knowledge Dirham + 10 Innovation Dirham + 500 in-country fee + 20 delivery; service time 5 days |
| DLD Dubai: package for a real estate investor | AED 9,884.75 medical test 700, Emirates ID for 10 years 1,153, residency confirmation 2,856.75, DLD fee 4,020, administrative fee 1,155; 7–10 working days; family sponsorship AED 318.75 per file |
| Processing | 2–10 working days ICP, GDRFA and DLD service times after a complete file; a request for documents extends the path |
We check nationality, source of funds, family composition and goals. We decide: property, deposit, company, entrepreneurial venture or qualification, and which emirate to file in.
Purchase and registration of the property with DLD or the land department of another emirate, opening a deposit in a national bank, registering a company or a shareholding. For a mortgage — a bank no-objection letter with the paid amount.
In Dubai the property investor files through DLD Cube in person; in other emirates through ICP smart services. ICP issues the entry permit for a real estate investor in 2 days; those abroad receive a 6-month multiple-entry visa.
Medical examination, biometrics, a 10-year Emirates ID card. GDRFA Dubai residence permit — 5 days, DLD package — 7–10 working days. The passport is not surrendered: the permit is electronic.
Spouse, children of any age and parents are filed under the holder's sponsorship; marriage and birth certificates are attested (MEA apostille and UAE MOFA attestation for Indian documents). Domestic workers receive separate permits.
The basis must remain: the property is not sold without replacement, the deposit is not withdrawn, the company operates. Living in the UAE is not required. A few months before the 10 years expire we assemble the renewal file.
The official conditions are above. Below is how the programme works in real life, from our cases and the ICP, GDRFA and DLD rules.
Under ICP rules financing is allowed only from an approved local bank, and DLD in Dubai requests a bank letter with the paid amount and the balance. We do not plan a visa around a foreign loan or a minimal down payment.
GDRFA Dubai states plainly: the deposit or investment cannot be withdrawn during the Golden Residence term. For a family that values liquidity, a rented property or a shareholding in an operating company is often wiser.
The UAE levies no income tax on individuals, so the Golden Visa is a long-horizon planning tool. But tax residence is decided by separate rules, not by the visa itself: for Indian families this includes the days-in-India test and the remittance plan under LRS — we check it before the move.
UAE citizenship is possible only through a nomination mechanism for specific categories of foreigners. Any intermediary's promise to arrange a passport for investment is tested against a specific legal basis; buying property or holding a Golden Visa is not that basis.
The UAE Golden Visa gives a genuinely long-term basis for life in the country when the chosen category's conditions are met. In our practice the two working routes are a stable income from about $10,000 per month or qualifying property — even mortgaged property can fit — and the result is a ten-year card whose main value is straightforward: 0% personal income tax and a stable long-horizon platform for family and tax planning. For Indian families already anchored in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, it is often the single most practical status on the market.
What the Golden Visa is not is a first mandatory step towards an Emirati passport. The 2021 amendments created the possibility of citizenship for particular categories of foreigners through an established nomination mechanism. That is not an open programme with a universal investment amount and a guaranteed outcome after payment.
We advise choosing residence for what it gives the family now. Any intermediary's promise to arrange a UAE passport for investment must be tested against a specific legal basis; buying property or holding a Golden Visa is not, by itself, that basis.
| Property | Deposit or company | Entrepreneur | Professional | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threshold | from AED 2,000,000, one or more units | from AED 2,000,000 deposit, capital or shareholding; or AED 250,000 a year in taxes | revenue from AED 1,000,000 a year or an approved venture | salary from AED 30,000 a month, bachelor's degree |
| What happens to the money | the asset is yours and can be rented; selling without replacement loses the basis | the deposit is not withdrawn for the whole term; capital must not be borrowed | the business must operate | a valid UAE contract is required |
| Credit | a mortgage from an approved local bank is allowed | no: capital must be your own | — | — |
| Who confirms eligibility | DLD (Dubai) or the emirate's land authority, then ICP/GDRFA | ICP or GDRFA on bank or registry confirmation | incubator, Ministry of Economy, ICP | ICP on contract and degree |
| Term | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
Conditions per the ICP guide and the GDRFA Dubai and DLD services on the verification date; checked again on the filing date.
Coverage and expert commentary by Garant IN in business media.
To France via Dubai: how to get a European residence permit without any problemsRead on Forbes →
Crisis as credibility test: How the UAE’s response to the Iran-Israel conflict could shape its next decade as a global residency hubRead on The Economic Times →
Is Dubai’s Property Market Cracking? Middle East conflict hits sales, delays projects and softens pricesRead on Financial Express →
Global Lens I U.S. President Donald Trump's Golden Card Visa: How Can Indians Tap This Programme?Watch on CNBC-TV18 →
Golden visa schemes are response to conflicts, Trump’s decisions on U.S. citizenship: Dubai-based immigration expertRead on The Hindu →
Is Dubai still a safe haven for investors, HNIs despite US-Iran conflict?Read on Business Standard →
Coverage in Moneycontrol: Amid US uncertainty, HNIs choose Caribbean, Gulf, EU residency programmesRead on Moneycontrol →
France, Italy or Grenada? Financial independence can get you settled there with freedom to roam world!Read on PTI →
Why India's wealthy are quietly buying second residencies abroadRead on India Today →
Who this programme suits in our practice.
You buy an apartment, a villa or several units in the UAE with a total value from AED 2,000,000: completed or off-plan from an approved developer, with your own funds or a mortgage from an approved local bank. The property remains your asset and can be rented out.
A deposit from AED 2,000,000 in a national bank or an investment fund for the whole term, a company with capital or your shareholding from AED 2,000,000, or a company that pays at least AED 250,000 a year in taxes.
A founder or partner of an SME in an approved field with annual revenue from AED 1,000,000, a venture approved by an accredited incubator or the Ministry of Economy, or a founder of ventures sold for a total of AED 7,000,000.
You work in the UAE under a contract with a salary from AED 30,000 a month, hold a bachelor's degree and a senior-level occupation. Separate ICP criteria apply to doctors, scientists, inventors, creatives, athletes and PhD holders.
Our fee depends on the route, the emirate of filing and the family composition. We send the quote in reply to your message.
Main applicant
Fees of licensed local lawyers and authorised agents are charged separately at their rates
Request a quoteApplicant with spouse, children or parents
Fees of licensed local lawyers and authorised agents are charged separately at their rates
Request a quoteFor Garant IN the family is a core value: the Golden Visa is extended to your relatives under the holder's sponsorship according to ICP and GDRFA rules. Below are the 2026 conditions from the official guides, without generic phrases.
The spouse receives residence under the Golden Visa holder's sponsorship for the same term. Required: an attested marriage certificate (for Indian documents — MEA apostille and UAE MOFA attestation), passport, UAE health insurance and a medical test in the UAE. The spouse needs no separate income or investment.
Under the ICP guide children are included with no age limit: minor and adult children receive residence under the holder's sponsorship. Documents — attested birth certificates; adult children take their own medical test and receive their own Emirates ID. The children's permits are tied to the holder's permit.
The applicant's parents are included in the Golden Visa holder's sponsorship alongside the spouse and children — this is stated directly in the ICP guide. There is no age minimum; proof of relationship, insurance and a medical test are required. Inclusion of the spouse's parents is checked case by case.
The investment threshold does not grow with the family: AED 2,000,000 is confirmed by the holder alone. Each family member pays for their own residence permit, medical test and Emirates ID; in Dubai the DLD family sponsorship fee is AED 318.75 per file. Domestic workers receive separate permits. If the holder dies, the family keeps its status until its permits expire.
The family is filed together with the holder or later; service times for family members are the same as for the main applicant. Garant IN's migration programme experts check each family member's documents against ICP and GDRFA requirements in advance to rule out a refusal for an individual applicant. Data verified on 6 October 2026 against the ICP guide and the GDRFA Dubai and DLD services.
The Golden Visa conditions are the same for everyone. The difference is the route: which property or deposit passes the DLD and ICP check first time, and how the status fits into the family's tax and remittance plan.
Property, deposit and company give the same visa but tie up capital differently: a deposit cannot be touched for the whole term, a property can be bought with a mortgage and rented out, a shareholding needs a real business. We compare them against your budget and horizon.
DLD counts the threshold at the purchase price on the transaction date, asks the bank for a letter with the paid amount under a mortgage, and developer status matters for off-plan. We check all of this before money moves, not after a refusal.
For Indian residents AED 2,000,000 exceeds the annual LRS limit, so the transfer is planned over time or structured through existing overseas funds. 0% income tax is the main value of the status, but a residence visa by itself does not change your tax residence — we calculate when and on what conditions you stop being a tax resident of your previous country.
The Golden Visa is not a first step to a UAE passport. Citizenship is granted only through a nomination mechanism to specific categories, and we do not sell what is not in the law.
Children of any age, parents, domestic workers — each has a separate dossier and a separate Emirates ID. We assemble everything at once so the family receives status together with you.
Wording pending approval.
The Golden Visa is the everyday name of the UAE’s long-term residence permit (Golden Residence). It was introduced by amendments to the immigration law in 2021–2022 so that investors, entrepreneurs and in-demand professionals could live in the country without a sponsor and independently of an employer. The permit is issued for 10 years at once, renewed while the basis remains, and does not require permanent residence in the country.
The programme suits three types of applicant. The first is an investor who buys property with a total value from AED 2,000,000, including with a mortgage from a local bank or off-plan from an approved developer. The second is someone who places AED 2,000,000 or more in a deposit, a fund or company capital, or owns a company paying at least AED 250,000 a year in taxes. The third is an entrepreneur with an operating business or a professional with a UAE contract and a salary from AED 30,000 a month: they do not need the AED 2,000,000 threshold. For Indian families already working in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, the professional and property routes are usually the most practical.
It does not suit those who expect a UAE passport through the Golden Visa: citizenship is possible only through a nomination mechanism for specific categories, and an investment is not such a basis. If the family needs a second passport, it is wiser to compare citizenship-by-investment programmes.
The permit is renewed if the basis remains: the property is owned, the deposit is in place, the company operates, the contract is valid. We assemble the renewal file in advance so you do not drop out of status.
Spouse, children of any age and parents can be added after your visa is issued — under the holder's sponsorship, with attested certificates and insurance for each.
Sold the property, closed the deposit or the business — we move to another Golden Visa basis or another residence type before the previous one lapses. The family's status is preserved.
The Golden Visa does not lead to a UAE passport automatically: citizenship is possible only through nomination for specific categories. If the family needs a second passport, we select a separate citizenship-by-investment programme.
Short videos by Andrey Boyko: the latest from the Garant IN channel. The videos are in Russian.
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4 officesMoscow, Dubai, New Delhi and Mumbai. Visit an office and see who is working with you.
Garant IN is a member of the Investment Migration Council (IMC), the Geneva-based international association of the investment migration industry. investmentmigration.org →
Garant IN is a member of CCI France Russie, the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Russia. ccifr.ru →
International migration consultancy since 2015.
Two levels of quality control: Garant IN's migration consulting and case management department runs a rigorous pre-application compliance screening (Pre-Due Diligence) and prepares the document package to 2026 requirements, while the application in the United Arab Emirates is prepared and filed together with licensed local lawyers and authorised agents. This is how we minimise the risk of refusal at the preparation stage, before the documents reach the government authority.
Under the investment categories — from AED 2,000,000: property with a total value from that amount, a deposit in a national bank or fund, company capital or a shareholding. An alternative is a company paying at least AED 250,000 a year in taxes. Entrepreneurs and professionals do not need the AED 2,000,000 threshold: their criteria are revenue from AED 1,000,000 a year or a salary from AED 30,000 a month.
A mortgage qualifies if financed by an approved local bank; in Dubai DLD requires a bank no-objection letter with the paid amount and the balance. Under ICP rules off-plan counts when purchased from an approved local real estate company. The DLD service in Dubai requires the title certificate, so for units under construction we check applicability in advance, before any deposit.
Yes: both ICP and DLD refer to one or more properties with a total value from AED 2,000,000, fully registered in the applicant's name. DLD counts the value at the purchase price at the time of the transaction, not at the current valuation.
No. An ordinary resident loses status after 6 months abroad, while Golden Visa holders, under GDRFA Dubai rules, are exempt from the 180-day rule. The one condition is to keep the basis: the property is owned, the deposit is in place, the company operates.
Per the published service times: ICP issues the entry permit for a real estate investor in 2 days, GDRFA Dubai issues the residence permit in 5 days, the DLD package in Dubai (medical test, Emirates ID, permit) takes 7–10 working days. These are times after a complete file; buying the property, attesting family documents and requests from the authority add time, so we estimate the realistic path from the first meeting for the specific case.
ICP: entry permit for a real estate investor — AED 300 (100 + 100 + 100), residence visa for an investor in public investments — AED 247. GDRFA Dubai: golden residence permit — AED 1,100 plus 10 + 10 dirhams of levies, AED 500 for in-country filing and AED 20 delivery. DLD Dubai: the full package for a real estate investor — AED 9,884.75, including the medical test, a 10-year Emirates ID, residency confirmation and the DLD fee of AED 4,020.
Spouse, children with no age limit and parents — under the holder's sponsorship, plus domestic workers. If the holder dies, the family keeps its residence until its permits expire.
The UAE levies no income tax on individuals; VAT of 5% applies to goods and services. A residence visa by itself does not make you a UAE tax resident for treaty purposes and does not end obligations in your previous country: for Indian residents the days-in-India test and the Liberalised Remittance Scheme limits still apply, so the transfer of AED 2,000,000 and the tax position are planned before the move.
No. UAE citizenship is possible only through a nomination mechanism for specific categories of foreigners; there is no open passport-for-investment programme. Buying property or holding a Golden Visa is not such a basis, and we do not promise it.
The basis of residence ceases to exist. GDRFA Dubai expressly prohibits withdrawing the deposit during the Golden Residence term. When selling a property you must either replace it with another from AED 2,000,000 or move to another basis before the authority cancels the permit. We plan this in advance.
Yes, at least once: ICP accepts investment-category applications from applicants inside the UAE, and DLD in Dubai requires the investor to attend in person. Those abroad receive a 6-month multiple-entry visa, renewable for another 6 months — the medical test and biometrics are done during that time.
Yes. Under the ICP guide the Golden Visa holder sponsors the spouse, children with no age limit and parents, as well as domestic workers. Adult children and parents take their own medical test and receive their own Emirates ID. The family can be filed together with you or later.
It does not: the AED 2,000,000 threshold applies to the holder, and the family comes under his or her sponsorship. Only the processing costs grow: a residence permit, medical test and Emirates ID for each person, plus AED 318.75 per family file at DLD in Dubai. No separate income needs to be proven for the spouse or parents.
Yes. If the application is refused through the fault of our team or an error in building the case, we refund the company's service fee less a minimal retention for costs actually incurred. Refund terms, the payment schedule and the rules on retaining service costs are fixed in the contract before work begins. Before we start, we check your documents and risk history free of charge and tell you about any risks in advance.
Message us in the messenger you prefer and you will receive an estimate for your family and route. We never message first: you send the first message.
Our fee depends on the route, the emirate of filing and the family composition. We send the quote in reply to your message.
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