How much capital do I need for a golden visa as a business owner?

Under ICP's investor category you need at least AED 2,000,000 — as a deposit with a UAE investment fund or national bank, as the capital of a company you set up, or as your share in an existing or new company. The money must be your own, not borrowed. Alternatively, your company (or your share of it) must pay at least AED 250,000 a year in federal taxes.

How long is the UAE golden visa valid for entrepreneurs?

ICP's Golden Residency Guide, updated in September 2026, lists 10 years for investors in public investments, real estate investors and entrepreneurs, renewable if you still meet the conditions. Note that the u.ae government portal's summary table still shows five years for real estate investors and entrepreneurs, so check the duration printed on your approval.

What does the golden visa cost in Dubai?

GDRFA Dubai publishes a residence permit fee of AED 1,100, plus AED 10 Knowledge Dirham, AED 10 Innovation Dirham, AED 500 if you apply from inside the country and AED 20 delivery — AED 1,640 in total for an in-country application. Emirates ID, medical fitness testing, health insurance and typing-centre charges are extra, as are permits for each family member.

Can I sponsor my family on a golden visa?

Yes. ICP says golden residents can get residence permits for their spouse and children regardless of the children's age, and for their parents. You can also sponsor domestic workers under the normal rules. If the golden resident dies, family members may stay until their own permits expire. Each family member needs comprehensive health insurance.

Do I lose the golden visa if I stay outside the UAE for more than six months?

No. Golden residents are exempt from the usual rule that a residence permit lapses after more than six months abroad. GDRFA notes the permit is void only if it expires while you're outside the country, so renew on time even if you spend long periods away.

Business registration & legal

UAE Golden Visa for Entrepreneurs and Business Investors (2026): Eligibility, Capital Thresholds and How to Apply

UAE golden visa for entrepreneurs and investors in 2026: AED 2m capital and AED 1m revenue routes, ICP and GDRFA applications, published fees and family rules.

Edited by Sumeet YadavFounder & editor, MSMETOOLS · fact-checked against official sources

Updated October 2026 Verified against official sources 11 October 2026 15 min read

UAE golden visa for entrepreneurs — MSMETOOLS guide cover

Contents (9)

1. What the golden visa gives a business owner
2. The investor route: capital or tax paid
3. The entrepreneur route
4. How to apply through ICP or GDRFA
5. Fees as published
6. Sponsoring your family and staff
7. Worked examples in AED
8. Common mistakes and how to avoid them
9. What to do next

The UAE's golden visa — officially Golden Residency — gives founders and business investors a long-term residence permit without an employer or local sponsor. For anyone running a company in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or a free zone, it removes the two-year renewal cycle and makes it easier to keep family in the country while travelling. This guide is for entrepreneurs, SME owners and investors. It sets out the investor and entrepreneur routes as the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) publishes them, the AED thresholds, how nominations work in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the fees GDRFA Dubai publishes, and the family sponsorship rules — all checked against official pages as of October 2026.

Quick answer

Business owners can get a UAE golden visa as an investor — at least AED 2,000,000 in a UAE company, investment fund or bank deposit, or a company paying AED 250,000 a year in federal taxes — or as an entrepreneur, through an SME with AED 1,000,000 annual revenue, an incubator-approved venture, or a previous exit worth AED 7,000,000. ICP now lists 10 years for these categories.

Apply through ICP's smart services, or GDRFA Dubai for Dubai residency
Dubai entrepreneurs need a Dubai Future Foundation nomination; Abu Dhabi uses incubators via ADRO
GDRFA Dubai permit fee: AED 1,100 plus small add-ons — AED 1,640 in-country
Sponsor spouse, children of any age and parents

What the golden visa gives a business owner

A normal UAE residence visa for a business owner is tied to a trade licence and usually runs for two years. Golden Residency is a separate long-term permit. According to ICP's Golden Residency Guide, updated on 10 September 2026, it gives:

long-term residence without a sponsor, renewable while you keep meeting the conditions;
residence permits for your spouse and children regardless of their age, and for your parents;
the right to sponsor domestic workers under the usual rules;
a six-month multiple-entry visa, renewable for another six months, if you're outside the UAE while completing the process; and
protection for your family: if the golden resident dies, sponsored family members can stay until their own permits expire.

The u.ae portal adds the benefit most frequent travellers care about: golden residents can stay outside the UAE for longer than the usual six months without the visa lapsing. GDRFA Dubai says the permit is only void if it expires while you're abroad.

Validity. ICP's guide now lists 10 years for investors in public investments, real estate investors and entrepreneurs. Older guidance — including the summary table on u.ae, last updated 28 July 2026 — still shows five years for real estate investors and entrepreneurs, and many advisers repeat that. Treat the duration printed on your approval and permit as definitive.

Business routes to the golden visa

Route	Main test	Who vets it	Duration (ICP)
Investor — capital	AED 2,000,000 deposit, company capital or share, own funds	ICP / GDRFA	10 years
Investor — tax	AED 250,000 a year in federal tax (or your share)	ICP / GDRFA with FTA letter	10 years
Real estate	AED 2,000,000 in property; bank loan allowed	ICP / GDRFA with land department	10 years
Entrepreneur	AED 1,000,000 SME revenue, approved idea or AED 7,000,000 exit	Nominating body, then ICP / GDRFA	10 years

Investor — capital

Main test: AED 2,000,000 deposit, company capital or share, own funds
Who vets it: ICP / GDRFA
Duration (ICP): 10 years

Investor — tax

Main test: AED 250,000 a year in federal tax (or your share)
Who vets it: ICP / GDRFA with FTA letter
Duration (ICP): 10 years

Real estate

Main test: AED 2,000,000 in property; bank loan allowed
Who vets it: ICP / GDRFA with land department
Duration (ICP): 10 years

Entrepreneur

Main test: AED 1,000,000 SME revenue, approved idea or AED 7,000,000 exit
Who vets it: Nominating body, then ICP / GDRFA
Duration (ICP): 10 years

The golden visa is a residence status, not a licence to trade. You still need a valid trade licence from a mainland economic department or a free zone authority to run the business, and corporate tax, VAT and UBO obligations apply as normal. See our Dubai business setup guide for the licensing side.

The investor route: capital or tax paid

ICP's investor category is the most direct route for an established business owner. You qualify under any one of these conditions:

a financial deposit of at least AED 2,000,000 with an investment fund or a national bank operating in the UAE;
establishing a company in the UAE with capital of at least AED 2,000,000;
being a partner in an existing or newly established company with a financial share worth at least AED 2,000,000;
owning a company that pays at least AED 250,000 a year in taxes to the federal government; or
being a partner in a company paying federal taxes, where your share of the tax paid is worth at least AED 250,000 a year.

Two conditions apply across all of them. The capital must be fully owned by you and not borrowed, and you must show evidence of its source and ownership. You and your family also need comprehensive health insurance when you apply.

GDRFA Dubai's investor service shows how this is evidenced in practice. For a company investment, it asks for a certified financial report from a UAE-accredited audit firm, a valid trade licence with the partners' appendix, company bank statements and tax registration with last year's tax receipts — plus a free zone certificate where relevant. For a deposit, it wants proof of at least AED 2,000,000 in a local bank and proof of housing in Dubai. For the tax route, it asks for a Federal Tax Authority letter confirming your partnership and annual tax of at least AED 250,000. GDRFA also assesses the investment's size, employment and the company's financial solvency, so a paper capital figure with no real business behind it is unlikely to pass.

Golden visa thresholds for business (2026)

AED 2,000,000

Investor capital, deposit or share

own funds, not a loan

AED 250,000

Federal tax paid a year

by your company or your share

AED 1,000,000

Entrepreneur SME annual revenue

AED 7,000,000

Previous venture sale value

Real estate as an alternative

Many business owners also hold property. ICP's real estate route requires one or more UAE properties worth at least AED 2,000,000 in total, fully registered in your name. Unlike the capital route, the property may be financed with a loan from an approved local bank, and off-plan units bought from an approved developer also count. In Dubai, GDRFA relies on Dubai Land Department records to certify the value. If you plan to use a mortgaged property, ask the land department how the value is assessed before you apply.

The entrepreneur route

The entrepreneur category is for founders rather than passive investors. ICP lists three ways in:

An established SME. You own or co-own an entrepreneurial venture registered in the UAE, classified as a small or medium-sized enterprise, operating in an approved field, with annual revenue of at least AED 1,000,000.
An approved idea. Your venture idea has been approved by an accredited business incubator, the Ministry of Economy, ICP or a relevant local authority, to set up and operate the proposed activity in the UAE.
A previous exit. You founded or co-founded one or more ventures that were sold for a total of at least AED 7,000,000.

As with investors, you and your family need comprehensive health insurance. In practice, the entrepreneur route is nomination-led: the emirate's designated body vets the business before immigration processes the permit.

Dubai: Dubai Future Foundation nomination

GDRFA Dubai's entrepreneur service says the category is nominated by the Dubai Future Foundation. The documents GDRFA asks for are simply a copy of the passport and the nomination letter, because the business vetting happens at the nomination stage. GDRFA describes eligible businesses as successful projects or business plans of a technological or future-focused nature based on disruptive innovation, from inside or outside the UAE. A nomination doesn't guarantee a visa — GDRFA makes the final decision after reviewing the file.

GDRFA's own wording of the routes differs slightly from ICP's — it mentions annual income of AED 1 million for a registered pioneering project and AED 2 million for a project approved through an incubator or the Ministry of Economy. Where the two differ, follow the requirements the nominating body gives you in writing.

The torus-shaped Museum of the Future building in Dubai, home of the Dubai Future Foundation — In Dubai, entrepreneur golden visas start with a nomination from the Dubai Future Foundation, before GDRFA reviews and issues the permit.· Image: Simon_sees (Flickr) (CC BY 2.0)

Abu Dhabi: incubator nomination through ADRO

In Abu Dhabi, the Department of Economic Development describes the same three routes and runs nominations through the Abu Dhabi Residents Office on TAMM. UAE residents apply on TAMM, and the application goes automatically to a business incubator for nomination; non-residents ask for nomination by email to the Abu Dhabi Investment Office. Documents depend on the route: an existing company typically needs its trade licence, two years of audited financial statements, a company profile or deck and founders' LinkedIn profiles, while an idea-stage founder needs an incubator or accelerator acceptance letter and a concept deck. Proof of sale is required for the exit route.

Choosing between the investor and entrepreneur routes

If your company already has AED 2,000,000 or more of paid-up capital attributable to you, or pays substantial federal tax, the investor route is usually simpler: the evidence is financial and the immigration authority assesses it directly, without a separate nomination. The entrepreneur route suits founders whose companies are growing but thinly capitalised — a services business with AED 1,000,000 of revenue may have very little share capital — and founders with a track record of exits. Idea-stage founders have only the incubator route, which means joining or being accepted by a recognised programme first.

Whichever route you choose, think about how you'll keep qualifying at renewal. Capital that is later withdrawn, a revenue dip or a sale of your shares can all make renewal harder, so plan the structure with your auditor before you apply rather than after.

How to apply through ICP or GDRFA

Where you apply depends on the emirate of residence. GDRFA Dubai handles Dubai residency; ICP handles the other emirates and runs the federal eligibility checker and golden services dashboard. Abu Dhabi residents start on TAMM.

Applying for a business golden visa

1
Check eligibility
Use ICP's online eligibility checker and match your situation to one route: capital, tax, real estate, SME revenue, approved idea or exit.
ICP eligibility check
2
Get a nomination if you're an entrepreneur
Dubai: Dubai Future Foundation. Abu Dhabi: an approved incubator through ADRO on TAMM. Investors usually go straight to the immigration authority.
3
Prepare evidence
Audited financials, trade licence with partners' appendix, bank statements, FTA tax letter or title deeds — plus passport and health insurance for every applicant.
4
Apply and pay
Apply on ICP smart services or the GDRFA website with UAE Pass, or at an Amer centre in Dubai, and pay the fees online.
GDRFA golden residence (investors)
5
Complete medical and Emirates ID
Finish the medical fitness test and Emirates ID biometrics, then add family members as dependants.

GDRFA Dubai lists an expected completion time of 5 days for the permit itself once your file is complete; nominations, audits and medical tests add time before that. If you're overseas, ICP can issue the six-month multiple-entry visa so you can enter and finish the process.

Fees as published

GDRFA Dubai publishes the same fee lines for the investor and entrepreneur golden residence permits, as checked on 11 October 2026:

Fee line (GDRFA Dubai)	AED
Residence permit fee	AED 1,100
Knowledge Dirham	10
Innovation Dirham	10
Fee for applying inside the country	AED 500
Delivery	20
Total for an in-country application	AED 1,640

GDRFA also notes that the issuance fee rises by AED 100 a year where the residency exceeds two years, without spelling out how that applies to a ten-year permit — confirm the final figure on the payment screen. The table doesn't include Emirates ID, the medical fitness test, health insurance, typing-centre service charges, or the cost of permits for each family member, which are charged separately. Investors also bear the cost of audited accounts and valuations, and entrepreneurs may pay incubator or programme fees. ICP charges its own fees in the other emirates; they appear when you submit the application.

Sponsoring your family and staff

The golden visa's family rules are broader than those of a standard residence visa. ICP says you can get residence permits for your spouse, for children regardless of their age, and for your parents. Each family member needs their own permit, Emirates ID and comprehensive health insurance, and their permits are linked to yours.

You can also sponsor domestic workers under the applicable rules. Your company's employees are a separate matter: they're sponsored through the company's establishment card and visa quota, not through your golden visa.

If your circumstances change — you sell the company, revenue drops below the threshold or you withdraw the capital — expect renewal to depend on meeting the conditions again: GDRFA describes the permit as extendable only if the same conditions are still met. GDRFA also says holders must be able to support themselves and their families without government support.

Residential towers of the Dubai Marina skyline — Golden residents can sponsor a spouse, children of any age and parents — and stay abroad for more than six months without losing residency.· Image: Norlando Pobre (Wikimedia Commons) (CC BY 2.0)

Worked examples in AED

1. Partner in a trading company. Amira owns 40% of a Dubai mainland trading LLC with paid-up capital of AED 5,000,000. Her share is worth AED 2,000,000, which meets the AED 2,000,000 partner condition — provided the capital is genuinely paid in from her own funds and shown in audited accounts.

2. The tax route. A free zone consultancy owned 50/50 by two founders pays federal taxes of AED 600,000 a year. Each founder's share is AED 300,000, above the AED 250,000 threshold, so both may qualify with an FTA letter. For context, at the 9% corporate tax rate on taxable income above AED 375,000, corporate tax alone of AED 250,000 corresponds to taxable income of roughly AED 3.15 million.

3. An SME founder. Karan's Abu Dhabi software firm has annual revenue of AED 1,350,000 and is in an approved sector. He meets the AED 1,000,000 revenue route and applies through ADRO on TAMM for incubator nomination, attaching two years of audited accounts.

4. A serial founder. Lena sold her previous e-commerce venture for AED 8,000,000 to an acquirer and is starting a new one in Dubai. The sale exceeds AED 7,000,000, so she seeks a Dubai Future Foundation nomination with proof of the sale.

5. The fee bill. Amira applies from inside Dubai: AED 1,100 + AED 10 + AED 10 + AED 500 + AED 20 = AED 1,640 for her permit as published, before Emirates ID, medical, insurance and her family's permits.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Using borrowed money for the capital route. ICP requires investor capital to be fully owned, not loan-funded. Only the real estate route allows bank financing.
Applying to the wrong authority. Dubai residency goes through GDRFA; Abu Dhabi entrepreneurs start on TAMM; other emirates use ICP.
Skipping the nomination. Entrepreneur applications in Dubai and Abu Dhabi need the nominating body's letter before immigration will act.
Weak financial evidence. Unaudited accounts or a capital figure that was never paid in won't pass. Use a UAE-accredited auditor.
Forgetting health insurance for each family member, which ICP lists as a condition.
Assuming five-year validity. Check whether your approval shows five or ten years, given the mismatch between u.ae and ICP's latest guide.
Letting the permit expire abroad. You can stay away more than six months, but an expired permit while overseas is void.

Golden visa file for a business owner

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Official links

What to do next

Decide which route fits — capital, tax, SME revenue, approved idea or exit — and run ICP's eligibility check. Then line up audited accounts and, for the entrepreneur route, the nomination from the Dubai Future Foundation or an Abu Dhabi incubator. If you're still setting up, start with our guides to Dubai business setup and UAE business licences, and check your corporate tax position — it matters for the AED 250,000 tax route. If you work alone without a company, the Dubai freelance visa may be a better first step.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice — confirm on the official source or with a professional.

Frequently asked questions

ICP lists three entrepreneur routes: own or co-own a UAE-registered SME in an approved field with annual revenue of at least AED 1,000,000; get your venture idea approved by an accredited business incubator, the Ministry of Economy, ICP or a local authority; or be a founder of ventures previously sold for at least AED 7,000,000. In Dubai the entrepreneur category is nominated by the Dubai Future Foundation; in Abu Dhabi by an approved incubator through ADRO.

Sources & verification

Figures on this page were checked against the sources below when it was last reviewed on 11 October 2026. Each rate and limit is stored once with its own official source and review date, and official update channels are monitored daily so changes are picked up. How we verify

1.Golden Residency Guide — Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP) · accessed 11 October 2026
2.Golden visa — UAE Government portal (u.ae) · accessed 11 October 2026
3.Issuing a golden residence permit (investors) — GDRFA Dubai · accessed 11 October 2026
4.Issuing a golden residence permit (entrepreneurs) — GDRFA Dubai · accessed 11 October 2026
5.Abu Dhabi Golden Visa for Entrepreneurs — Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development · accessed 11 October 2026
6.Golden residence — ICP · accessed 11 October 2026

MSMETOOLS is an independent platform and is not affiliated with any government agency, ministry or department.

We provide tools, guides and information for general educational purposes only. Always refer to official government websites for the latest and most accurate information.