Two different numbers get blended into one answer almost everywhere you look. The first is the money you keep: the qualifying investment, normally AED 2 million, which stays yours as a property, a deposit or a company share. The second is the money that actually leaves your account: government fees, which in Dubai begin with a residence permit fee of AED 1,100 and a short list of add-ons. All figures below were checked against GDRFA Dubai and ICP pages in August 2026.
What the government charges you
GDRFA Dubai prices the investor golden residence permit at AED 1,100, plus a knowledge dirham of AED 10, an innovation dirham of AED 10, an inside-country fee of AED 500 and delivery at AED 20. One line on that same page changes the maths: the issuance fee rises by AED 100 for each year once the residency runs longer than two years, so a 10-year permit does not stop at the headline figure. Emirates ID is charged separately by ICP at AED 100 for every year of residence, which puts a 10-year card at AED 1,000 before the application charge, and that charge is lower online than through a typing centre.
Medical fitness testing is billed by the health authority in your emirate and varies with the package you pick. Add-ons differ by channel and by centre, so confirm your exact total with ICP/GDRFA or the centre handling your file. The fee components are listed on GDRFA Dubai’s golden residence service page for investors.
Which financial threshold applies to you
The AED 2 million is an eligibility test, not a payment, and how you prove it decides your document list.
- Real estate: one property or several with a combined value of at least AED 2 million, certified by a property status statement certificate from the Dubai Land Department. Mortgaged property is accepted, all property types count, and a lien is registered on the property for the life of the residency. If you own a share in a joint property, your share alone must reach AED 2 million.
- Bank deposit: AED 2 million held with a local UAE bank, including local sukuk or investment bonds, frozen for no less than two years, with proof of housing in Dubai attached. The deposit cannot be withdrawn during the 10-year residency.
- Company investment: a share worth at least AED 2 million, supported by a certified financial report from an audit firm accredited in the UAE, a valid trade licence with the partners’ appendix and a company bank statement.
- Tax contribution: a Federal Tax Authority letter confirming annual tax of no less than AED 250,000.
- Salary: no investment at all. Specialised professionals qualify on a monthly salary of AED 30,000 with the required degree and contract.
Those thresholds and documents are the Dubai position under GDRFA. Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ajman run their own nomination routes, so check the emirate where your file will be submitted rather than assuming Dubai rules travel. The property route is set out in full in our guide to golden visa property dubai uae.
What to prepare before you pay anything
- Passport copy, and your current UAE residence page if you hold one
- The proof document for your route: DLD property status statement, frozen deposit certificate, audited financial report, or FTA letter
- A DLD-licensed valuation certificate if your title deed price sits below AED 2 million but the current value clears it
- Tenancy contract or other proof of housing in Dubai, for deposit applicants
- Attested and translated degree or marriage certificates, where dependents or the salary route are involved
- Medical insurance valid in the UAE for you and anyone you sponsor
Where the cost and the timeline actually slip
Deposit applicants are caught out most often. The bank letter is straightforward. Proof of housing in Dubai is what people have not arranged, and the file waits on it. On the property side, the delay is rarely the title deed. It is the valuation or status certificate behind it, particularly when a unit bought years ago sits below AED 2 million on paper and needs a licensed valuation to clear the threshold. That certificate, document attestation and annual health insurance appear on no government fee schedule.
Renewal is not really a renewal, which is the cost nobody plans for. The original eligibility is tested again, and GDRFA states plainly that a permit is cancelled if a salary drops below the threshold or a contract ends.
I would like to place on record my heartfelt appreciation for Zohaib and his entire team for the exceptional work they have done for us in the UAE. From company formation to visa processing and successfully securing the Golden Visa, the entire journey was handled with absolute professionalism, clarity, and commitment. ” Mohammad Firoz”
Frequently asked questions
Is the AED 2 million part of the cost of the visa?
No. It is a threshold you demonstrate, and the asset stays in your name. What you spend is the permit fee, the Emirates ID, the medical test and any service charges. Selling the property or releasing the deposit during the residency puts the permit at risk, which is why the lien and the two-year freeze exist.
Is the deposit route cheaper than the property route?
Permit fees are the same. Property files carry more paid steps: valuation or status certificates, land department charges and the lien registration. Deposit files trade those for capital locked in a UAE bank for the full term. Where your money already sits decides this more often than cost does.
What do my wife and children cost?
Each dependent is charged their own permit and Emirates ID on the same components, priced per person, with children skipping some steps adults pay for. Family totals move with the number and ages of applicants, so confirm the current per-person figure with ICP/GDRFA before budgeting for four or five people.
Do fees change if I apply from outside the UAE?
Yes, because the route differs: an entry permit and a status change replace the in-country adjustment, and the inside-country fee applies only to files submitted here. Confirm the current figure for overseas submission with ICP/GDRFA. Applicants already resident here normally find the inside route simpler and cheaper.
Before you file
Send your route and your figure on WhatsApp: property value and title deed status, deposit amount, or monthly salary. We will confirm which threshold your file falls under, list the documents your case needs, and give you the current fee total for you and your dependents, at no charge. For what changed most recently, read recent changes and new rules for golden visa UAE.
This is general guidance rather than legal advice, and the final decision on any application rests with ICP and GDRFA.
About the Author.
Written by Zohaib Hashmi, 6+ years advising on UAE residency and Golden Visa applications across investor, salary, and endorsement routes. Has reviewed and corrected several hundred files, including rejected applications resubmitted successfully after restructuring. Works directly with ICP and GDRFA submission requirements.