Updated 17 October 2026 · Author: Evgenii Salamatin, founder of Parallax

For an entrepreneur, the easiest way to get a UAE residence visa is through your own company: you register a company in a free zone, obtain a 2-year investor visa for yourself and then sponsor your spouse and children. With Parallax, the investor visa costs €2,400 and a free zone company starts from €2,500, as of October 2026.

We submit applications through a licensed partner in Dubai. The requirements below are taken from GDRFA Dubai, u.ae and Meydan Free Zone, checked 17.10.2026.

How to get UAE residence: the main routes

RouteBasisVisa term
Investor or partner visaYour own company with an immigration card and a visa quota2 years
Golden VisaInvestments from AED 2,000,000, specialists earning from AED 30,000, talents5 or 10 years depending on the category (u.ae); for investors GDRFA Dubai states 10 years
Retirement visaAge 55+, 15 years of work experience, income or property together with savings5 years
Family (sponsored) visaThe sponsor is a UAE residentTied to the sponsor's visa

The property purchase route and a comparison of all routes are on the UAE residence page.

How the visa is linked to the company

The investor visa is issued to the owner or a partner of the company. The company needs an immigration card (Establishment or Immigration Card) and a visa quota. In our price list, the IFZA package (€6,100) already includes the Establishment Card, and the Meydan package (€6,500) includes the Immigration Card and a quota for 1 visa. A company in SHAMS or Ajman NuVentures Centre Free Zone (ANCFZ) costs €2,500; what these packages include on the visa side is fixed in the estimate. Zones and prices are compared in the UAE business section.

UAE investor visa: steps and timelines

  1. Company and immigration card. The licence has been issued and the company is registered in the immigration system.
  2. Entry permit or change of status. If you are outside the UAE, an entry permit takes 24–48 hours. If you are already in the country, for example after a visa-free entry, a change of status takes 24–72 hours.
  3. Medical test and biometrics for the Emirates ID: 3–5 working days.
  4. Issuing the visa in the passport: 2–3 working days.
  5. Emirates ID: the resident card.

According to Meydan Free Zone (updated 04.08.2026), the whole cycle takes 5–7 working days once the company is ready. For other zones, we fix the timelines in the estimate. Documents: a passport valid for at least 6 months, a photo on a white background, a copy of the licence, the entry permit or the document cancelling your previous visa, the Emirates ID application form and the medical test results.

UAE family visa: sponsoring a spouse and children

Any UAE resident, man or woman, can be a sponsor. Who can be sponsored:

  • a husband or wife;
  • sons up to the age of 25;
  • unmarried daughters, with no age limit;
  • children with special needs, regardless of age.

Sponsor requirements

  • Income: a salary from AED 4,000 a month, or from AED 3,000 plus accommodation (u.ae, updated 28.09.2026).
  • Housing: the sponsor must provide suitable housing for the family, and the family lives with the sponsor (GDRFA). To apply for dependants, GDRFA requires an attested tenancy contract.
  • Medical test: mandatory for family members aged 18 and over.

Documents

Passport and photo of each family member, and proof of relationship: the marriage certificate and the children's birth certificates. Certificates issued abroad must be legalised: the UAE is not a party to the Apostille Convention (HCCH), so they need certification by the foreign ministry of the issuing country, certification by the UAE embassy and MOFA attestation. Procedure and prices: document attestation for the UAE.

UAE retirement visa for 5 years

Requirements according to u.ae (updated 28.07.2026): age 55 or over and at least 15 years of work experience in the UAE or abroad. Plus one of two financial conditions:

  • property from AED 1,000,000 together with savings from AED 1,000,000;
  • income from AED 180,000 a year from any source in the UAE or abroad; when applying from Dubai, from AED 240,000 a year, confirmed by 6 months of bank statements.

The GDRFA Dubai service card describes the asset option ambiguously: property and a deposit are joined by "and", but they are listed separately among the documents. So before applying, we check with GDRFA whether one of them is enough. According to the same card, a mortgaged property is accepted if at least AED 1,000,000 has been paid off, and a foreign deposit must be transferred to a UAE financial institution within 60 days after the visa is issued. The visa is issued for 5 years and renewed on the same conditions; GDRFA reviews applications within 48 hours.

Visa cancellation: when you need it

  • you close the company or leave it;
  • you switch to another visa or another sponsor;
  • you leave the UAE for good;
  • a family member no longer lives with you. Family visas are tied to the sponsor, so when the sponsor's visa is cancelled, we also sort out their status.

What happens if you do not leave

After a visa is cancelled or expires, a grace period applies. The GDRFA Dubai service cards for family members and retirees state 60 days, while u.ae states 6 months for dependants; the 2022 executive regulations allow up to 6 months depending on the category (MOFA). If you do not leave or obtain a new status within this period, an overstay fine is charged for each day. We check the current amount with ICP on the date of departure.

Residence visa cost with Parallax

Prices exclude 5% UAE VAT. Government fees, the medical test and the Emirates ID: we fix the exact scope and fees in the estimate before payment.

Prices

ServiceWhat is includedPrice
Investor residence visa for 2 yearsVisa for the company owner or partner: entry permit, change of status, medical test, biometrics and Emirates ID.€2,400Order
Spouse sponsorship visaResidence visa for a husband or wife sponsored by a UAE resident: documents, legalisation of the marriage certificate, submission.€3,200Order
Child sponsorship visaResidence visa for a child sponsored by a parent who is a UAE resident.€3,000Order
Retirement visa for 5 yearsA visa for residents aged 55 and over with proof of income, savings or property under UAE requirements.€4,600Order
Visa cancellationClosing a residence visa when leaving the UAE, changing sponsor or closing a company.€450Order

Prices in euros, excluding 5% VAT. We fix the exact scope and government fees in a quote before payment. Services are provided together with a licensed partner in Dubai.

Contact usMessage us on Telegram

Frequently asked questions

You register a company in a free zone with an immigration card and a visa quota, then apply for an investor visa: entry permit or change of status, medical test, biometrics, the visa and the Emirates ID. According to Meydan Free Zone, the visa part takes 5–7 working days once the company is ready.

With Parallax, a 2-year investor visa costs €2,400 and a free zone company starts from €2,500, excluding 5% UAE VAT. A spouse visa costs €3,200 and a child visa €3,000. We fix the exact scope and government fees in the estimate before payment.

Yes. If you are outside the UAE, an entry permit is issued for you (24–48 hours according to Meydan Free Zone), and you enter the country on it. The medical test and biometrics for the Emirates ID are done in the country.

According to u.ae, the sponsor's salary must be from AED 4,000 a month, or from AED 3,000 with accommodation provided. GDRFA also requires the sponsor to provide suitable housing for the family. To apply for dependants, GDRFA requires an attested tenancy contract.

Sons up to the age of 25. Unmarried daughters and children with special needs, with no age limit. Family members aged 18 and over take the medical test.

A foreign national aged 55 or over with at least 15 years of work experience who has property from AED 1,000,000 together with savings from AED 1,000,000, or income from AED 180,000 a year (from AED 240,000 when applying from Dubai). The visa is issued for 5 years and renewed on the same conditions.

First, a grace period applies: in Dubai, GDRFA states 60 days for family members and retirees, u.ae states 6 months for dependants, and under the 2022 regulations some categories get up to 6 months. After that, an overstay fine is charged for each day. We check the amount with ICP on the date of departure.

The family and retirement visa requirements we checked on u.ae and GDRFA do not mention citizenship; we check the investor visa requirements on the application date. Marriage and birth certificates issued abroad must be legalised: the UAE does not accept an apostille, so documents are certified by the foreign ministry of the issuing country, the UAE embassy and MOFA.

Official sources