Key takeaways
- A business owner can qualify for a UAE Golden Visa through the investor route (a stake, capital or partnership share of at least AED 2,000,000 in a UAE company) or the entrepreneur route (an SME in an approved field with annual revenue of at least AED 1,000,000), as of October 2026.
- The UAE Golden Visa has a third business-related test: a company, or a shareholding, that corresponds to at least AED 250,000 a year of taxes paid, shown by a Federal Tax Authority letter in Dubai.
- ICP states that the invested capital must be fully owned by the investor and must not come from a loan, so borrowed share capital does not count towards the AED 2,000,000.
- In Dubai, the GDRFA lists a 5 business day completion time and a government fee of AED 1,100 for the residence permit, plus smaller charges; other emirates publish different processes.
- A Golden Visa holder can sponsor a spouse, children regardless of age, and parents under the ICP guidance, but must hold valid health insurance.
- A company-based Golden Visa depends on the company continuing to meet the conditions, so selling shares, reducing capital or letting the licence lapse can put the visa at risk.
What is the Golden Visa route for business owners?
The UAE has no visa called "business owner Golden Visa". It has an investor category and an entrepreneur category, and business owners qualify under whichever test their company meets. The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) runs the federal scheme, the GDRFA handles Dubai applications, and Abu Dhabi runs its own entrepreneur nomination process through the Abu Dhabi Residents Office on TAMM.
The visa is self-sponsored, so you don't need an employer as your sponsor. ICP describes the residency as ten years with automatic renewal. The official u.ae page, last updated 28 July 2026, lists 5 years for entrepreneurs and for real estate investors and 10 years for public investments, which doesn't match ICP's 10 years for entrepreneurs. Treat the validity on your approval letter as the final word.
Which Golden Visa routes can a business owner use?
A business owner has four practical routes: a company stake of at least AED 2,000,000, a company paying at least AED 250,000 a year in federal taxes, an SME with at least AED 1,000,000 in annual revenue, or an approved business concept. The table summarises the tests as published by ICP, GDRFA Dubai and the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, checked on 08 October 2026.
| Route | Core test | Where it's published | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Company investor or partner | Company capital, or your partnership share, of at least AED 2,000,000; capital fully owned and not loan-funded | ICP; GDRFA Dubai | Owners who have put real capital into the company |
| Tax investor | Company paying at least AED 250,000 a year in federal taxes, or a shareholding corresponding to that amount | ICP; GDRFA Dubai (FTA letter plus licence with partners' appendix) | Established profitable companies |
| Entrepreneur: active SME | Owner or partner in an SME in an approved field with annual revenue of at least AED 1,000,000 | ICP; Abu Dhabi DED | Operating businesses below the investor thresholds |
| Entrepreneur: approved concept | Business idea approved by an accredited incubator, the Ministry of Economy, ICP or a local authority | ICP; Abu Dhabi DED | Founders at an earlier stage |
| Entrepreneur: previous exit | Founder of one or more ventures sold for a combined AED 7,000,000 or more | ICP; Abu Dhabi DED | Serial founders |
Which approved fields qualify for the SME route is not stated in the pages reviewed, so confirm your sector in the ICP eligibility checker before you plan around it.
AED 2,000,000: minimum company capital, partnership share or deposit for the investor Golden Visa routes. Source: ICP Golden Residency guide and GDRFA Dubai investor service, checked 08 October 2026.
What does a Golden Visa cost and how long does it take in Dubai?
In Dubai, GDRFA lists an AED 1,100 residence permit fee and an expected completion time of 5 business days for the investor category. ICP and the Abu Dhabi pages reviewed do not publish fees, so check the eligibility checker or call ICP on 171 for non-Dubai costs.
| Item | Amount (Dubai GDRFA, as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Residence permit fee | AED 1,100 |
| Knowledge Dirham | AED 10 |
| Innovation Dirham | AED 10 |
| Fee for applying inside the country | AED 500 |
| Delivery | AED 20 |
| Annual increase after the first two years of validity | AED 100 a year |
Medical tests, Emirates ID and health insurance are separate, and the figures above don't include any audit fee for the financial report GDRFA asks for.
How do you apply for a Golden Visa as a company owner?
The steps differ by emirate and route, but the Dubai investor process follows a clear order. Here is the sequence based on GDRFA's published document list.
- Check eligibility on the ICP smart services portal (the "Check Your Eligibility" tool) to see which route applies.
- Get a certified financial report from an accredited UAE audit firm if you are applying as a company investor or partner.
- Collect the passport copy, valid trade licence with partners' appendix, company bank statement, tax registration with last year's tax receipts and, for free zone companies, the free zone certificate.
- Submit the application to GDRFA Dubai (or the equivalent authority in your emirate) and pay the listed fees.
- For the Abu Dhabi entrepreneur route, request a nomination through the Abu Dhabi Residents Office on TAMM; the request goes to the relevant business incubator. Non-UAE residents email e.management@adio.gov.ae.
- Complete the medical test, Emirates ID and health insurance steps once the permit is approved.
Abu Dhabi's entrepreneur route also asks for audited financial statements for the past two years, a company profile or deck and an incubator nomination, depending on the sub-route.
Can your family and staff come with you?
Yes: ICP says Golden Residency holders can obtain residence permits for a spouse, children regardless of age, and parents, and can sponsor domestic workers under UAE rules. Abu Dhabi's page adds that entrepreneurs can sponsor employees under the long-term visa. ICP requires valid health insurance for the holder and family.
If you'd rather not track visa renewals, licence dates and filing deadlines by hand, the free UAE compliance calendar lists your company's UAE tax and compliance deadlines, personalised from a few questions, as a PDF and calendar file.
What most guides don't tell you
The AED 2,000,000 is your stake, not the company's size. The GDRFA wording is a stake worth at least AED 2 million, and ICP refers to a partnership share of that amount. If three partners share a company with AED 3,000,000 in capital, reading the rules literally, none of them individually reaches the threshold. Ask the authority how it counts shares before you restructure for the visa.
A new company can't produce the paperwork. Dubai asks for a certified financial report from an accredited audit firm, last year's tax receipts and a company bank statement. A company formed last month has none of that, so the investor route usually suits a business with a trading history, and a brand-new founder is better placed on the concept route.
The visa follows the conditions. GDRFA says the permit can be extended only if the same conditions are met, and the real estate and deposit routes involve a lien or frozen funds. Say you sell half your shares in year three; your stake may fall below the threshold, so speak to the authority before you sign the sale agreement.
Sources disagree on validity. ICP and the Abu Dhabi pages say ten years for entrepreneurs; the u.ae page says five. A provider quoting you a single figure hasn't necessarily checked all three.
Which deadlines apply to your company?
A Golden Visa sits on top of licence renewals, visa renewals, VAT and corporate tax filings that all keep running. The free UAE compliance calendar lists your company's deadlines in one place, personalised from a few questions.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get an investor visa through my company?
Yes. Dubai's GDRFA issues a golden residence permit to a company investor or partner whose stake is worth at least AED 2,000,000, backed by a certified financial report from an accredited UAE audit firm. Confirm with the authority how it counts your share if there are several partners.
How many visas can I get with a free zone licence?
There is no single UAE figure: the allowance is set by each free zone and licensing authority. Ask your free zone for the written visa allowance on your licence before you commit to a hiring plan.
What is the visa quota and how is it calculated?
The visa quota is the number of residence visas a company may sponsor, and it is set by the authority that issued your licence. The formula isn't published in the Golden Visa sources, so ask your free zone or licensing authority for it in writing before you sign a lease.
Is a flexi desk enough to get visas?
It depends on the free zone and the package, so get the visa allowance for a flexi desk in writing before you pay. For a Golden Visa specifically, Dubai asks company investors for a valid trade licence with a partners' appendix and a company bank statement.
About Qawi · Qawi is a corporate services firm licensed in the Sharjah Media City (SHAMS) free zone, handling company formation, visas and PRO, bookkeeping, VAT and corporate tax for UAE businesses. Guides are researched from FTA, Ministry of Finance and free zone sources. Qawi on LinkedIn
Sources
- ICP: UAE Golden Residency guide
- u.ae: Golden visa (page last updated 28 July 2026)
- GDRFA Dubai: Issuing a golden residence permit (investors)
- Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development: Golden Visa for Entrepreneurs
- Abu Dhabi Residents Office: Golden Visa for Entrepreneurs
Last checked: 08 October 2026
General information, not tax or legal advice for your specific situation.