Short answer: the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) updated its Golden Residency Guide on 10 September 2026. The current guide lists a ten-year, automatically renewable, sponsor-free residency for every category, including real-estate investors and entrepreneurs that older government summaries still show as five-year visas. It sets the investment and property thresholds at two million dirhams, allows loan-financed and off-plan property from approved local banks and developers, and gives salaried professionals a defined route: a UAE work permit, a bachelor’s degree and a monthly salary of at least thirty thousand dirhams. This post sets out what the guide says today and where it differs from what you may have read before.
How we know the date
The guide at icp.gov.ae carries a publication date of 27 July 2026 and a modification date of 10 September 2026 in its metadata, and the page body shows “Last updated on: September 10, 2026”. We could not retrieve the earlier July text, so “changed” here means “differs from the older official summaries still online”, chiefly the u.ae Golden visa page (28 July 2026) and ICP’s 2021 explainer.
What the current guide says
Definition and benefits. Golden Residency is a ten-year residence permit, renewed automatically, with no sponsor. Holders can obtain permits for a spouse, children regardless of age, and parents, and may sponsor domestic workers. An eligible applicant outside the UAE receives a six-month multiple-entry visa, renewable once, to complete the process. If the holder dies, sponsored family may stay for the remaining validity of their own permits.
Categories, all at ten years:
- Investors in public investments or real estate
- Entrepreneurs with an established business or an approved business plan, inside or outside the UAE
- First line of defence professionals
- Scientists and specialists: researchers, religious scholars, industry and Fourth Industrial Revolution specialists, healthcare and education specialists, and skilled professionals at senior occupational levels
- Humanitarian pioneers
- Outstanding students and graduates
- Exceptional talents in culture and arts, invention, sport, digital technology and other fields
Where it differs from the older summaries
| Point | Older summary (u.ae, 28 July 2026) | ICP guide (10 September 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Real-estate investor term | 5 years | 10 years |
| Entrepreneur term | 5 years | 10 years |
| High-school achiever term | 5 years | 10 years |
| Graduate GPA (ICP 2021 explainer) | 3.8 | 3.5 for Category A UAE universities and recognised international universities; 3.8 for Category B |
| Mortgaged property | Not addressed | Allowed if financed by an approved local bank |
| Off-plan property | Not addressed | Allowed if bought from an approved local developer |
| Salaried professionals | “Rare specialisations” | Defined route: work permit, bachelor’s degree, salary of at least thirty thousand dirhams a month, senior occupational level |
The single most important shift for most readers is the first row. If you bought property on the understanding that it earned a five-year permit, the current guide says ten.
The thresholds, route by route
Public investments. Any one of: a deposit of at least two million dirhams with an investment fund or a national bank; a company with capital of at least two million dirhams; a partnership share of at least two million dirhams; or a company (or proportionate share) paying at least 250,000 dirhams a year in federal tax. The capital must be fully owned and not borrowed, with documents proving source and ownership. Comprehensive health insurance for the applicant and family at the time of application.
Real estate. One or more properties with a total value of at least two million dirhams, registered in the investor’s own name. Loan financing is permitted if the loan is from an approved local bank. Off-plan units count if purchased from a developer authorised by the local authority. Health insurance must cover the whole residency period.
Skilled professionals at senior occupational levels. This is the category most Cosmos readers ask about. The guide requires a valid UAE work permit under an approved employment contract, at least a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, a monthly salary of at least thirty thousand dirhams or its equivalent, and family health insurance for the residency period. Occupational level follows the classification set by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation: chairpersons and chief executives at level one, specialists at level two. Healthcare, education, industry and science specialists need a recommendation from the relevant ministry or local authority.
Entrepreneurs. Own or co-own a UAE-registered SME in an approved field with annual revenue of at least one million dirhams; or hold approval for the venture idea from an accredited incubator, the Ministry of Economy, ICP or a local authority; or be a founder of ventures previously sold for at least seven million dirhams in total.
Students and graduates. Secondary students need at least 95 per cent from a school accredited by the Ministry of Education or the local authority, attested. University graduates need a GPA of 3.5 or above from a UAE Category A university, or 3.8 from Category B, within two years of graduation. Graduates of international universities need the university to sit in the first 100 of the ranking recognised by the Ministry of Education, a GPA of 3.5 or above, and graduation within the last two years. All certificates attested.
Humanitarian pioneers. Five or more years as a member or outstanding employee of an international, regional or public-benefit organisation, or financial support to humanitarian work of at least two million dirhams.
Exceptional talents. Evidence tiers for creative fields (awards, nominations, honorary positions or five years of recognised professional output), sporting achievement or federation leadership, and nomination by the relevant government body for other fields.
What has not changed
The route still runs through ICP’s smart platforms: nomination request, document upload, eligibility check, then residence issuance. Attestation by the Ministry of Education remains a hard requirement for the student and professional routes; our document checklist covers the UAE attestation chain. Emirate-level channels in Dubai and Abu Dhabi operate alongside the federal guide; we have not re-checked their pages for this article.
What this means for a UAE resident weighing options
For a senior professional above the salary line with an attested degree, Golden Residency is a document exercise rather than a points race. For a mid-career professional below the line, it is not available, and the honest comparison is between staying on an employer visa and building a points profile for Australia, Canada or New Zealand. Our post on work permits versus permanent residence frames that choice, and our UAE Golden Visa page explains how we support the application.
FAQs
Is the UAE Golden Visa now ten years for every category?
The ICP guide updated on 10 September 2026 lists ten years for all categories, including real-estate investors, entrepreneurs and secondary-school achievers that older summaries showed as five years.
Can a mortgaged or off-plan property qualify?
Yes, under the current guide, if the loan is from an approved local bank or the off-plan unit is bought from an approved local developer, and the total value is at least two million dirhams.
What does a salaried employee need?
A valid UAE work permit under an approved contract, a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, a monthly salary of at least thirty thousand dirhams or equivalent, a senior occupational level under the MOHRE classification, and family health insurance.
What GPA do graduates need?
3.5 for UAE Category A universities and for recognised international universities in the first 100 of the Ministry’s ranking; 3.8 for UAE Category B universities; in each case within two years of graduation.
Does a Golden Residency holder need a sponsor for family?
No. The holder can obtain permits for a spouse, children of any age and parents, and may sponsor domestic workers.
Next step
If you want to know which category fits your file and whether your salary and occupational level meet the guide as written, book a free profile review. We will tell you plainly if the answer is “not under the current guide”.
Last reviewed 17 October 2026. Sources: ICP Golden Residency Guide (published 27 July 2026, updated 10 September 2026); u.ae Golden visa page (updated 28 July 2026); ICP “What is Golden Residency?” explainer (2021, updated 2023). Third-party claims about new categories or mortgage down-payment rules are not in the guide and are not repeated here. General information, not advice on an individual case.
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