UAE Investor Visa
The United Arab Emirates is a montage of various cultures. The country accommodates people of different nationalities, religions and social backgrounds who live and work together in harmony, which provides a very rich experience for expat residents. The country is a very secure place with political and economic stability compared to many countries across the globe.
As the UAE steadily improves its global and regional ranking in an assortment of categories, with each passing year more expats are attracted to its shores. The government is proactively creating policies to make it easier for investor to become UAE residents.
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UAE SNAPSHOT
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Report | Amongst Arab Countries | Global Ranking |
| 1 | The World Competitiveness Yearbook | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | Global Competitiveness Report | 1 | 27 |
| 3 | Global Innovation Index | 1 | 38 |
| 4 | World Happiness Report | 1 | 21 |
| 5 | Doing Business Report | 1 | 11 |
| 6 | Prosperity Index | 1 | 39 |
| 7 | Sustainable Development Goal Index | 1 | 65 |
| Source: The Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (UAE) | |||
The UAE encourages private sector investment and maintains liberal policies in terms of foreign exchange controls, visa policies and import regulations. The UAE has strong ties with key market economies to strengthen its position as an open economy. It is implementing investment policies for a future beyond oil. The UAE plans to increase the non-oil sector to 80 per cent of the nation's GDP in the next decade. The investor visa program is a part of the long term strategy to draw high net worth individuals from across the world to grow businesses in the country.
WHAT IS A UAE INVESTOR VISA?.
The United Arab Emirates has always been and remains an exciting prospect for overseas investors. Through the investor visa program, investors and their families who make a financial investment into the economy, can enter and remain in the UAE. In 2018, the UAE announced a plan to grant visas of five to 10 years to wealthy property investors, and entrepreneurs. A minimum investment of 5 million dirhams is required to obtain a five-year visa, and 10 million dirhams to stay for a decade.
3 TYPES OF INVESTOR VISAS
Invest and stay longer in the UAEThree Year Investor Visa
To apply for a three-year investor visa, the applicant must have more than AED 70000 worth of shares in a UAE company and deposit a refundable amount of AED 10000 with the authorities. This amount will be returned once the visa is cancelled. For applicants with less than AED 70000 shares, the security deposit will be AED 20000.
Five Year Investor Visa
To apply for a 5-year investment-based residence visa in the UAE, you need to meet the following criteria:
- Invest in a property of a gross value of not less than AED 5 million or invest in a business project with a minimum capital of AED 500,000. For the business project, you must have the approval of an accredited business incubator in the country.
- The amount invested in real estate must not be via a mortgage or any other type of loan.
- The investment property or the business must be retained for at least three years.
Ten Year Investor Visa
To apply for a 10-year investment-based residence visa in the UAE, you need to meet the following criteria:
- A deposit of at least AED 10 million in an investment fund inside the country
- Establishing a company in the UAE with a capital of not less than AED 10 million
- Partner in an existing or a new company with a share value of not less than AED10 million
Frequently Asked Questions
We have answered a wide range of Questions for your ConvenienceQ. How do I apply for an Investor Visa?
As investor visas in their current form are relatively new, there is a lot of incorrect information available on the internet. The best way to apply and receive an investor visa is to use the services of a business consultancy that is familiar with the process. We have helped hundreds of entrepreneurs gather the correct paperwork to apply for investor visas. While there is no national quota to the number of three-year investor visas, five and ten-year visas have a set annual quote. If you apply incorrectly, you could miss out for an entire year.
Q. Can I sponsor dependents and household staff with an Investor Visa?
You can apply for dependent visas after you receive your investor visa. Your dependents will receive a residence visas with the same expiration date as your visa. You can sponsor staff such as maids, drivers, etc. if you are able to fulfill the standard requirements for such a visa.
Q. What happens when it’s time to renew the Investor Visa? Is there a pathway to citizenship?
If you can meet the investor visa criteria and pass the medical exam require at renewal, you will be able to renew the residence visa accordingly. Obtaining UAE citizenship as a foreign national through naturalisation is exceedingly rare and only available at the discretion of the federal authorities. Generally, citizenship is only offered to foreigners who have made an exceptional contribution to the state.
Q. How much tax will I have to pay as a UAE resident?
In 2018, the government introduced VAT for the first time on most goods and services, at the low rate of 5 percent. UAE has no personal income tax. Speak to a tax specialist in your home country to see how income earned in other countries is treated by your government.
Q. Are there any restrictions on opening a local bank account?
Amongst the many reasons investors choose to get a UAE visa, benefiting from the world class banking system available in the UAE is one of them. The UAE dirham is a stable currency pegged to the US dollar. In addition, banks in the UAE are happy to open an account in several major international currencies. With banks from all over the world having a presence in the UAE, there is no shortage of options to select from.
Q. I am ready to get an Investor Visa. What are the next steps?
Once you contact us and provide us with key information, we go through a rigorous process to determine if you qualify for an investor visa. We offer a free consultation and are happy to answer any questions that you may have.