Indian passport holders apply for the UAE Golden Visa under exactly the same categories and thresholds as every other nationality. There is no India-specific route, quota or discount. What is different for Indian applicants is the paperwork: how documents are attested in India before the UAE accepts them, how money for a property purchase leaves India, and how the costs look in rupees. Rules and figures in this guide were checked against official sources in October 2026.
Is there a special UAE Golden Visa for Indians?
No. The ICP Golden Residency guide sets eligibility by category: investors, entrepreneurs, skilled professionals, scientists and researchers, outstanding students and graduates, and humanitarian and frontline categories. None of these categories has a nationality condition. Your passport decides how your documents are authenticated, not whether you qualify. Our guide on how nationality affects a Golden Visa file explains this for other passports too.
Which Golden Visa routes suit Indian applicants
Most Indian applicants fall into one of three groups: professionals already working in the UAE, investors buying UAE property from India or from the UAE, and business owners. The table below lists the federal criteria published by ICP.
| Route | Main requirement (ICP) | Often suits |
|---|---|---|
| Real estate investor | One or more UAE properties with a total value of at least AED 2 million | Indian investors buying in Dubai or another emirate |
| Public investment | A deposit of at least AED 2 million with an investment fund or national bank, or company capital or a partner share of at least AED 2 million, not funded by a loan | Business owners and investors with UAE companies |
| Entrepreneur | A UAE small or medium business in an approved field with annual revenue of at least AED 1 million, or an idea approved by an accredited incubator or authority, or earlier ventures sold for at least AED 7 million in total | Founders |
| Skilled professional | A valid UAE work permit, a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, a monthly salary of at least AED 30,000, and occupational level one or two | Indian engineers, doctors, managers and executives working in the UAE |
| Scientists and researchers | A recommendation from the Emirates Scientists Council | Researchers with a strong publication record |
| Outstanding students and graduates | Top school results or top university results within the set time after graduating | Students and recent graduates |
[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER, replace before publishing] File: uae-golden-visa-routes-comparison-indian-applicants.webp. Alt text: Table comparing six UAE Golden Visa routes and their main requirements. Caption: The same six routes apply to every nationality. Criteria from the ICP Golden Residency guide, checked October 2026.
If you work in the UAE and earn AED 30,000 or more a month, the salary route is often simpler than buying property. Our page on salary route requirements covers it in detail.
Buying property in Dubai for a Golden Visa as an Indian investor
The minimum property investment for a UAE Golden Visa is AED 2 million, and it is the same for Indian buyers as for anyone else. At the FBIL reference rate used in this guide, that is roughly ₹5.2 crore. The main rules are:
- Total value: one property or several, as long as the total value reaches AED 2 million. In Dubai, the Dubai Land Department looks at the purchase value at the time of purchase, and the property must be wholly owned in your name.
- Off-plan: off-plan units qualify if you bought them from an approved local developer authorised by the competent local authority.
- Mortgage: a loan is allowed only if it comes from an approved local bank, meaning a UAE bank. The Dubai Land Department asks for a no-objection letter from the bank showing the amount paid and the balance.
- Lien: GDRFA Dubai places a lien on the property for the duration of the residency, so you cannot sell it and keep the visa.
- Certificate: the property value is certified by a Dubai Land Department property status certificate.
[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER, replace before publishing] File: dubai-property-golden-visa-steps-indian-investors.webp. Alt text: Diagram of the five steps from buying Dubai property to a Golden Visa application. Caption: The property route in Dubai, from purchase to application. Rules checked with ICP, DLD and GDRFA, October 2026.
For the full Dubai process, see our page on Dubai golden visa property.
Moving money out of India for the purchase
Indian foreign exchange and tax rules apply to money sent abroad, including money for a property purchase. Remittances by Indian residents fall under the Reserve Bank of India’s rules, including the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), and tax collected at source (TCS) applies to overseas remittances.
Before you transfer any funds, confirm with your bank and a chartered accountant what is allowed for your purchase, the current LRS limit, and the TCS that will apply.
What the Golden Visa costs in AED and approximate INR
There is no single official “Golden Visa fee”. Each authority publishes its own charges. The Dubai Land Department publishes the clearest breakdown, for the Dubai property route:
| Fee item (Dubai property route, DLD) | AED | Approximate INR |
|---|---|---|
| Medical test | 700 | roughly ₹18,000 |
| Emirates ID (10 years) | 1,153 | roughly ₹30,000 |
| Residency permit confirmation (10 years) | 2,856.75 | roughly ₹75,000 |
| DLD fees | 4,020 | roughly ₹1.05 lakh |
| Administrative fees | 1,155 | roughly ₹30,000 |
| Total for the investor | 9,884.75 | roughly ₹2.6 lakh |
| Family permit (10 years) | 5,774.50 | roughly ₹1.5 lakh |
| Opening the family file | 318.75 | roughly ₹8,400 |
| Each extra sponsored person | 100 | roughly ₹2,600 |
| UAE MOFA attestation, per personal document | 150 | roughly ₹3,900 |
Rupee amounts use the FBIL reference rate of ₹26.2145 per AED on 5 October 2026; check the current rate before you pay.
These figures are only the government charges. They do not include the AED 2 million property itself, property purchase fees, health insurance (required for you and your family, with no published premium), translation, or attestation charges in India. Other emirates use ICP’s fees, which are listed separately. Our full Golden Visa fee breakdown covers every route.
[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER, replace before publishing] File: dubai-golden-visa-fees-aed-inr-chart.webp. Alt text: Bar chart of Dubai property Golden Visa fees in AED with rupee equivalents. Caption: Published DLD fees for the Dubai property route, with approximate rupee amounts at the 5 October 2026 FBIL rate.
Attesting Indian documents for UAE use, step by step
The UAE does not accept a document issued in India until it has passed through a chain of authentication. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) says documents issued abroad must first be attested by the foreign ministry of the issuing country, then by the UAE embassy or consulate in that country, and then by MOFA in the UAE.
- State authentication. India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) attests on the basis of a state government signature. Educational documents usually go to the state education or HRD department first, and personal documents such as birth and marriage certificates go to the state home or general administration department. Check MEA’s current guidance for your document type.
- MEA attestation. MEA uses normal attestation, not an apostille, for countries outside the Hague Apostille Convention. The UAE is not a party to that convention, so an apostille alone does not complete the chain.
- UAE Embassy or Consulate in India. UAE MOFA lists four missions in India: the Embassy in New Delhi and Consulates General in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala).
- UAE MOFA attestation in the UAE. MOFA charges AED 150 for each personal document (roughly ₹3,900) and AED 2,000 for commercial documents.
[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER, replace before publishing] File: indian-document-attestation-uae-flowchart.webp. Alt text: Flowchart of the four attestation steps for Indian documents used in the UAE. Caption: The attestation chain for Indian documents. Checked with UAE MOFA in October 2026; confirm the state step with MEA.
Start attestation early, especially for degrees. Skilled professional applicants need an attested degree, and a delay at the state step holds up the whole file.
Choosing a Dubai Golden Visa consultant from India
You do not need a consultant to apply. Applications go through official channels: ICP, GDRFA Dubai, and in Dubai the Land Department for the property route. A consultant can check your eligibility, organise attestation, prepare the file and book appointments, but cannot change the criteria or speed up a government decision.
In July 2025, reports circulated in India about a “nomination-based” Golden Visa for AED 100,000 for Indian and Bangladeshi applicants. ICP publicly denied these reports (reported by WAM) and said that no consultancy is an authorised party in the application process. Use that episode as a test for any offer you receive:
- Any claim of a cheaper or faster route for one nationality is a red flag.
- Ask for the government fees to be shown separately from the service fee, with official receipts.
- Nobody can guarantee approval. The decision rests with ICP or GDRFA.
- Check every criterion you are told about against the ICP guide yourself.
Any genuine change to the rules appears on ICP and GDRFA pages first. Our page on what has changed in 2026 tracks the official updates.
Common rejection reasons for Indian applicants
Most problems come from files that do not match the published criteria or from documents that do not match each other. The common ones are:
- Name differences across documents. Your passport, degree, property documents and bank letters spell your name differently or in a different order. Passports with a single given name, or with the surname field left empty, need particular care.
- A property value below AED 2 million on the official documents. The value on the registration documents is what counts, not the price you negotiated.
- Off-plan from a developer that is not approved, or a mortgage from a bank outside the UAE. ICP accepts only approved local developers and approved local banks.
- Property not wholly in your name. The rules expect the property to be fully owned by the investor. Confirm with the authority how a jointly owned property will be treated before you apply.
- Missing or incomplete attestation. An apostille in place of the full chain, or a missed state step.
- Salary evidence that does not match. Your salary certificate, employment contract and bank statements show different figures, or the salary is below AED 30,000.
- No health insurance. ICP requires health insurance for you and your family throughout the residency.
FAQ
Is there a special UAE Golden Visa for Indians?
No. Indian applicants are assessed under the same categories and thresholds as everyone else. ICP publicly denied the July 2025 reports of a cheaper nomination scheme for Indians (reported by WAM).
What is the minimum property investment for a Dubai Golden Visa for Indians?
AED 2 million, in one or more properties. That is roughly ₹5.2 crore at the FBIL reference rate of 5 October 2026. Check the current rate before you commit.
Can I use a home loan from an Indian bank?
ICP allows the property to be financed through a loan only from an approved local bank, meaning a UAE bank. A loan from a bank in India does not fit that wording. In Dubai you also need a no-objection letter from the bank showing what you have paid and the balance.
Can I apply from India?
You can start from outside the UAE. ICP runs an entry permit service for real estate investors. The medical test and Emirates ID biometrics happen in the UAE, so plan at least one trip.
How much does the Golden Visa cost in Indian rupees?
For the Dubai property route, the Dubai Land Department lists government fees of AED 9,884.75 for the investor, roughly ₹2.6 lakh at the 5 October 2026 FBIL rate. Family members, health insurance and attestation in India cost extra.
Do I need to live in the UAE to keep the Golden Visa?
u.ae says Golden Visa holders who stay outside the UAE for more than six months do not need the re-entry permission other residents need, and can enter while the residency is valid. For the property route, you must keep the qualifying property, because the lien stays on it.
Talk to us on WhatsApp. Send us your route, the property value or salary you are working with, and the documents you already have. We will tell you what your file still needs and in what order. Message us on WhatsApp at +971 52 143 0280.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Final decisions rest with ICP and GDRFA.
