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The UAE green visa requirements start with the same base for everyone: a passport valid at least 6 months, a white-background photo and health insurance. Skilled workers then add a MOHRE work permit, a bachelor's and a salary of AED 15,000 a month. Freelancers add a MOHRE freelance permit and income proof. Investors add a trade licence and their contract. GDRFA states 48 hours once all of it is in.
If you are still deciding whether the green visa suits you, start with the UAE green visa overview. This page is the checklist.
Base documents for every route
- Passport copy with at least 6 months of validity
- Recent colour photo with a white background
- Copy of your current UAE visa, if you hold one
- Valid health insurance (ICP lists it for the green entry visa and the residence)
- Medical fitness result, done in the UAE
- Emirates ID application receipt after biometrics
Skilled worker route
The conditions: a valid work permit or UAE employment contract, a job at MOHRE skill level 1, 2 or 3, a bachelor's or equivalent, and a monthly salary of at least AED 15,000.
What to put in the file:
- MOHRE work permit
- Employment contract, if your employer is government, semi-government or a free zone body
- Degree certificate, attested
- Salary certificate showing the monthly figure
Check your job title on the permit before you start. If MOHRE has you at a level below 3, the salary alone will not carry the file. A title change goes through your employer and MOHRE first.
Freelancer and self-employed route
The conditions: a MOHRE freelance or self-employment permit, a bachelor's, a specialised diploma or equivalent, and self-employment income of at least AED 360,000 for the two preceding years, or proof of financial solvency. ICP words the income as annual income over two years, so the safe plan is AED 360,000 in each year. The freelance visa requirements page covers getting the permit.
What to put in the file:
- MOHRE freelance or self-employment permit
- Degree or specialised diploma, attested
- Income proof for both years: bank statements, client invoices or contracts, and any tax or audit papers
- Or, instead of income, proof of financial solvency
GDRFA does not spell out which papers count as income proof. A file where the invoices, the bank credits and any declared figures tell the same story is the one that gets through.
Investor and partner route
The conditions: approval from the competent authority and a licence to practise the activity. No minimum amount is stated on the pages we checked.
What to put in the file:
- Personal photo
- Passport copy, valid at least 6 months
- Partnership contract, memorandum of association or investment contract
- Trade licence
If your company is in a free zone, ask the free zone authority which approval letter it gives for a green residence file.
Family member documents
Your spouse and children can join on your green visa. The UAE government portal says green holders may also sponsor first-degree relatives. For each person:
- Passport copy and photo
- Attested marriage certificate for a spouse, attested birth certificates for children
- Health insurance
- Medical test for anyone 18 and over
MOFA in the UAE charges AED 150 per personal document for its attestation step. See marriage certificate attestation for the full chain.
Fees once the papers are ready
| Item | Dubai amount |
|---|---|
| GDRFA residence permit | AED 200, plus AED 100 for each year over two |
| Knowledge and Innovation fees | AED 10 each |
| Delivery | AED 20 |
| Applying from inside the UAE | AED 500 |
| Medical fitness, standard 24 hours | AED 270 |
| Emirates ID | AED 100 per year plus AED 100 |
Source: GDRFA green residence pages, ICP Emirates ID card and Dubai medical fitness charges, checked . Insurance is priced by the insurer.
What Dubai agencies charge
Dubai firms' published cost guides put the government part at about AED 2,000 to AED 3,470 (2 Dubai firms, checked ). Firms do not publish document check fees on their own.
Processing time
GDRFA: 48 hours per green service. ICP: 2 days. Attestation of a foreign degree is usually the slowest part, so start it first.
Papers that hold green visa files up
- Degree with home country stamps but no UAE attestation.
- Salary certificate showing basic pay only, below AED 15,000.
- Freelance income from one year only.
- Trade licence that expires during processing.
- Passport with less than 6 months left.
How it works with us
Send scans of your passport, visa, degree and the route papers (permit, salary certificate or licence) on WhatsApp or through the form here. A visa adviser goes through each one against the GDRFA list and tells you what is missing or needs attesting. You get one total price before you pay. Once the file is complete the team submits it, arranges the medical and Emirates ID, and keeps you updated. We are DubaiVisaDesk.com, a private visa service. GDRFA or ICP makes the decision.
If the application is refused, the authorities keep their fees. The adviser tells you in writing, before payment, what part of our total comes back after a refusal, if any.
Official sources
- GDRFA skilled worker green residence: conditions and documents.
- GDRFA freelancer green residence: permit, degree, income.
- GDRFA investor or partner residence: document list.
- ICP green residency guide: income wording, family.
- MOFA FAQs: attestation fee.
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