United Arab Emirates · Business / Startup
United Arab Emirates Golden · Entrepreneur
First stay: 10 yrs
Golden Residency - Entrepreneur
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Golden · Entrepreneur is a business / startup route for United Arab Emirates. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Government fees
- AED 100 ≈ $27 · +2 more
- First stay
- 10 yrs
Cost, time and long term
Government feesAED 100 ≈ $27 · +2 more
- AED 100 (≈ $27)Application fee for the Golden Residence residence service.
- AED 100 (≈ $27)Smart service fee.
- AED 100 a year (≈ $27)Residence issuance fee per year of validity (AED 1,000 (≈ $270) for 10 years).
RenewalRenewable
Ten-year residence with automatic renewal and no sponsor needed.
Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security
Where to applyAbroad or in-country
If you are outside the UAE you receive a six-month multiple-entry entry visa, renewable once for six months, to complete the procedures.
Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security
Presence rulesStay rule
Holders can stay outside the UAE for longer than the usual six months that would otherwise cancel a residence visa.
What you'll need
Who can apply2
- Option A: the applicant owns or is a partner in a venture registered in the UAE, classed as a small or medium-sized enterprise and working in an approved field.
- Option B: an accredited business incubator, the Ministry of Economy, the Authority or a relevant local authority has approved the applicant's venture idea, to set up and run the business in the UAE.
What you must show2
- Under option A the venture has annual revenues of at least AED 1,000,000 (≈ $272,000). This is the business's revenue, not the applicant's personal income.
- Option C: the applicant founded or co-founded one or more ventures that were sold for a total of at least AED 7,000,000 (≈ $1,910,000). This is the sale value of the ventures, not savings the applicant must hold.
Documents1
- Comprehensive valid health insurance covers the applicant and family at the time of applying.
When you become tax resident
How United Arab Emirates decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
10 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
- At least 183 days in 12 consecutive months
- At least 90 days in 12 consecutive monthsApplies to UAE nationals, holders of a valid residence permit, or GCC nationals who also have a permanent place of residence in the UAE or work or carry on business there.
- Foreign-source income
No personal income tax
The UAE levies no income tax on individuals; foreign-source salary, investment and rental income of an individual is outside Corporate Tax.
All tax rules for United Arab Emirates Tax records checked
Full official text
10-year Golden Residency for entrepreneurs: owners or partners of a UAE small or medium-sized business with annual revenue of at least AED 1,000,000, (≈ $272,000) people whose venture idea has been approved, or founders of ventures sold for at least AED 7,000,000 (≈ $1,910,000) in total. 1 2 3 4
What you must show and pay
- A fee of AED 100 (≈ $27) · Application fee for the Golden Residence residence service. 3
- A fee of AED 100 (≈ $27) · Smart service fee. 3
- A fee of AED 100 a year (≈ $27) · Residence issuance fee per year of validity (AED 1,000 (≈ $270) for 10 years). 3
Requirements
- Option A: the applicant owns or is a partner in a venture registered in the UAE, classed as a small or medium-sized enterprise and working in an approved field. 1
- Under option A the venture has annual revenues of at least AED 1,000,000 (≈ $272,000). This is the business's revenue, not the applicant's personal income. 1
- Option B: an accredited business incubator, the Ministry of Economy, the Authority or a relevant local authority has approved the applicant's venture idea, to set up and run the business in the UAE. 1
- Option C: the applicant founded or co-founded one or more ventures that were sold for a total of at least AED 7,000,000 (≈ $1,910,000). This is the sale value of the ventures, not savings the applicant must hold. 1
- Comprehensive valid health insurance covers the applicant and family at the time of applying. 1
Stay
- 10-year residence with automatic renewal, according to the ICP Golden Residency guide; the u.ae golden visa page listed 5 years for entrepreneurs when read on 11 October 2026. Applicants outside the UAE receive a six-month multiple-entry entry visa, renewable for another six months, to complete the procedures.
- Initial permitted stay: 120 months.
- Visa validity: 120 months. Validity is the window to use the visa, not the length you may stay.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
- Entry visa to complete procedures up to 6 months: Six months multiple entry, renewable once for six months (applicants outside the UAE).
- Golden Residency up to 120 months: 10 years, automatically renewed.
Work
Golden Residency holders may live, work, study and invest in the UAE without a sponsor.
Family
Spouse and children of any age and parents may be sponsored; the holder may sponsor domestic workers. If the sponsor dies, family may stay until their own permits expire. Your spouse or partner needs their own work permit to work in the United Arab Emirates.
Fine print
The ICP guide lists the three grounds as separate points and does not say in so many words that one of them is enough; its summary line speaks of entrepreneurs with established businesses or successful business plans. Ask ICP which ground applies to you. The length also differs between two official pages: the ICP guide (updated 10 September 2026) states 10 years, while the u.ae golden visa page listed 5 years for entrepreneurs when read on 11 October 2026. The u.ae page did not load on 12 October 2026.
Official sources
- Golden Residency Guide · Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security · checked 2026-10-12
- Golden visa · UAE Government Portal (u.ae) · checked 2026-10-11
- Issuing Residency Permit (terms, fees and documents for each applicant category) · Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) · checked 2026-10-12
- Work permits · The UAE Government Portal (u.ae) · checked 2026-10-10
Golden · Entrepreneur and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Golden · Entrepreneur | – | 10 yr, renewable | – |
| Green · Freelancer | Needs income of AED 360k+ a year ≈ $98k | – | – |
| SMART Visa S · 2 years Thailand | Needs savings of ฿600k+ ≈ $18k | 2 yr, renewable | Limited |
| Business Manager Japan | Needs an investment of ¥30M+ ≈ $189k | 5 yr, renewable | Limited |
| EntrePass Singapore | Needs an investment of SGD 100k+ ≈ $78k | 1 yr, renewable | Limited |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Golden · Entrepreneur?
A fee of AED 100 (≈ $27). Application fee for the Golden Residence residence service. A fee of AED 100 (≈ $27). Smart service fee. A fee of AED 100 a year (≈ $27). Residence issuance fee per year of validity (AED 1,000 (≈ $270) for 10 years).
How long can I stay on the Golden · Entrepreneur?
10-year residence with automatic renewal, according to the ICP Golden Residency guide; the u.ae golden visa page listed 5 years for entrepreneurs when read on 11 October 2026.
Can I work on the Golden · Entrepreneur?
Golden Residency holders may live, work, study and invest in the UAE without a sponsor.
Can I bring my family on the Golden · Entrepreneur?
Spouse and children of any age and parents may be sponsored; the holder may sponsor domestic workers.
How are Golden · Entrepreneur holders taxed in United Arab Emirates?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Golden · Entrepreneur. The standard rules apply: The UAE does not levy income tax on individuals; VAT is 5%. Individuals running a business in the UAE pay corporate tax only if business turnover exceeds AED 1 million (≈ $272,000) in a calendar year.
More in United Arab Emirates
Business / startup visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
Ask the AI about this route AI
An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.
How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 4 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Golden Residency Guide · Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security · checked 2026-10-12
- Golden visa · UAE Government Portal (u.ae) · checked 2026-10-11
- Issuing Residency Permit (terms, fees and documents for each applicant category) · Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) · checked 2026-10-12
- Work permits · The UAE Government Portal (u.ae) · checked 2026-10-10
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.