United Arab Emirates.

Long-term residence without a sponsor. Created by Cabinet Resolution 56/2018 (in force 3 Feb 2019; permits issued from 21 May 2019): investors AED 10 million (10 years) or AED 5 million in property (5 years). Replaced by Cabinet Resolution 8/2021 (text not found), then by the annex to Cabinet Resolution 65/2022 (in force 3 Oct 2022): 10-year permits, AED 2 million in property, bank deposit or company share, or AED 250,000 a year in taxes. Issued by ICP federally and by GDRFA in Dubai. Gives no path to citizenship: there is no residence period that leads to naturalisation; citizenship is only by nomination (see are-citizenship-nomination). Official counts are press figures covering all golden-visa categories, mostly Dubai only; no investor-only series is published.

Five-year residence permit, renewable, without a sponsor or employer, for a foreigner who comes to the UAE as an investor or partner in a commercial project (Cabinet Resolution 65/2022, the executive regulation of Federal Decree-Law 29/2021, arts. 33(2), 38(2), 39(2) and 41; issued 12 Jul 2022, in force 3 Oct 2022). Conditions: the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) approves the investment under an investor classification system set by its chairman; the investment or partnership must reach the ratios set by a decision of the chairman (capital held in several licences is added up); and the local authority approves and licenses the activity. The regulation prints no amount and the chairman's decision is not stored, so no price is recorded. Holders may sponsor first-degree relatives, and their parents may be included. The government news agency WAM (18 Apr 2022) says it replaces an earlier investor residence valid for 2 years only; that earlier permit's start and terms are not in a stored document. launched is the in-force date of Res. 65/2022. Status active: the federal government portal (page updated 28 Jul 2026) lists investors and business partners among green visa categories, and GDRFA Dubai runs a live application service (Oct 2026). Dubai's service conditions require the investor's or partner's paid share to be at least AED 1 million, with an AED 200 entry-visa fee plus VAT; this is the Dubai condition, as the ICP chairman's federal decision is still not stored. No counts of green residence permits for investors were found.

Five-year renewable residence without a sponsor for a retired foreigner who worked at least 15 years before retiring (in or outside the UAE) or is at least 55, and who owns UAE property worth at least AED 1,000,000 (purchase or market value, as valued by the emirate's competent authority; mortgaged property counts if at least AED 1,000,000 of the mortgage has been paid off) or holds a deposit of at least AED 1,000,000, moved to a UAE financial institution within 60 days of the permit unless invested in the UAE (Cabinet Resolution 65/2022 arts. 34(3), 46, 51-52; in force 3 Oct 2022). The same article also accepts a fixed annual income of at least AED 240,000 instead of property or deposit; that option rests on income and is recorded only as one of this permit's rules (METHODOLOGY decision 15). No stored document shows whether a retiree permit existed before this regulation, so launched (the regulation's in-force date) may be later than the first retiree permit. Out of scope and not recorded: the separate residence for property owners on a monthly income of AED 10,000 with no property minimum (art. 53; decision 15). Status active: the federal government portal (page updated 28 Jul 2026) describes the retirement visa and links to live ICP and GDRFA Dubai application services. The portal words the property condition as property of AED 1 million and savings of AED 1 million (the regulation says either), and gives an income alternative of AED 180,000 a year (AED 240,000 in Dubai); both recorded as printed. No counts found.

Not a citizenship-by-investment programme with a price: candidates (investors who own UAE property, doctors, scientists, inventors, artists, and their families) cannot apply; they are nominated by Rulers' and Crown Princes' courts, executive councils or the Cabinet. Dual nationality allowed; citizenship can be withdrawn if conditions are breached. No numbers of grants have been published. Announced by WAM on 30 Jan 2021; the amended regulation itself was not found.