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The golden visa and the green visa are both UAE residences you sponsor yourself. The golden visa lasts 10 years and asks more: AED 30,000 a month at MOHRE level 1 or 2, or AED 2,000,000 in property or a deposit, or a nomination. The green visa lasts 5 years and starts at AED 15,000 a month at level 1 to 3. GDRFA processes the salary routes in 48 hours.
Most people do not choose between them. They check which bar they clear. If you clear both, the golden visa gives you more years and fewer conditions while you hold it.
Side by side
| Point | Golden visa | Green visa |
|---|---|---|
| Validity | 10 years, renewable | 5 years, renewable |
| Sponsor | none | none |
| Salaried route | MOHRE level 1 or 2, bachelor's, AED 30,000 a month | MOHRE level 1, 2 or 3, bachelor's, AED 15,000 a month |
| Freelancers | no category of its own | MOHRE freelance permit, AED 360,000 income or solvency |
| Investors | AED 2,000,000 deposit, company or property, or AED 250,000 a year in tax | approved licence, no minimum stated |
| Talent and students | nominated categories (scientists, creatives, athletes, top graduates and more) | none |
| Family | spouse, children of any age, parents | spouse, children, first-degree relatives |
| Domestic workers | can sponsor under UAE rules | not stated on the pages we read |
| Grace period | 180 days | 180 days |
| Time abroad | not cancelled for staying out over 180 days | not stated on the green pages |
| GDRFA permit fee | AED 1,100 | AED 200 |
| GDRFA processing | 48 hours (skilled), 5 days (investors) | 48 hours |
Sources: ICP golden and green residency guides, GDRFA golden and green service pages, u.ae golden and green visa pages, checked .
Validity: one point to know
ICP and GDRFA now issue 10 years for every golden category; older u.ae text still says 5 for some categories. The green visa is 5 years on every official page.
The salary routes compared
This is where most applicants sit. The two routes look alike but the thresholds differ on three points.
- Salary. AED 30,000 for golden, AED 15,000 for green.
- Level. Golden takes only MOHRE level 1 (chairpersons, chief executives) and level 2 (specialists). Green also takes level 3.
- What happens if it drops. GDRFA says a golden permit on the skilled route is cancelled if the salary falls below AED 30,000 or the contract ends. The green pages do not set out a matching rule.
Golden skilled applicants in Dubai also send 6 months of bank statements showing the salary. The skilled professionals golden visa page lists the rest.
Investors compared
The golden investor routes have hard numbers. ICP lists a deposit of AED 2,000,000 with a UAE fund or bank, a company or partner share of AED 2,000,000, or a company paying AED 250,000 a year in federal tax. Property needs AED 2,000,000 too, with a lien placed by DLD.
The green investor route has no figure on the official pages. It rests on approval from the authority that licenses your activity and your trade licence. That makes it the route for business owners below the golden bar.
Family and household
Golden holders can sponsor a spouse, children of any age and parents, plus domestic workers under UAE rules. If the golden holder dies, family can stay until their own permits expire.
Green holders can sponsor a spouse and children, and u.ae adds first-degree relatives. The pages we read say nothing about domestic workers for green holders, so ask before you plan on it. On both visas the family gets the same 180-day grace period. More detail: sponsoring family on a self-sponsored visa.
Fees compared
Both use the same fee structure at GDRFA: the permit fee, AED 10 Knowledge, AED 10 Innovation, AED 20 delivery and AED 500 if you apply inside the UAE. The difference is the permit fee: AED 1,100 for golden, AED 200 for green. Both pages add AED 100 a year for permits over two years without printing a total, so we show the lines only. Property applicants pay DLD instead, which itemises AED 9,884.75 for the investor. See golden visa cost for the full lines.
Medical (AED 270 standard) and the Emirates ID (AED 100 per year plus AED 100) apply to both.
Which one should you aim for
- Salaried at AED 15,000 or more but under AED 30,000, level 1 to 3: green.
- Salaried at AED 30,000 or more, level 1 or 2: golden.
- Freelancer: green, unless you hold property or savings that meet a golden route.
- Business owner with AED 2,000,000 in the company or paying AED 250,000 a year in tax: golden. Below that: green investor.
- Remote worker paid from abroad: neither by default; see the Dubai remote work visa.
The full list of ways to hold your own residence is on self-sponsored visa UAE.
Official sources
- ICP golden residency guide: categories, validity, family, domestic workers.
- ICP green residency guide: routes, validity, freelancer income.
- GDRFA golden residency services: fees, processing, salary cancellation rule.
- GDRFA skilled worker green residence: green fees and grace period.
- u.ae golden visa: older 5-year wording.
Checked .
