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The UAE green visa is a 5-year renewable residence with no sponsor. You qualify as a skilled employee earning at least AED 15,000 a month with a bachelor's degree, as a freelancer with a MOHRE permit and proven income, or as an investor with an approved licence. In Dubai, GDRFA charges an AED 200 permit fee plus small fees and states 48 hours.
What makes it different from a normal work visa is who holds the file. An employment residence ends with the job. A green visa is yours, so you can change employer, take a gap or switch to freelance work without losing your status straight away.
The three green visa routes
| Route | Main condition | Proof GDRFA asks for |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled worker | MOHRE skill level 1, 2 or 3, bachelor's or equivalent, AED 15,000 a month | Work permit or UAE employment contract |
| Freelancer or self-employed | Degree or specialised diploma, MOHRE freelance permit, AED 360,000 income or financial solvency | MOHRE permit and income proof |
| Investor or partner | Approval of the competent authority and a licence for the activity | Trade licence, partnership contract, memorandum or investment contract |
Source: GDRFA green residence service pages and ICP green residency page, checked .
Skilled workers
Your job must sit at level 1, 2 or 3 of the MOHRE classification, and the salary must be at least AED 15,000 a month. If you work for a government, semi-government or free zone employer, GDRFA also wants the employment contract. The degree must be a bachelor's or equivalent.
Freelancers: the AED 360,000 wording
This is the line people misread. ICP says your annual freelance income over the previous two years must not be less than AED 360,000. Read plainly, that is per year. GDRFA's Dubai page says income of not less than AED 360,000 for the two preceding years, which some read as a two-year total. GDRFA also accepts proof of financial solvency instead. Until GDRFA clears it up, plan on the ICP reading and treat the lower one as a bonus. Either way you first need the MOHRE freelance permit; see freelance visa in Dubai.
Investors and partners
No official page we read sets a minimum investment for the green route. What counts is the approval of the authority that licenses your activity, plus the trade licence and the contract showing your share. If you have AED 2,000,000 or more, compare the investor visa options first.
Green visa fees in Dubai and the other emirates
| Fee line | GDRFA (Dubai) | ICP (other emirates) |
|---|---|---|
| Residence permit | AED 200, plus AED 100 a year for each year over two | AED 100 per year, plus AED 100 application and AED 100 smart service |
| Knowledge and Innovation | AED 10 and AED 10 | not listed |
| Inside the country | AED 500 | AED 500 status adjustment |
| Delivery | AED 20 | not listed |
| Green residence entry visa, from abroad | not listed on the green page | AED 100 each for application, issuance, smart service and the green entry visa |
Source: GDRFA green residence pages and ICP entry visa and residency issuance cards, checked .
The other costs are the same for everyone in Dubai: the standard medical fitness test at AED 270, the Emirates ID at AED 100 per year of residence plus AED 100, and health insurance priced by the insurer. GDRFA does not print a 5-year total, so we do not show one either. The full breakdown sits on UAE green visa requirements.
What Dubai agencies charge
Cost guides from Dubai firms put the government side of a green visa at about AED 2,000 to AED 3,470, including medical and Emirates ID (published estimates of 2 Dubai firms, checked ). Package prices for full green visa help vary too widely to give a fair range.
Documents checklist
- Passport copy, valid at least 6 months
- Personal photo on a white background
- Skilled: MOHRE work permit, plus the contract for government, semi-government or free zone employers
- Freelancer: MOHRE freelance or self-employment permit, the degree or diploma, and income or solvency proof
- Investor: trade licence and partnership contract, memorandum or investment contract
- Health insurance, then the medical result and Emirates ID receipt
Processing time
GDRFA states 48 hours for each green route once the file is complete. ICP states 2 days for residency issuance. The medical takes 24 hours on the standard service. Freelancers should add the time to get the MOHRE permit first.
Family and the 180-day grace period
You can sponsor your spouse and children, and the UAE government portal says green holders may also sponsor first-degree relatives. Their visas follow yours. Our page on sponsoring family as a freelancer goes through each case.
After expiry or cancellation you and your family get 180 days. A standard private sector residence in Dubai gives 60 days. That gap is often the reason people move to the green visa.
Why green visa files get refused or stuck
- Salary certificate under AED 15,000, or a job title outside levels 1 to 3.
- Degree not attested or not recognised.
- Freelance income shown as one lump without bank or invoice trail.
- Cancelling the old employment residence before the green permit is approved.
- No health insurance at the residence stage.
How it works with us
Send your passport, current visa and either your salary certificate, freelance permit or trade licence on WhatsApp or through the form on this page. A visa adviser checks which green route you fit, spots gaps like an unattested degree, and says whether to apply from inside the UAE. You get one total price, confirmed before you pay. The team files with GDRFA or ICP, books the medical and biometrics, and follows the file until the residence is issued. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service. The authorities decide every green visa.
Government fees are not refunded by the authorities after a refusal. Before you pay, the adviser tells you in writing which part of our total, if any, you get back if the visa is refused.
Official sources
- ICP green residency guide: validity, categories, freelancer income wording, family.
- GDRFA skilled worker green residence: salary, skill level, fees, grace period.
- GDRFA freelancer green residence: MOHRE permit, income rule.
- GDRFA investor or partner residence: documents.
- u.ae green visa: categories.
Checked .
