The following is an overview of the most common visas in the UAE. If you would like guidance on your eligibility, please get in touch with our team:
For the UAE free zones, the designated free zone authority will first manage the application and sponsor the residence visas. Final approval is then granted by the UAE immigration authority, which oversees residence visas across both mainland and free zones.
The Mission visa enables existing UAE companies to bring in someone from overseas for a short-term assignment. Also known as the Mission Work Permit, this visa is intended to be temporary, suitable for project deployments or probationary arrangements.
Features
The Mission visa can support professions of any level. MOHRE will first assess the workload, project details and supporting contracts before issuing a quota to your company. There is no fixed quota number for this visa type.
Once MOHRE approval is secured, the application will go to the relevant emirate authority, such as the GDRFA in Dubai, where entry and status processing is completed and where items such as medical checks are handled.
Eligibility criteria
Eligibility for the Mission visa is largely about consistency between the role and the business. The proposed job title and occupation must align with the company’s licensed activities and must meet any minimum legal requirements that apply to that role.
The application must be filed by your company’s authorised signatory and the individual being recruited must not be holding an active UAE work permit at the time of application.
Documents to prepare include the worker’s passport, passport-size photograph, the company trade licence as well as the official job offer form issued by the Ministry, signed by both employer and employee. For skilled roles, attested academic certificates are required to support the worker’s Mission visa application.
The standard timeline is two to three working days for the MOHRE stage, and around two weeks for the immigration stage.
Validity
The Mission visa is issued for three months and can be extended once for an additional three months. If more time is needed, the worker may need to exit the UAE and reapply. As of 2026, there have been announcements regarding potential changes to the Mission visa structure, including a possible two-year, multiple-entry format. These changes remain subject to formal implementation by the relevant UAE authorities and should not be relied upon until officially enacted.
The UAE Golden visa is a long-term residence visa aimed at supporting individuals who are making, or are expected to make, a meaningful contribution through investment, entrepreneurship or specialised professional expertise.
Unlike the other visas, the Golden visa is structured for longer-term stability and does not rely on short renewal cycles or employment sponsorship in the same way.
Features
The Golden visa allows holders to live, work and study in the UAE on a five- or ten-year renewable residence permit. During the visa’s validity period, you can also sponsor eligible family members, including your spouse and children, and an unlimited number of domestic helpers.
Another important feature is its flexibility around travel. While other visas can become invalid if you remain outside the UAE for more than six consecutive months, Golden visa holders are not subject to these restrictions.
The Golden visa is valid for five or ten years, depending on the category that you fall under.
If you're planning to purchase residential property in Dubai, the two-year Property Investor visa may provide a straightforward route to UAE residency.
Features
The two-year Property Investor visa allows eligible property owners to live in the UAE while retaining ownership of their investment. Unlike standard employment visas, this residence permit is linked to property ownership rather than employment with a UAE employer.
Recent changes have also made this route more accessible. For sole owners of completed residential property in Dubai, the previous minimum property value requirement for the Property Investor visa has been removed. Where a property is jointly owned, each investor must generally hold an ownership share with a minimum value of AED 400,000.
Depending on the circumstances, visa holders may also sponsor eligible family members, subject to the applicable immigration requirements.
Eligibility criteria
To qualify for the Property Investor visa, you must own a completed residential property in Dubai that satisfies the applicable requirements of the relevant immigration and land authorities.
Applications generally require a valid passport, passport-sized photograph, title deed or equivalent proof of ownership, a Dubai Police Good Conduct Certificate and any additional supporting documentation requested by the relevant authorities. Medical fitness checks, health insurance and Emirates ID registration may also form part of the process.
Please note that documentary requirements may vary depending on the relevant issuing authority and the applicant's individual circumstances. Additional documentation may be requested during the application process. Government fees and third-party charges are subject to change by the relevant authorities and service providers without prior notice.
Validity
The Property Investor visa is generally issued with a two-year validity and may be eligible for renewal, provided the qualifying property ownership continues and the applicable eligibility requirements remain satisfied. Applicants who own qualifying property with a value of at least AED 2 million may instead consider the 10-year property-based Golden visa, which is subject to a separate application process and criteria.
The Investor visa is worth considering if you’re operating in a UAE free zone. This may be available to a single shareholder, regardless of how many shareholders the company has. So, even if your company has multiple owners, only one individual shareholder can hold the Investor visa.
We also flag early that the Investor visa is not an option provided in every free zone. Some free zones offer it and some don’t. The Meydan free zone is an example where the Investor visa route is available, which can be a factor to weigh up if you’re still choosing where to incorporate.
Features
Similar to the Golden visa, the main advantage of the Investor visa is in its flexibility. Investor visa holders can generally stay outside the UAE for up to one year. This is longer than what usually applies to standard employment visas and can be useful if you oversee regional operations.
That said, there are some practical considerations to factor in. From a banking perspective, requirements and lending assessments are subject to each bank’s internal policies and risk framework. While holding an Investor visa does not prevent access to banking services, the availability of certain products may vary depending on the institution.
If you are planning to sponsor dependants, you may also be asked to place a deposit of AED 3,000 per dependant with immigration.
Eligibility criteria
To qualify for the Investor visa, you will need to first be a shareholder of the company. The visa will then be issued based on that ownership. Because this category is generally limited to a single shareholder, we usually confirm upfront who the Investor visa holder will be and what visas the other shareholders (if any) will hold under your wider company structure.
Document-wise, you’ll normally need your passport, a passport-size photograph and the company’s trade licence. You may be asked for other supporting documents but these three items are the main things we would expect to provide from the start.
Using Meydan as a reference point, indicative government and processing fees are around AED 4,000. The typical processing timeline is around two weeks.
Validity
The Investor visa is issued with a two- or three-year validity. It is renewable as long as the underlying company licence remains active and your shareholding position remains in place.
If you’re hiring into the UAE, the standard work visa is the route you’ll use most often for employees moving over to join your team.
Features
As the employer, you are responsible for preparing the necessary visas and permits. At the same time, the employee has specific steps to complete in-country and needs to provide the required documents on time. In short, the process usually looks like this:
- The employer needs to apply for approval from the MoHRE – or a relevant free zone authority if applicable – to hire a foreign employee. Certain quotas may apply with regard to employment of UAE nationals.
- The MoHRE will issue an entry permit, which allows the employee to enter the UAE and stay for 30 days to obtain a residence visa. Once they are in the country, this can be extended for a further 30 days if needed.
- Once the employee arrives in the UAE, the employer can apply for a work permit. MoHRE issues 12 types of work permits, including arrangements that accommodate part-time, short-term and project-based assignments.
- The employee must visit an Emirates ID service centre with their valid passport and entry visa to obtain an Emirates ID, which is mandatory for all UAE residents.
- The employee must undergo mandatory medical tests to show they are fit for work and check for communicable diseases.
- Once this is all in order, the employer can now complete the application for the residency visa, which allows the employee to legally reside in the UAE.
Eligibility criteria
Alongside the above, there are several other requirements to meet before being granted a work visa in the UAE. These include:
- Depending on the type of job and visa, employees may need to provide proof of academic qualifications, which need to be verified by relevant bodies such as the UAE embassy in their homeland and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE itself.
- A passport that is valid for six months beyond the intended stay in the UAE.
- Applicants must comply with UAE laws and may be subject to background, security and regulatory checks in accordance with applicable legislation and immigration requirements.
Validity
Both the visa and the work permit usually last between one and three years, depending on the employment contract.
