The UAE’s leaders have implemented programs like 10-year residency to nurture talent as more and more people from around the world want to call it home. Visa holders can live, work, and study in the United Arab Emirates without a sponsor or employer thanks to the Golden Visa.
With further privileges like the ability to leave the nation for more than six months without having to return within that time, exceptional people can progress in their careers without having to worry about their visas being renewed frequently.
Students, investors, frontline heroes, volunteers, and other groups can all apply for the long-term residency. for a complete list of advantages and eligibility requirements. The UAE has added new categories to the Golden Visa since 2024:
Teachers and educators
Golden Visas for exceptional instructors in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah were announced by the United Arab Emirates in late 2024.Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of the emirate, announced the long-term residency in Dubai as a gift to teachers on World Teacher’s Day.
Nurses
One of the most important things for us to perform at our best is our health. Golden Visas were recently offered by Dubai for the nurses who care for us while we are ill or feel unwell.
On May 12, the globe commemorated International Nurses Day, when this announcement was made. In accordance with the Dubai Crown Prince’s directions, the emirate would grant 10-year visas to nurses who have worked for Dubai Health for more than 15 years.
Owners of luxury yachts and maritime executives
Yachts are proliferating along the UAE’s coastlines as the country becomes a yacht hotspot. To lure these high-net-worth individuals to invest in the capital, Abu Dhabi introduced the ‘Golden Quay’ program in late 2024, which offered a 10-year visa.
Private yacht owners must have yachts 40 meters or larger in order to be eligible for the visa. Yachting sector stakeholders and maritime executives are also eligible to apply.
Professional gamers and eSports athletes
Do you make a living from gaming? The Golden Visa, which was introduced in 2024 and falls under the culture and arts category, enables eSports talent to sponsor themselves while establishing Dubai as a leading location for professional gamers who create and develop content.
Not simply gamers are eligible for the visa; applicants must be at least 25 years old and possess experience in the gaming sector, whether as a developer, content creator, professional player, or in other related positions.
Imams and religious academics
Sheikh Hamdan announced Golden Visas in April 2024 for preachers, muezzins, muftis, mosque imams, and religious scholars who have worked in Dubai for 20 years.
Ahead of Eid Al Fitr, the Crown Prince carried on his father’s custom of commemorating the religious leaders by granting them a permanent residence.
Influencers and content producers
Are you a content creator or podcaster? All forms of creative talent that Dubai aims to develop are eligible for long-term residency. Through Creators HQ, an incubation centre created to assist creative people in broadening their worldwide reach, the emirate began providing Golden Visas for social media influencers, digital content producers, podcasters, and visual artists in early 2025.
The initiative seeks out a wide range of talent, such as visual artists, podcasters, digital content producers, and social media influencers. Key participants in the creative industries, including marketing and advertising agencies, media and music producers, animation studios, and fashion and lifestyle businesses, are also among its targets.
Blue Visa environmentalists
Whether it’s promoting plastic-free beaches or conserving turtles, these initiatives are not ignored in the nation. Despite being known as the Blue Visa, this visa allows persons to stay in the United Arab Emirates for ten years, much like those who have Golden Residency.
This permanent residence is intended especially for people who have made exceptional contributions to sustainability and environmental preservation, both domestically in the United Arab Emirates and internationally.