UAE visas: Full list of new residency options

The aim is to attract tourists and retain exceptional talents and their families in the country.

Here is a list of all the recent visa categories that were announced recently:

>> Students can sponsor their family members

As per a Cabinet resolution approved on January 24, foreign university students can sponsor their family members as long as they can afford suitable housing.

>> Work-in-Dubai residency scheme

In October last year, Dubai launched a programme that enables overseas remote working professionals to live in the emirate while continuing to serve their employers in their home country.

The move provides remote workers - and their families - the opportunity to relocate on an annual basis to Dubai and enjoy a safe and high-quality lifestyle underpinned by a strong digital infrastructure that provides seamless connectivity.

Applicants should have a passport with a minimum six-month validity, health insurance with UAE coverage, proof of employment from current employer with a one-year contract validity and a minimum salary of $5,000 per month. The applicant should also produce a pay slip and three preceding months’ bank statements.

>> UAE Golden Visa: Long-term residency

In 2019, the UAE implemented a long-term residency visa scheme. The system enables foreigners to live, work and study in the UAE without the need of a national sponsor and with 100 per cent ownership of their business on the UAE’s mainland. These visas are issued for 5 or 10 years and will be renewed automatically.

Such visas are also issued to specialised talents and researchers; and bright students with promising scientific capabilities.

>> More categories added to Golden Visa scheme

In November last year, the UAE approved the issuing of 10-year golden residency visas for more classes of professionals.

All people who hold PhD, all doctors, all engineers specialised in computers, electronics, programming, electricals, electronics and active technology can get the new residency visas. People who are get high scores (3.8 or more) in approved universities will also get the Golden Visas.

>> Retirement visa

In September 2018, the UAE Cabinet had approved a law to provide retired residents over the age of 55 a long-term visa for a period of five years.

For a retiree to be eligible for a 5-year renewable retirement visa, he/she must fulfill one of the following criteria:

- Invest in a property worth Dh2 million

- Have financial savings of no less than Dh1 million

- Have an active income of no less than Dh20,000 per month.

>> Medical treatment visa

In 2017, the country announced the launch of an updated medical treatment visa, allowing foreign patients to be issued with individual or group visas for 90 days. These are renewable if the hospital issues a request.

>> Special visa

In 2018, the UAE Cabinet issued a resolution, granting the citizens of countries suffering from wars and disasters a one-year residency visa. It also allowed widows, divorced women and their children to renew their residency visas without a sponsor for one year, renewable once.