UAE investor and partner residence visa through your company

Founders, shareholders and partners who want UAE residence through the company they own, whether a mainland LLC, a free zone FZCO or a branch. It also covers the family members they will sponsor. If you are investing without owning a company, for example in property or an investment fund, the invest hub and the Golden Visa investor page are the right starting points.

ICP investor residence. The ICP residence service card states: "The investor's contribution to the company must not be less than AED 1,000,000 in cash or its equivalent in foreign currencies, whether at the time of establishing the company or when contributing to an existing company." If the capital consists of in-kind contributions, the Ministry of Economy evaluates the shares. Passport validity of at least six months and completion of residence procedures within 60 days of entry apply as for all residence types.

Green residence for investors and partners. The ICP Green Residence Guide requires "proof of investment or contribution to a business venture within the UAE" and the necessary licences and approvals. GDRFA Dubai's card adds that "the investor's or partner's share cannot be less than one million paid Dirhams or its equivalent" and lists the accepted legal forms: public shareholding company, private joint stock company, limited liability company, and the two partnership forms the card calls "simple recommendation company" and "solidarity company". Green residence is five years, self-sponsored, with the ability to sponsor family and a grace period of up to six months after expiry. Both Dubai Green cards carry the same instruction: do not cancel your current residence before the Green residence is issued.

Golden Visa public investor. The ICP Golden Residency Guide lists a valid commercial or industrial licence with an MOA showing capital of at least AED 2 million, or a letter from an accredited investment fund confirming a deposit of at least AED 2 million, or an FTA letter confirming annual taxes of at least AED 250,000. Details are on the Golden Visa investor page.

In text form, the dependencies run like this:

1. Licence issued by the economic department or free zone authority.
2. Establishment card opened with ICP or GDRFA Dubai (free zone companies through their authority); mainland employers also open the MOHRE file.
3. Entry permit issued for the owner if outside the UAE, or a change of status inside the country (ICP fee AED 500) if already in the UAE on another visa. GDRFA Dubai cards list an entry permit fee of AED 200 plus VAT, plus AED 10 Knowledge Dirham and AED 10 Innovation Dirham, and an inside-country fee of AED 500.
4. Entry and medical fitness test at an approved centre, then Emirates ID biometrics.
5. Residence permit issued, linked to the Emirates ID. ICP requires all of this within 60 days of entry; overstaying costs AED 50 per day after any grace period.
6. Family sponsorship once your residence is active and your income meets the threshold.

Family sponsorship depends on the sponsor's residence and income rather than the company type. ICP requires a minimum monthly income of AED 3,000 plus employer-provided housing, or AED 4,000 without housing; u.ae and GDRFA Dubai state the same figures. In Dubai, a partner sponsoring family must hold a share of at least AED 48,000 as stated in the partnership agreement. A resident may sponsor a spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25 and children with special needs; Green residence holders may sponsor first-degree relatives. Dependants' residence cannot outlast the sponsor's, and if the sponsor's residence is cancelled the dependants have a six-month grace period to obtain a new one. The full rules are on the family visa page.

ICP lists a service completion time of two days for the residence-permit issuance step; GDRFA Dubai cards list 48 hours for the Green residence step. No official page states an end-to-end time covering the establishment card, entry, medical and Emirates ID. Plan the owner's entry so that the 60-day completion window is not consumed by waiting for the establishment card.

Send us the company's licence type, your share as written in the MOA or partnership agreement, and whether you are inside or outside the UAE. A consultant will tell you which route the thresholds allow, what the authority will ask for and how to sequence the family applications. If your capital reaches AED 2 million, run the Golden Visa eligibility checker as well.