UAE Residence Visas in 2026: Golden Visa, Green Visa, Remote Work, Retirement and Family. The Complete Guide

When a family asks me about the UAE, they usually say “Golden Visa” and mean any long residence permit. In fact the country has several routes, and the cheapest one is often not the Golden Visa at all. In this guide I lay them out side by side, using the ICP Golden Residency guide, u.ae, the Dubai Land Department and the BRIDGES UAE pages. Everything was checked on 2 November 2026.

The main routes at a glance

Route	Term	Entry point
Golden Visa through property	10 years	property from AED 2,000,000
Golden Visa for investors and entrepreneurs	10 years	AED 2,000,000 in a fund, deposit or company
Golden Visa for skilled professionals	10 years	salary from AED 30,000 a month
Green visa	5 years	salary from AED 15,000 a month or freelance income from AED 360,000 a year
Remote work visa	1 year	income from $3,500 a month
Retirement visa	5 years	age 55+, AED 180,000 a year or AED 1M property plus AED 1M savings

The Golden Visa through property

This is the route I discuss most often. You buy one or more properties worth at least AED 2,000,000 in total, which is about $545,000 because the dirham is pegged to the US dollar. A mortgage from an approved UAE bank is allowed, and so is an off-plan unit from an approved developer. You need no employer or sponsor, and you can sponsor your spouse, children of any age and parents. Costs, documents and the Dubai procedure are in the property guide.

Investors, entrepreneurs and professionals

The same AED 2,000,000 can sit in an investment fund, a national bank deposit or a UAE company instead of property. Highly paid employees qualify with a salary from AED 30,000 a month and a bachelor’s degree. If you fall short of that, the 5-year Green visa may fit. See the investor and professional guide.

Remote work and retirement

The virtual work visa lets you live in Dubai while working for an employer or clients abroad, with income of at least $3,500 a month. The retirement visa is for people aged 55 and over with 15 years of work behind them. Both are in the remote work and retirement guide.

Family, Emirates ID and documents

Every resident gets an Emirates ID, and most visas let you sponsor the family. The rules differ by route, and the paperwork from home must be attested. I cover them in the family and documents guide.

Tax and citizenship

There is no personal income tax in the UAE. Companies pay 9% corporate tax on profit above AED 375,000, and VAT is 5%. There is no citizenship by investment, and I explain why in the tax and citizenship guide.

My honest view

The UAE is one of the simplest places in the world to get a long residence permit, but residence here does not lead to a passport. I always ask a family what they want first: a base with no income tax, a home for retirement, or a second citizenship. For the first two the UAE is excellent. For the third you need another country.