UAE Golden Visa requirements and documents: the master checklist by category
Every document the ICP Golden Residency Guide and the ICP residence service card name for a Golden Visa application, organised by category, with the body that issues each one and the general items all applicants need.
The short answer
A Golden Visa application has two layers of documents. The first is common to every residence issuance on the ICP service card: a passport valid for at least six months, a personal photograph, proof of eligibility for the category, and the medical fitness and Emirates ID steps. The second is the category-specific evidence the ICP Golden Residency Guide names, such as a land-registration letter, a fund or Federal Tax Authority letter, an auditor's valuation, an employment contract with a salary certificate, or an accreditation or recommendation letter from a named ministry or council. Both layers are listed below with the body that issues each document, as checked on 4 September 2026.
Key facts
- Passport validity
- At least 6 months (ICP residence service card)
- Common items
- Passport, photograph, proof of eligibility for the category, medical fitness (18 and over), Emirates ID application
- Proof of UAE residence
- Property ownership or a tenancy contract; listed for real-estate investors and entrepreneurs
- Health insurance
- Listed explicitly for humanitarian pioneers and frontline heroes; required for family residence generally
- Stay limit while completing
- Residence procedures must be completed within 60 days of entry (ICP card)
The two layers of a Golden Visa file
People often collect a folder of certificates and still find the file rejected at verification because the one letter that defines the category is missing or was issued by the wrong body. Think of the file in two layers. Layer one is what ICP asks of every residence applicant. Layer two is the evidence that puts you in a Golden category. The ICP residence card describes layer two simply as "proof of eligibility for the Golden Residence according to the category being applied for"; the Golden Residency Guide spells out what that proof is.
Layer one: documents every applicant needs
| Document | Issued by | Notes from the official pages |
|---|---|---|
| Passport, valid for at least six months | Your passport authority | Stated on the ICP residence service card for all residence types |
| Personal photograph | You | Standard requirement |
| Proof of eligibility for the category | See layer two | The ICP card's own wording |
| Medical fitness certificate | Approved medical centres: Emirates Health Services, Dubai Health Authority centres, SEHA centres in Abu Dhabi | Applicants aged 18 and above; screens for communicable diseases such as HIV and TB |
| Emirates ID application | ICP | Residence issuance is linked to an Emirates ID application; biometrics from age 15 |
| National ID copy | Home country authority | ICP card lists this for nationals of Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq on residence applications |
Layer two: investors
| Category | Document named by the ICP guide | Issued by |
|---|---|---|
| Public investor (fund) | Letter confirming a deposit of no less than AED 2 million | An accredited investment fund |
| Public investor (company) | Valid commercial or industrial licence plus Memorandum of Association showing capital of no less than AED 2 million | Licensing authority (mainland economic department or free zone); notary or authority for the MoA |
| Public investor (tax) | Letter confirming the owner or partner pays taxes of no less than AED 250,000 annually | Federal Tax Authority |
| Real-estate investor | Letter confirming ownership of one or more properties valued at AED 2 million or more, without loans | Land registration department of the emirate (Dubai Land Department for Dubai) |
| Real-estate investor | Proof of residence in the UAE | Title deed or registered tenancy contract |
Layer two: entrepreneurs, executives and specialists
| Category | Document named by the ICP guide | Issued by |
|---|---|---|
| Entrepreneur | Letter confirming the project value is no less than AED 500,000 | An auditor |
| Entrepreneur | Letter confirming the project is innovative, technology-based or future-oriented | The relevant authority in the emirate or an accredited business incubator |
| Entrepreneur | Passport copy and proof of UAE residence | Passport authority; title deed or tenancy contract |
| Executive director | Certified copy of the university degree certificate | Awarding university, with certification and attestation as required by the authority |
| Executive director | Certificate of a minimum of 5 years' experience | Current or previous employers |
| Executive director | Employment contract | Employer (MOHRE or free zone contract) |
| Executive director | Salary certificate showing no less than AED 50,000 | Employer |
| Specialist in priority scientific and engineering fields | Certified copy of a PhD or university degree certificate | Awarding university |
| Specialist in priority scientific and engineering fields | Employment contract and passport copy | Employer; passport authority |
Layer two: doctors, scientists, inventors, creatives, athletes
| Category | Document named by the ICP guide | Issued by |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor | Accreditation letter to practise the profession | Ministry of Health (the guide's wording) |
| Scientist | Recommendation letter, or an award for scientific excellence | Emirates Council of Scientists; awarding body |
| Inventor | Recommendation letter | Ministry of Economy (now the Ministry of Economy and Tourism) |
| Creative in culture and arts | Accreditation letter | Ministry of Culture and Youth (recommendation service at mcy.gov.ae) or a Department of Culture and Arts |
| Athlete | Recommendation letter | General Sports Authority or one of the sports councils |
Layer two: students and humanitarian pioneers
| Category | Document named by the ICP guide | Issued by |
|---|---|---|
| Outstanding student (secondary) | Recommendation letter and proof of academic excellence with a score of 95% or more | Ministry of Education; the school |
| Outstanding student (university) | Recommendation letter or graduation certificate with a cumulative GPA of 3.8 or more, from an accredited university, within two years of graduation | The university |
| Outstanding student (both) | Proof of the ability to provide financial support and accommodation for family members | Bank, employer or property documents as applicable |
| Humanitarian pioneer / frontline hero | Certificates of appreciation or documentation of outstanding efforts | The organisations concerned |
| Humanitarian pioneer | Proof of involvement for 5 years or more, or 500 volunteer hours, or financial support of AED 2 million or more | Humanitarian organisations; bank or donation records |
| Humanitarian pioneer / frontline hero | Passport copy and health insurance | Passport authority; a UAE-licensed insurer |
Documents for sponsoring family
Once your own residency is issued, the family file follows the general family-residence list on the ICP card: passports and photographs, proof of kinship (attested marriage certificate, children's birth certificates), a utility bill or tenancy showing housing, valid health insurance, and medical fitness for each family member aged 18 or over. The investor's family carries a financial guarantee of AED 3,000 per member up to AED 15,000 on the ICP fee list. Full detail is on the family sponsorship page.
Preparing documents: what the official pages leave to you
The guide names documents; it does not tell you how they must be prepared. From experience with UAE residence files, check the following before you submit. None of these are stated as Golden Visa rules on the official pages; they are practical points that avoid re-submission.
- Names must match. The name on the degree, contract and salary certificate should match the passport exactly, including order and spelling.
- Foreign documents need attestation. Degrees and marriage and birth certificates issued abroad are normally attested in the issuing country and by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs before a UAE authority accepts them. Build in the time this takes.
- Get the letter from the right body. A letter from a hospital is not a Ministry of Health accreditation; a letter from a gallery is not a Ministry of Culture accreditation. Ask the gatekeeper named in the guide.
- Keep the 60-day clock in view. If you enter on an entry permit to complete the residency, the ICP card requires the residence procedures to be completed within 60 days of entry; overstaying attracts AED 50 per day.
Next step
Tick off layer one, then collect the layer-two documents for your category from the page that covers it. When your folder is complete, read the application process for the order in which the authorities want to see them.
Any "starting from" figure is an indicative price for our service and excludes government and third-party fees, which vary by activity, visa count and jurisdiction. Government fees shown are official charges from the cited pages at the review date. Your exact, itemised quote is confirmed free of charge in a consultation, with nothing hidden.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a tenancy contract if I own property?
The guide lists proof of UAE residence as property ownership or a tenancy contract, so a title deed in your name serves the purpose for the categories that require it.
Who issues the property letter?
The land registration department of the emirate where the property is registered. In Dubai that is the Dubai Land Department. The letter must state ownership and a value of AED 2 million or more, and the guide adds without loans.
Can I use a bank letter instead of a fund letter?
The guide's wording is a letter from an accredited investment fund confirming a deposit of no less than AED 2 million. A bank statement is not the document named. Ask the authority in writing before relying on a substitute.
What if my degree is from outside the UAE?
The guide asks for a certified copy. In practice foreign degrees are attested in the issuing country and by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs; some employers also obtain an equivalency. The Golden pages do not specify which of these is required, so confirm with the office handling your application.
Official sources and review
The rules on this page were checked against the official pages below. We re-check every 30 days and after any announced change.
- ICPGolden Residency Guide (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security)Checked 4 September 2026
- ICPIssuing residency permit — service card (fees and conditions)Checked 4 September 2026
- UAE Government portal (u.ae)Golden visa — types of visasChecked 4 September 2026
- UAE Government portal (u.ae)General provisions for the residence visaChecked 4 September 2026
- UAE Government portal (u.ae)Residence visa for family membersChecked 4 September 2026
- Ministry of CultureApply for a recommendation of a Golden visa (creatives)Checked 4 September 2026
Government fees, thresholds and processing times change without notice. Where an official page does not state a figure, we say so rather than estimate. Nothing here is legal advice or a decision of any UAE authority.
Immigration UAE is a brand of Cosmos Immigration, a private immigration and business-services consultancy. It is not affiliated with the Government of the UAE, ICP, GDRFA, MOHRE or any UAE government authority.
Have your documents checked before you file
Send us a list of what you hold. A consultant will map it against the official list for your category and tell you which items are missing, which need attestation, and which need a written answer from the authority.
No private firm can guarantee the outcome of a UAE visa, residency or licensing application. Decisions rest solely with the relevant UAE authority.