United Arab Emirates
UAE visas and residence permits: every type explained
- 16 visa types
- checked 25 October 2026
How visas for the United Arab Emirates work
The United Arab Emirates runs two immigration authorities. The federal Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) handles visas and residence for Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the northern emirates, while the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai handles files linked to Dubai. Almost every visa is applied for online, through ICP Smart Services, the GDRFA website and app, or a licensed typing and Amer centre, and most short-stay visas are filed by a UAE sponsor such as a hotel, licensed travel agent, airline, employer or resident relative.
UAE embassies abroad do not issue ordinary tourist visas; UAE missions refer travellers to UAE airlines or to a sponsor in the Emirates. Nationals on the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs list of visa exemptions enter visa-free or receive a visa on arrival. Everyone else needs an entry permit approved online before boarding.
Long-term residence is split into tiers. Standard residence visas depend on an employer, a family sponsor or a university and usually last one or two years. The Green visa gives five years of self-sponsored residence to skilled employees, freelancers and investors with lower thresholds, and the Golden residence gives ten years to investors, entrepreneurs, top talent, high earners and outstanding graduates. Remote workers employed abroad and retirees aged 55 or over have their own one-year and five-year routes.
Every residence route ends with the same in-country steps: entry on a 60-day entry permit, a medical fitness test (for those 18 and over), biometrics and an Emirates ID, which now serves as the residence record. Documents issued abroad, such as diplomas and marriage or birth certificates, normally have to be legalised by the foreign ministry of the issuing country, then the UAE embassy or consulate in that country, and finally the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Which visa do I need?
Holiday or short visit: a 30- or 60-day tourist visa through a hotel, travel agent or UAE airline; frequent visitors can ask for the 5-year multiple-entry tourist visa. Visiting a resident relative or friend: a visit visa filed by that person. Connecting through Dubai or Abu Dhabi and leaving the airport: the 48- or 96-hour transit visa.
Looking for a job: the job-seeker visit visa (60, 90 or 120 days, no sponsor). Hired by a UAE company: the employer obtains a MOHRE work permit and your employment residence visa. Earning AED 15,000 or more in a skilled role, or freelancing with steady income: the 5-year Green visa. Earning AED 30,000 or more as a manager or professional: the 10-year Golden visa.
Working for a foreign employer while living in the UAE: the one-year remote work (virtual work) visa. Buying property worth AED 2 million or more, or investing that amount: the Golden visa for investors; a smaller AED 1 million company stake: the Green visa for investors. Retired and 55 or older: the 5-year retirement visa. Joining a spouse or parent: family sponsorship. Studying: the student residence visa sponsored by a licensed university.
Visa types for the United Arab Emirates
Visits and short stays
- Tourist visa Tourist visa (30 or 60 days, single or multiple entry) and 5-year multiple-entry tourist visa
Travellers who cannot enter visa-free or on arrival need a tourist entry permit approved before departure.
Maximum stay: 30 or 60 days per permit; the 5-year visa allows up to 90 days per visit, extendable once by 90 days - Family and friends visit visa Visit visa sponsored by a UAE resident (relatives or friends)
A UAE resident can sponsor a visit visa for a relative or friend through ICP or GDRFA.
Maximum stay: 30, 60 or 90 days; extensions up to 120 days in total - Transit visa Transit visa (48 or 96 hours)
Passengers who need a visa for the UAE and want to leave the airport during a connection can get a single-entry transit visa for 48 or 96 hours.
Maximum stay: 48 or 96 hours, single entry - Medical treatment visa Entry permit for medical treatment (patient and companion)
Patients who travel to the UAE for treatment, and their companions, can obtain an entry permit sponsored by a licensed UAE healthcare facility through ICP.
Maximum stay: Depends on the permit issued; healthcare-related permits can be extended to a total of 180 days
Business and self-employment
- Business visa Visit visa for exploring business and investment opportunities
The UAE offers a self-sponsored visit visa for people who want to research investment or business opportunities, for example before setting up a company.
Maximum stay: 60, 90 or 120 days - Self-employed and freelancer visa Green visa for freelancers and the self-employed
Freelancers and self-employed people can live in the UAE on a 5-year self-sponsored Green visa.
Maximum stay: 5 years, renewable - Investor visa Golden residence for investors (deposit, company or tax route) and Green visa for investors and partners
Investors who are not buying property can qualify for 10-year Golden residence with a deposit of at least AED 2 million in a UAE bank or investment fund, a company stake worth at least AED 2 million, or a company paying at least AED 250,000 a year in federal taxes.
Maximum stay: Golden 10 years; Green 5 years; both renewable - Entrepreneur and start-up visa Golden residence for entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs can obtain 10-year Golden residence in the UAE in three ways set out by ICP: owning or co-owning a UAE-registered SME with annual revenue of at least AED 1 million, having a business idea approved by an accredited incubator, the Ministry of Economy or a local authority, or having founded ventures sold for a combined AED 7 million or more.
Maximum stay: 10 years, renewable while conditions are met (ICP)
Study and training
- Student visa Student residence visa and Golden residence for outstanding students and graduates
International students in the UAE hold a residence visa sponsored either by their licensed university or college or by a parent living in the UAE.
Maximum stay: For the duration certified by the institution; renewed while enrolled
Work
- Job seeker visa Visit visa to explore job opportunities (job-seeker visa)
The UAE job-seeker visa lets qualified people enter without a sponsor to look for work for 60, 90 or 120 days.
Maximum stay: 60, 90 or 120 days - Work visa Employment residence visa (work permit and residence for private, government and free-zone employees)
Foreigners employed in the UAE work on a residence visa sponsored by their employer.
Maximum stay: Length of the residence permit, usually two years, renewable - Skilled worker visa Green visa for skilled employees and Golden visa for skilled professionals
Skilled employees in the UAE can hold residence in their own name instead of their employer's.
Maximum stay: Green visa 5 years; Golden visa 10 years; both renewable - Digital nomad visa Remote work visa (virtual work residence for employees of companies outside the UAE)
People employed by a company outside the UAE can live in the Emirates on a one-year, self-sponsored virtual work residence.
Maximum stay: One year from issue, renewable
Family
- Family reunification visa Residence visa for family members (family sponsorship)
UAE residents can sponsor their family for residence if they earn at least AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation.
Maximum stay: Tied to the sponsor's residence; issuance fee rises with each year over two
Residence
- Golden visa and residence by investment UAE Golden Residence (10-year golden visa): real estate investors, talents, professionals, students and humanitarian categories
The UAE Golden Residence is a 10-year, self-sponsored residence that ICP grants to investors, entrepreneurs, exceptional talents, skilled professionals, outstanding students and graduates, humanitarian pioneers and frontline workers.
Maximum stay: 10 years, renewable while the conditions are met - Retirement visa Residence visa for retirees (5-year retirement visa)
Foreigners aged 55 or over who have worked for at least 15 years, inside or outside the UAE, can obtain a renewable 5-year retirement residence without a sponsor.
Maximum stay: 5 years, renewable under the same conditions
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa for the UAE?
It depends on your nationality. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes a list of visa exemptions showing which nationalities enter visa-free or on arrival. Visa-required travellers need an entry permit approved online, through a UAE sponsor or a UAE airline, before travel.
Can I get a UAE tourist visa from a UAE embassy?
No. UAE missions do not issue visitor or tourist visas for ordinary passports and point applicants to airlines such as Emirates or Etihad or to a sponsor in the UAE. The missions do handle document attestation, which is needed for residence applications.
What is the difference between the UAE Green visa and the Golden visa?
Both are self-sponsored and let you sponsor family. The Green visa lasts 5 years and has lower thresholds, for example a monthly salary of AED 15,000 for skilled employees or an AED 1 million company stake for investors. The Golden visa lasts 10 years and asks for more, such as AED 2 million in property or investment or a salary of AED 30,000 for professionals.
How much does overstaying a UAE visa cost?
ICP lists a fine of AED 50 for each day of overstay on an entry visa. Overstays can also lead to difficulties with future applications, so extend or leave before the permitted stay ends.
Does the UAE have permanent residence or a path to citizenship?
There is no general permanent residence permit for foreigners. The closest status is the 10-year Golden residence, which is renewable as long as the conditions are still met. Citizenship is granted only in exceptional, nominated cases, not through an application route open to residents.
Which foreign documents must be attested for a UAE residence visa?
Typically diplomas for skilled jobs and golden or green routes, and marriage and birth certificates for family sponsorship. They are certified by the foreign ministry of the issuing country, then the UAE embassy or consulate in that country, and finally the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Embassies and consulates
Last checked 25 October 2026. Each visa page lists the official sources it is based on.