UAE announces new entry permit fees for Golden Visa

The UAE Federal Authority for Identity, Nationality, Customs and Port Security (UAE ICP) has revised the entry permit fees for foreigners applying for a 10-year Golden Visa.

The authority increased the cost of the six-month entry permit to Dhs1,250, which includes a variety of charges including Dhs1,000 for issuance, Dhs100 for the application, Dhs100 for smart services, Dhs28 for e-services and Dhs22 for Federal Authority fees, according to a report by Arabic daily Al Khaleej.

The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai (GDRFA) said in November 2022 that the number of Golden Visas that were issued between 2019 and 2022 reached 151,666, reinforcing the UAE’s status as an ideal destination to live, work and invest.

Read: UAE golden visa: 79,617 visas issued in 2022, says GDRFA

The UAE’s Golden Visa offers select groups the ability to work, live and study in the country without the need for sponsorship.

The long-term visa is given to several categories of people including talents such as scientists and specialists, investors in public investments, real estate investors, entrepreneurs, top high school achievers and graduates of accredited universities in the UAE and from foreign institutions.

It allows foreigners to sponsor family members, regardless of their ages and there is no restriction related to the maximum duration of stay outside the UAE.

The minimum monthly income required to get a ‘Golden Visa’ was recently reduced from Dhs50,000 to Dh30,000, expanding eligibility to many more skilled professionals in fields such as medicine, sciences, engineering, information technology, business administration, education, law, culture and social sciences.

The UAE ICP urges foreigners in the country and abroad wishing to obtain a Golden Visa to verify their eligibility to obtain it through the website http://smartservices.icp.gov.ae or the smart application “UAEICP” and follow the steps and instructions to complete the process.

Golden Visa services

Meanwhile, the increase in the price of the six-month entry permit comes nearly a week after the authority unveiled the ‘One Touch Golden Visa service’, a new comprehensive service that is aimed at simplifying the application and renewal process for a golden residency visa.

Read: UAE makes Golden Visa application easier with ‘one touch’

The ‘one-touch’ platform compliments the UAE government’s digital transformation and it unifies all visa services through integrated packages. It seeks to assist applicants with their visa applications, issuance of other visas, status regularisation as well as the issuance of residency and identity documents – with the added convenience of renewing all of these in a single step.

The UAE ICP emphasised that the updated visa system represents a quantum leap in the entry and residence of foreigners in the region and the world while noting that it embodies the principles and fifty-year plan adopted to advance the country towards the next fifty years.

The UAE launched its Golden Visa programme in 2021, which grants 10-year residency in the country to certain professionals, specialised degree-holders and investors. The Golden Visa is distinctive as its scheme differs depending on the beneficiary.

We adopted law amendments that allow granting the UAE citizenship to investors, specialized talents & professionals including scientists, doctors, engineers, artists, authors and their families. The new directives aim to attract talents that contribute to our development journey.

— HH Sheikh Mohammed (@HHShkMohd) January 30, 2021

For instance, real estate investors can obtain the Golden Visa if they purchase a property of at least Dhs2m while entrepreneurs can get the visa if they own or partner in a revenue-generating start-up registered in the country.

Over the years, the UAE Government has made its visa policy more flexible, offering longer residencies for certain types of investors, students and professionals.

The new system of entry and residence aims to attract and retain global talents and skilled workers from all over the world while boosting the country’s competitiveness and flexibility in the job market.