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The Dubai retirement visa is a 5-year residence for people aged 55 or over who worked at least 15 years. GDRFA asks for one of three things: property worth AED 1,000,000, a deposit of AED 1,000,000, or a fixed income of AED 240,000 a year. Property owners can file through the Dubai Land Department, whose package costs AED 6,984.75 and takes 7 to 10 business days.
You sponsor yourself. No employer and no family member is needed, and the visa renews on the same terms after 5 years.
The three ways to qualify in Dubai
On top of the age and work history, GDRFA wants one financial route. You do not need all three.
| Route | GDRFA condition | Proof |
|---|---|---|
| Property | UAE property worth AED 1,000,000 or more | Title deed. A mortgaged home counts if AED 1,000,000 is paid |
| Deposit | AED 1,000,000 or more, inside or outside the UAE | Moved to a UAE institution within 60 days |
| Income | Fixed income of AED 240,000 a year or more | 6 months of bank statements |
Source: GDRFA retiree residence pages, checked .
The 15 years can be anywhere. u.ae says the work can be inside or outside the UAE, so a career spent entirely abroad still counts.
Where the official pages disagree
Two conflicts trip people up, and you will see both repeated on agency sites.
Income: AED 180,000 or AED 240,000. The federal u.ae page (updated ) sets the income rule at AED 180,000 a year. The same page then says Dubai asks for AED 240,000. GDRFA and the Abu Dhabi ADDED page also use AED 240,000. For a Dubai file, plan on AED 240,000.
And or or. u.ae describes the asset route as property worth AED 1 million and savings of AED 1 million together. GDRFA and ADDED list property, or a deposit, or income, as separate options. GDRFA is the office that issues Dubai residence, so its wording is what your file is checked against. Read the GDRFA service page again on the day you apply, because either page can be corrected.
Fees
You can file in one of two places, and each lists its fees differently.
GDRFA route
| Fee line | Amount |
|---|---|
| Residence permit | AED 200 |
| Knowledge Dirham | AED 10 |
| Innovation Dirham | AED 10 |
| Applying from inside the country | AED 500 |
| Delivery | AED 20 |
The GDRFA 5-year retiree service also lists "residence fees" of AED 2,280 and an "identity card fee" of AED 575. Source: GDRFA retiree service pages, checked . The two GDRFA pages present the bill in different ways, so ask for the final figure on screen before you pay.
DLD retiree package (property owners)
| Item in the package | Amount |
|---|---|
| Medical examination | AED 700 |
| Emirates ID, 5 years | Included |
| Residency confirmation, 5 years | Included |
| DLD fees and admin | Included |
| Total for the retiree | AED 6,984.75 |
Each family member adds AED 4,968.50, plus AED 318.75 to open the family file, and AED 100 for each additional person. Source: Dubai Land Department retiree residence service, checked . The DLD page itemises every line of the total.
Health insurance comes on top on both routes. See health insurance for a residence visa.
What Dubai agencies charge
Dubai visa firms publish about AED 4,240 to AED 12,870 for a first-time retirement visa handled for you (published prices and estimates of 2 Dubai firms, checked ). One of those guides quotes eligibility rules that do not match GDRFA, so take the rules from the government page, not from price lists. These are their figures, not ours.
Documents in short
- Passport valid at least 6 months, and a photo on a white background
- Proof of your financial route: title deed, bank letter on paid mortgage, deposit certificate, or 6 months of bank statements
- Proof of your 15 years of work
- Marriage contract if you and your spouse share one property
- Health insurance and the medical fitness result
The full checklist for each route, and the traps in each one, are on retirement visa requirements.
Processing time
GDRFA states 48 hours once the file is complete. The DLD retiree package states 7 to 10 business days. Add a day or two for the medical test and the Emirates ID biometrics. If you came in on a visit visa, you will pay the inside-the-country fee rather than leave.
Common reasons a retirement file is refused or held
- The deposit sits abroad and was not moved to a UAE institution within 60 days.
- Bank statements show income that is not fixed, such as one-off transfers.
- Less than AED 1,000,000 paid on a mortgaged property.
- The applicant is 54 and the file is sent early.
- Agency rules copied in error, such as a demand for AED 2 million in property. That figure belongs to the golden visa for property owners, not the retiree route.
If you own property but are under 55, look at the 2-year property visa instead.
How it works with us
Send your passport copy and a short note on your money route on WhatsApp, or use the form on this page. A visa adviser reads your papers against the GDRFA and DLD conditions and tells you which office fits: DLD if your property carries the file, GDRFA for savings or a pension. You get one total price, confirmed on WhatsApp before you pay. The team then files the application, books the medical and biometrics, and follows the file until the residence is issued. DubaiVisaDesk.com is a private visa service, not a government office. GDRFA, ICP or DLD decides your application.
If the residence is refused, the government keeps its fees. Before you pay, your adviser tells you in writing which part of our total, if any, would come back.
Official sources
- GDRFA retired foreigner residence: age, service years, the three financial routes, fees.
- GDRFA 5-year retiree service: residence and identity card fee lines, 48 hours.
- u.ae residence visa for the retired: federal and Dubai income figures, 5 years.
- DLD retiree residence: property rule, package fees, family fees, timing.
Checked . Check the GDRFA page before you apply.
