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If your residence file or property is in Sharjah, Ajman or Ras Al Khaimah, your golden visa goes through ICP, the federal authority. We found no Sharjah, Ajman or RAK rules on top of the federal ones. ICP charges AED 100 to apply, AED 100 per year of residence and AED 100 smart service fee, and states 2 days to issue.
We looked for local rules and did not find any. We would rather say that than make some up.
What we checked, and what we found
We looked for official golden visa rules set by each of the three emirates. Here is the result:
- Sharjah: no official Sharjah-specific golden visa page or rule found. Sharjah files run through ICP.
- Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah: no local golden visa rules turned up in our research either. Treat them the same way as Sharjah.
- ICP: the federal Golden Residency guide, updated , covers every category and every emirate.
So the rules below are ICP's. If a local department later publishes something stricter, it would apply on top. When you hear a "Sharjah golden visa rule" from a property agent, ask which official page it comes from.
Dubai rules that do not carry over
Many guides online are written for Dubai. Some Dubai conditions come from GDRFA Dubai or the Dubai Land Department and are not on the ICP guide:
| Dubai condition | Source | On the ICP guide? |
|---|---|---|
| Lien on the property for 10 years, no sale | GDRFA and DLD | Not stated |
| Apply only at DLD accredited centres | GDRFA | No, ICP smart services |
| Bank letter showing amount paid on a mortgage | DLD | ICP only says the loan must be from an approved local bank |
| Dubai residence file needed for students and humanitarian pioneers | GDRFA | No |
| GDRFA fee lines (AED 1,100 permit and extras) | GDRFA | No, ICP has its own fee card |
Source: GDRFA golden pages, DLD investor page and ICP Golden Residency guide, checked .
"Not stated" does not mean "allowed". It means the ICP guide is silent. Before you buy or sell property on the strength of a golden visa, confirm the position with ICP.
The federal conditions in brief
ICP and GDRFA now issue 10 years; older u.ae text still says 5 for some categories. Main routes:
- Property: one or more properties in the UAE worth at least AED 2,000,000 in total, fully owned and in your name. A loan from an approved local bank is allowed. ICP also accepts off-plan units from an approved local developer; check before you apply, because no other official page we read confirms it.
- Skilled professionals: MOHRE level 1 or 2, a bachelor's degree, a valid work permit and at least AED 30,000 a month.
- Public investment: AED 2,000,000 deposited or in a company, or AED 250,000 a year in federal tax.
- Entrepreneurs, talent, students, scientists, humanitarian and frontline: each through its own nominating body.
Investors, entrepreneurs and skilled professionals also need health insurance for themselves and their family. Full category detail is on golden visa eligibility.
ICP fees
| ICP fee line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application | AED 100 |
| Golden residence issuance, per year | AED 100 |
| Smart service | AED 100 |
| Emirates ID | AED 100 per year, plus AED 100 smart service |
| Extending the six-month entry visa (outside applicants) | AED 1,000 |
Source: ICP Issuing Residency Permit card, ICP Emirates ID card and ICP entry visa extension card, checked . The medical test is extra. The medical fees we hold are Dubai's, so we do not quote them here.
What agencies charge
The golden visa prices we track are from Dubai Amer centres and Dubai Land Department centres. None of them prices an ICP file from Sharjah, Ajman or RAK, so we show no range.
Documents
ICP's own list is short:
- Passport
- Photo
- Proof of eligibility for your category
Proof of eligibility is the heavy part. For property it is the title deeds and, with a loan, the bank papers. For the salary route it is the work permit, contract, salary proof and attested degree. For nominated categories it is the nomination letter. Family members need attested marriage and birth certificates.
Processing time
ICP states 2 days for issuance, with smart services open 24/7 through UAE Pass. If your category needs a nomination, that comes first and has no published timeline.
Why ICP files get refused
- Property value below AED 2,000,000 once all units are added up, or not fully in your name
- Salary paid below AED 30,000, or the job sits outside MOHRE levels 1 and 2
- Foreign degree not attested
- No health insurance where the category needs it
- Applying on GDRFA Dubai with a Sharjah, Ajman or RAK file
How it works with us
DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service in Dubai. We are not ICP and we do not decide golden visa files. Tell us on WhatsApp, or through the form on this page, which emirate your residence or property is in and which category you think fits, with a passport copy. A visa adviser compares your papers with the ICP conditions and flags anything that may be read differently from the Dubai rules. You get one total price, confirmed on WhatsApp before you pay. Our team files the ICP application and follows it through to the medical, the Emirates ID and your family's files.
If ICP refuses the file, the government fees are not returned. Before you pay, you get in writing which part of our total, if any, would be refunded.
Official sources
- ICP UAE Golden Residency guide: federal categories and conditions
- ICP Issuing Residency Permit card: fee lines, documents, 2 days
- ICP entry visa extension card: AED 1,000 extension
- ICP Emirates ID card: Emirates ID fees
- u.ae golden visa page: older validity table
- GDRFA investors golden residency: the Dubai rules compared above
