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A UAE investment visa is not one product. If you are a partner or investor in a licensed UAE company, the green residence gives you up to 5 years, and GDRFA states no minimum share. With AED 2,000,000 in a deposit, a company or property, you can apply for the 10-year golden visa. GDRFA states 48 hours for the green permit and 5 days for the golden investor permit.
Property owners have their own routes, covered on the Dubai property visa page. This page compares every residence by investment option so you can see which one your money actually fits.
Residence by investment: the routes side by side
| Route | What you need | Validity | Who files |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green residence (partner investor) | Share in a licensed company, approval of the authorities, no stated minimum | Up to 5 years | GDRFA in Dubai, ICP elsewhere |
| Golden: bank deposit | AED 2,000,000 deposit, frozen at least 2 years | 10 years | GDRFA or ICP |
| Golden: company or partner share | AED 2,000,000 capital or share, not from a loan | 10 years | GDRFA or ICP |
| Golden: tax | AED 250,000 a year in federal tax | 10 years | GDRFA or ICP |
| Golden: property | Property of AED 2,000,000 | 10 years | DLD centres in Dubai |
| Property owner (Dubai) | Completed Dubai property, any value for a sole owner | 2 years | DLD |
| Retiree with property | Age 55+, property of AED 1,000,000 | 5 years | GDRFA, DLD or ICP |
Sources: GDRFA green and golden investor pages, ICP golden residency guide, DLD service pages, checked . ICP and GDRFA now issue golden permits for 10 years; older u.ae text still says 5 for some categories.
No minimum on the green route, and what that means
The GDRFA page "Issuing green residence permit (partner investor)" asks for a partnership agreement, MOA or investment contract and a trade licence, plus the approval of the competent authorities. It names no share value or capital figure. ICP's green residency page lists investors and partners the same way.
You may read a specific minimum share on agency sites. We found none on an official page, so do not size your investment around a number you cannot trace to GDRFA or ICP. What does matter: your name must be on the licence as a partner, and the activity must be licensed.
The golden investor routes in one paragraph each
Deposit. AED 2,000,000 with an accredited UAE bank, with a bank certificate showing it frozen for at least two years. GDRFA also says you may not withdraw it during the golden residency.
Company or share. Capital or a partner's share of AED 2,000,000, fully owned and not funded by a loan. GDRFA wants a certified financial report from a UAE audit firm and the company's tax registration.
Tax. A letter from the Federal Tax Authority showing AED 250,000 a year in federal tax paid by your company or your share of it.
The full conditions sit on our golden visa for investors page.
Official fees
| Route | Fee lines |
|---|---|
| Green partner investor (GDRFA) | AED 200 permit, AED 10 Knowledge, AED 10 Innovation, AED 500 inside the country, AED 20 delivery; AED 100 more a year over two years |
| Golden investor (GDRFA) | AED 1,100 permit, AED 10, AED 10, AED 500 inside the country, AED 20 delivery; AED 100 a year over two years |
| Golden (ICP) | AED 100 application, AED 100 per year of residence, AED 100 smart service |
| Golden property (DLD, all in) | AED 9,884.75 |
| Property owner, 2 years (DLD) | AED 10,212.50 |
| Emirates ID (ICP) | AED 100 per year plus AED 100 smart service |
Source: GDRFA, ICP and DLD service pages, checked . The GDRFA pages do not show a total for a 5 or 10-year permit, so check the payment screen. Licence, audit and medical costs are separate.
What Dubai agencies charge
Dubai agencies publish about AED 10,000 to AED 18,000 for an investor or partner visa (published prices of 2 Dubai agencies, checked ). What that covers varies, so ask whether the government fees, medical and Emirates ID are inside.
Documents checklist
- Passport valid for at least 6 months and a photo
- Trade licence showing you as partner or owner
- Partnership agreement, MOA or investment contract
- For a golden deposit: bank certificate of the frozen deposit and proof of housing in Dubai
- For a golden company route: audited financial report, company bank statement, tax registration
- For property: title deed, and a bank NOC if mortgaged
- Health insurance for you and your family (ICP asks for it on the golden routes)
Processing time
The visa step itself is short: 48 hours for the green permit, 5 days for the golden investor permit at GDRFA, 2 days at ICP, 7 to 10 business days at the DLD centres. The slow parts come before: licensing, a bank freezing a deposit, an auditor signing a report.
Why investor files get refused or stuck
- The trade licence does not name you as a partner yet.
- The capital came from a loan (not allowed on the golden company route).
- The deposit certificate does not show the funds frozen.
- Company tax registration or receipts missing.
- A Dubai company filed at ICP, or the other way round.
How it works with us
Send your passport and a short note on what you own or plan to invest on WhatsApp, or use the form on this page. A visa adviser looks at your licence, deposit or deed and tells you which route you qualify for today, and which you could reach. You get one total price before paying. The team prepares the GDRFA, ICP or DLD file, answers any request for more papers and books the medical and Emirates ID steps. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service, and the authorities decide every investor permit.
Government fees stay with the authority if a file is refused. Before you pay, your adviser confirms in writing what part of our total, if any, comes back after a refusal.
Permanent residency and citizenship
People search for "UAE permanent residency by investment". It does not exist as a product. See permanent residency in the UAE for the long-term routes, and golden visa or green visa if you are between the two. For a partner visa in a Dubai company, see partner visa Dubai.
Official sources
- GDRFA green residence (partner investor): documents, fees, time, no minimum.
- GDRFA golden residence for investors: deposit, company and tax routes, fees.
- ICP golden residency guide: investment conditions, validity.
- ICP green residency: investor and partner category.
- u.ae investor visa: green visa and investment visit visa.
- DLD investor visa: property owner fees.
- WAM on citizenship by nomination: nomination only.
Checked . Check the official page before you pay.
