← Free Zone Compass

UAE Golden Visa — every route, mid-2026

Real estate (5–10 yr)

• Property ≥ AED 2,000,000 on title deed
• Feb 2026 change: mortgaged & off-plan qualify on DLD valuation alone — old 50%-paid rule removed; developer/bank NOC needed

Investor / deposit (10 yr)

• AED 2M capital investment or bank deposit held 2 years, or
• Ownership of a company paying AED 250,000+/yr in taxes

Skilled professional (10 yr)

• Salary ≥ AED 30,000/mo + attested degree + designated category (STEM, medicine, IT, business)

Entrepreneur (5 yr)

• Innovative/tech project: roughly SME revenue from AED 1M or project valued from AED 500k (verify — secondary-source thresholds)
• Nomination from accredited incubator or emirate authority; 2026 assessments favor patents/accelerator backing

Specialized talent (10 yr, nomination-based)

• Doctors, scientists, inventors, creatives, athletes, PhD holders, executives
• 2025–26 expansion: nurses (15+ yrs), teachers/educators, e-sports professionals, game developers, digital content creators (via Dubai Creators HQ)

Students & others

• Outstanding secondary students (5 yr) / top university graduates (10 yr)
• Humanitarian pioneers & frontline heroes (10 yr)
• Adjacent (not Golden Visa): since April 2026, a renewable 2-year property investor visa with no minimum value for sole owners (joint owners AED 400k each) — single-source, verify

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Compiled July 20, 2026 from official (u.ae) and secondary sources; thresholds marked verify are secondary-source only. Not legal or immigration advice — confirm with ICP/GDRFA or a licensed advisor.