Telephone Numbers
Telephone Numbers
For detailed information +90 542 381 3868'Call.
A Dubai residence visa is not one document but a status whose duration, cost and rights depend entirely on the route you take. Being sponsored as an employee, self-sponsoring through a company licence, buying property for a ten-year Golden Visa and qualifying for a retirement permit are four different processes with four different rulebooks. What follows sets out the current conditions published by the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICP), the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (GDRFA) and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MoHRE), with the real fee lines behind each figure.
Table of Contents
What Is a Dubai Residence Visa?
Who Is Eligible for a UAE Residence Visa?
UAE Residence Visa Types and Validity Compared
How to Get a Residence Visa in Dubai: Step by Step
Documents Required
Dubai Residence Visa Cost
How Long Does a Dubai Residence Visa Take?
Medical Fitness Test and Mandatory Health Insurance
Validity, Renewal and the 180-Day Rule
Five Claims That Are No Longer Accurate
Manage the Process with World Company Setup
Sources
A residence visa grants the legal right to live in the UAE, open a bank account, obtain a driving licence, enrol children in school and sponsor family members. Two terms are routinely confused: an entry permit is the temporary document that lets you enter the country, while the residence permit is the status completed after arrival.
Since 2022 the passport residence sticker no longer exists. ICP's official announcement confirms that the Emirates ID card replaced it and now carries every detail previously printed on the sticker; passports are no longer submitted for stamping. Articles still describing "visa stamping in the passport" are out of date.
Every residence visa requires a sponsor, which may be an employer, a free zone authority, a family member or — on long-term routes — the applicant themselves. Five profiles cover most applications:
If your route runs through company formation, our guide on company formation and residence permit in Dubai covers both processes together.
UAE law defines sponsored residence permits as 1, 2 or 3 years and unsponsored long-term permits as 5 or 10 years. The table below compares the routes most used by international founders and professionals.
| Visa type | Validity | Core requirement | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment visa | 2 years | Employment contract and MoHRE work permit | Employer / free zone |
| Green Visa — skilled employee | 5 years | AED 15,000 monthly salary, bachelor's degree, MoHRE skill level 1–3 | Self |
| Green Visa — freelancer | 5 years | MoHRE freelance permit and AED 360,000 annual income over two years | Self |
| Green Visa — investor / partner | 5 years | Trade licence and approval of the competent authority (no published minimum capital) | Self |
| Golden Visa — real estate | 10 years | Property valued at AED 2,000,000; multiple properties may be combined, mortgaged property accepted with a bank letter | Self |
| Golden Visa — company investor | 10 years | AED 2,000,000 in company assets or AED 250,000+ paid annually in taxes | Self |
| Retirement visa | 5 years | Age 55, 15 years of service; AED 240,000 annual income, or AED 1m property and AED 1m deposit | Self |
| Family sponsorship | Tied to sponsor | Sponsor salary of AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 with accommodation | Family member |
| Virtual work visa | 1 year | USD 5,000 monthly under the Dubai programme; USD 3,500 under the federal ICP route | Self |
| Blue Visa | 10 years | Exceptional contribution to environmental protection and sustainability | Self |
On the mainland your employer is the sponsor and UAE Labour Law applies directly. Inside a free zone the sponsor is the zone authority, not the employer; federal labour law generally does not apply and each zone runs its own employment regulations, while DIFC and ADGM operate entirely separate legal frameworks. Visa quotas also differ by zone: at DMCC a flexi desk carries up to three visas and physical office space one visa per nine square metres. Our comparison of Dubai free zones sets out the trade-offs.
The route once known as the two-year investor visa has, in the official portal's wording, been replaced by the five-year Green Visa for investors. Free zones continue to issue partner and investor visas on zone-specific terms — DMCC, for example, grants a three-year partner visa against a minimum AED 50,000 share capital. Our guide to the Dubai investor visa explains which licence types qualify.
The Dubai Land Department service page sets the threshold at AED 2,000,000 at the time of purchase. Several properties may be combined to reach it, mortgaged property qualifies with a bank letter stating the amount paid, and the investor must be physically present in the UAE — no representatives are accepted. Full eligibility routes are covered in our Dubai Golden Visa guide.
A resident may sponsor a spouse and children on a published minimum salary of AED 4,000, or AED 3,000 where accommodation is provided. Sons may be sponsored until the age of 25 and unmarried daughters without an age limit. Parents' residence visas are issued annually, regardless of the sponsor's own visa duration.
Six Steps to Approval
Work permit
MoHRE approval · 2 working days
Entry permit
Enter within 60 days
Status change
Only if already inside the UAE
Medical test
Mandatory for everyone 18+
Emirates ID
Biometrics · 5 days
Residence issued
Within 60 days of entry
On the mainland the process starts with the MoHRE work permit: the company licence must be valid and unsuspended, an electronic quota must be available, and the worker must not hold another active permit. GDRFA or ICP then issues the entry permit, which is valid for 60 days from the date of issuance — the holder must enter the UAE inside that window. In a free zone the zone authority handles the same sequence.
If you are already in the UAE on a visit or tourist visa, you can change status without leaving. GDRFA completes the amendment in 48 hours; it requires a new visa and cancellation of any previous residence permit. Applicants arriving from abroad skip this step.
Mandatory for all applicants aged 18 and above. In Dubai the appointment is booked through the Salem portal and carried out at an accredited medical fitness centre, comprising blood collection and a chest X-ray, with vaccinations added for certain occupations. Screening covers communicable diseases and results are transmitted directly to the immigration system.
ICP's residence service is issued jointly with the Emirates ID application. Fingerprints and a photograph are captured and the card is delivered by authorised courier; ICP charges no separate delivery fee.
Residency formalities must be completed within 60 days of entry, after which an overstay fine of AED 50 per day applies. Nothing is stamped in the passport: the Emirates ID is the proof of status and an electronic copy can be downloaded through the ICP app.
MoHRE's skill classification determines the qualification threshold: levels 1–2 require a bachelor's degree, levels 3–4 a diploma, level 5 a high school certificate, and levels 6–9 no certificate. Workers earning below AED 4,000 per month or holding no degree are not classified as skilled.
The lines below are the government fees published on official service cards. Typing centre charges, agency margins and free zone package pricing sit on top, which is why quoted market totals run higher than the official schedule.
| Item | Official fee (AED) | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit (by company category) | 250 – 3,450 | MoHRE |
| Entry permit (application, issuance, smart service) | 300 + 1,000 refundable guarantee | ICP |
| Status amendment | 520 – 570 | GDRFA |
| Medical fitness test (regular / express / VIP) | 250 / 700 / 1,020 | Dubai Health Authority |
| Emirates ID (AED 100 per year of residence) | 2 yr: 200 · 5 yr: 500 · 10 yr: 1,000 | ICP |
| Residence permit issuance (private sector) | 740 | GDRFA |
| Golden Visa permit | ICP route 300 · GDRFA route 1,640 | ICP / GDRFA |
| Golden Visa property route (end-to-end package) | 9,884.75 · 5,774.50 per dependant | Dubai Land Department |
| Free zone employment visa package | approx. 2,200 – 4,200 | Zone authority |
| Overstay fine | 50 per day | ICP / GDRFA |
Figures are compiled from official service cards and may change without notice; verify through the links in the sources section before applying. For a line-by-line breakdown see our guide to Dubai residence permit costs.
Each authority publishes a processing time per step. What actually sets the overall timeline is not the sum of those figures but the waiting between them — appointment slots and document completion.
| Step | Official processing time |
|---|---|
| MoHRE work permit | 2 working days |
| Entry permit (GDRFA) | 48 hours |
| Status amendment | 48 hours |
| Medical fitness test | 30 minutes – 24 working hours |
| Residence permit issuance | 48 hours |
| Emirates ID card | 5 days |
| Golden Visa (property route) | 7–10 business days |
| Retirement visa | 48 hours |
In practice a new mainland employment visa takes roughly two to four weeks from offer letter to Emirates ID delivery. That is a practical estimate; no authority publishes an official end-to-end commitment.
Health insurance has been compulsory in Dubai since 2016 for all employees, dependants and domestic workers, with employers and sponsors responsible for providing cover. Free zone entities are included.
A more recent change is missing from most published guides: from 1 January 2025 MoHRE introduced a basic health insurance package priced at AED 320 per year for private sector employees and domestic workers. It applies in Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, since Abu Dhabi and Dubai already operate their own mandatory schemes. Work permits issued before that date become subject to it only at renewal. A valid policy is a prerequisite for issuing and renewing any residence permit.
A residence visa lapses if the holder remains outside the UAE for more than 180 consecutive days, with defined exemptions for study, medical treatment and diplomatic postings. Where the period has been exceeded, a re-entry permit is charged at AED 100 for every 30 days or part thereof.
Grace periods after cancellation vary by category: 60 days on a Dubai private sector residence permit and 180 days on the Green Visa partner-investor permit. GDRFA renewal fees range from AED 310 to AED 560 depending on sponsor type and the 1–3 year duration. Our overview of UAE visa types and requirements compares the categories side by side.
"Work visas carry an 18–60 age limit."
The minimum age is 18. No maximum age is published in MoHRE's work permit conditions or on the official portal. Some employers encounter an additional approval step for hires over 60, but that is practice, not a written rule.
"The visa is stamped into your passport."
The residence sticker was abolished in 2022. The Emirates ID card is the proof of status and passports are not submitted for stamping.
"A property Golden Visa requires AED 5 million."
The threshold is AED 2 million, multiple properties may be combined, and Dubai issues the permit for ten years.
"AED 1 million in savings is enough for a retirement visa."
GDRFA's property route requires both AED 1 million in property and an AED 1 million deposit transferred within 60 days. The income alternative is AED 240,000 per year.
"The overstay fine is AED 25 per day."
The current figure is AED 50 per day.
What makes a Dubai residence application predictable is choosing the right category at the outset and assembling the document set in the order the authorities expect. An application started under the wrong category usually costs more time than a fresh submission would have.
World Company Setup manages mainland and free zone company formation, MoHRE work permits, entry permits, medical fitness appointments, Emirates ID applications and family sponsorship end to end. Alongside our Dubai and Abu Dhabi practice we support company formation, accounting and tax advisory in Estonia, the United States, Hong Kong, Singapore and Saudi Arabia.
Write to world@worldcompanysetup.com for a timeline, a fee breakdown and a document checklist. If you are also assessing corporate tax and VAT exposure, see our overview of tax in Dubai.
Disclaimer: This content does not constitute legal advice. Always check the official authority pages or obtain legal counsel before acting.
Three questions decide how smoothly a Dubai application runs. First, which category actually fits — an employment visa, a self-sponsored Green Visa or a ten-year Golden Visa carry different evidence burdens. Second, whether you will be inside or outside the UAE when the entry permit is issued, since that determines whether a status change is needed. Third, whether your academic certificates are already attested, because attestation is the single step most often started too late.
Talk to our team about which visa category fits your situation, the documents required and a realistic timeline.
<p>The process has six stages: MoHRE work permit, entry permit, status change if you are already inside the UAE, medical fitness test, Emirates ID application and issuance of the residence permit. The entry permit is valid for 60 days from issuance, and residency formalities must be completed within 60 days of entry.</p>
<p>Official government fees are: MoHRE work permit AED 250–3,450 depending on company category, entry permit AED 300 plus a refundable AED 1,000 guarantee, status amendment AED 520–570, medical fitness test AED 250 (VIP AED 1,020), Emirates ID AED 100 per year of residence and residence permit issuance AED 740. Typing centre and agency charges are additional.</p>
<p>Sponsored residence permits are issued for 1, 2 or 3 years, with the employment visa typically 2 years. Unsponsored long-term permits run 5 years under the Green Visa and 10 years under the Golden Visa and Blue Visa. The retirement visa is valid for 5 years and renewable on the same terms.</p>
<p>Yes. The Dubai Land Department sets the threshold at AED 2,000,000 at the time of purchase, which grants a 10-year renewable Golden Visa. Multiple properties may be combined to reach the threshold and mortgaged property qualifies with a bank letter stating the amount paid. The investor must be physically present in the UAE to apply.</p>
<p>Published processing times are: MoHRE work permit 2 working days, entry permit 48 hours, status amendment 48 hours, medical fitness test 30 minutes to 24 working hours, residence permit issuance 48 hours and Emirates ID card 5 days. In practice a new mainland employment visa takes two to four weeks end to end.</p>
<p>The published minimum is AED 4,000 per month, or AED 3,000 where accommodation is provided. Sons can be sponsored until the age of 25 and unmarried daughters without an age limit. Parents' residence visas are granted annually, regardless of the sponsor's own visa duration.</p>
<p>A residence visa lapses after more than 180 consecutive days outside the country, with defined exemptions for study, medical treatment and diplomatic postings. Where the period has been exceeded, a re-entry permit is charged at AED 100 for every 30 days or part thereof.</p>
<p>No. ICP abolished the passport residence sticker in 2022. The Emirates ID card is now the proof of residence status and carries all the information previously printed on the sticker; passports are no longer submitted for stamping. An electronic copy can be downloaded through the ICP app.</p>
+90 542 381 3868
+971 58 5204103