Dubai is an established trading and business hub, strategically located between the East and West. It’s a gateway connecting emerging markets in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. With a diversified non-oil economy, it has emerged as a major financial services hub, offering various free zones covering a range of industries, from logistics and healthcare to media and IT.

Dubai has built world-class infrastructure and is able to cater for residents with efficient transport networks (metro/highways), schools, hospitals, and a globally unrivalled hospitality sector. There are no corporate or income taxes, no annual property taxes, and it has progressive policies encouraging foreign individuals to invest.

Long-term access to Dubai for foreign nationals is as open today as it has ever been. As many countries struggle to reopen their borders, Dubai is proactively encouraging foreigners from around the world to live, work and study in the UAE through its Golden Visa scheme.

Enacted in 2018, UAE Cabinet Resolution No.56, allows for foreign nationals to obtain a long-term residency visa to live, work and study (referred to locally as the “golden visa”) in the UAE.

Criteria for a 10-year visa:

• Public investments of AED 10 million (US$2.7 million approx.). This includes UAE investment funds, establishing a UAE company, partnering with a UAE company or a combination of the three (on the condition that real estate accounts for less than 40% of total investment, the amount invested is not loaned and any investment is retained for a minimum of 3 years).
• Specialised talents. Scientists, doctors, creatives, executives, and other exceptional talents may apply for eligibility. Often this process is considered subjective and requires local accreditation.

Criteria for five-year visa:

• Real estate investments of AED 5 million (US$1.4 million). The investment cannot be on a loan basis and must be retained for a minimum of 3 years.
• Entrepreneurs with a minimum of AED 500,000 (US$130,000) share capital in their entity or those with approval from an accredited UAE business incubator.
• Outstanding students with a minimum grade of 95% from secondary schools, and university students with a GPA of 3.75 or above upon graduation.

Criteria for retirement visa

• You must be at least 55 years old.
• You must have health insurance.

• *Option 1: AED 20,000 (US$5,445) monthly income OR
• *Option 2: AED 1 million savings (US$270,000) OR
• *Option 3: AED 2 million (US$540,000) in local property OR
• *Option 4: A combination of Options 2 & 3 valued at least AED 2 million (US$540,000).

For more information on our international migration services, visit this page.

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