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ResidencyResidency in a country with no personal income tax, through a company you own, a property, or the 10 year Golden Visa. Fast processing and a strong base for international business.
The UAE does not tax individuals on salaries, dividends, interest, capital gains or crypto gains, wherever they are earned. There is no inheritance tax and no wealth tax.
Companies pay 9% corporate tax only on profit above AED 375,000 (UAE dirhams), and qualifying free zone income can be taxed at 0%.
Full tax breakdownMost residence visas are issued within two to six weeks of the company or property being in place, one of the fastest processes anywhere.
Dubai and Abu Dhabi connect directly to most of the world, with a large share of the global population within an eight hour flight.
Very low street crime, reliable infrastructure and a government that runs on predictable, published rules.
Large, well capitalised local and international banks, with multi currency accounts and the dirham pegged to the US dollar since 1997.
Residents can sponsor a spouse and children, and Golden Visa holders can also sponsor parents, without a minimum salary.
The 10 year Golden Visa stays valid however long you are away, so it works as a long term base without tying you down.
Issued through a company you own or a property in Dubai. It is quick and affordable, renewable as long as the company or property is kept, but it lapses if you stay outside the UAE for more than six months in a row.
A long term visa through property worth AED 2 million or more, or through an entrepreneur, investor or talent category. It needs no sponsor, carries no six month absence rule and lets you sponsor parents as well as your spouse and children.
The two year visa is the low cost way in and suits people who will be in the UAE regularly. The Golden Visa costs more up front but gives ten years of security and freedom to travel. Neither leads to citizenship, and neither on its own makes you tax resident: that depends on the days you spend there and your ties.
| Pathway | Minimum investment | Approval | What you get | Time to passport eligibility | Presence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free zone company | No minimum; company setup costs | Often 2 to 6 weeks | Investor visa, usually 2 years renewable | Not available | Enter every 6 months; tax certificate after 90 days a year with a UAE home or business |
| Two year property visa | No minimum for a sole owner in Dubai | 10 to 15 working days | Property investor visa, 2 years renewable | Not available | Enter every 6 months; tax certificate after 90 days a year with a UAE home or business |
| 10 year Golden Visa, property | AED 2,000,000 | Often 2 to 4 weeks | Golden Visa, 10 years renewable | Not available | No 6 month rule; tax certificate after 90 days a year with a UAE home or business |
| Entrepreneur and talent Golden Visa | None; criteria by category | Varies by category | Golden Visa, 5 or 10 years by category | Not available | No 6 month rule; tax certificate after 90 days a year with a UAE home or business |
UAE citizenship is not offered to ordinary residents, so every route ends at renewable residency.
Each option below qualifies on its own. We help you pick the one that suits your money and your plans.
We set up your company and obtain a two year residence visa for you as its owner. There is no minimum investment into the company, only the formation and visa fees.
Self sponsored residency backed by a completed property in Dubai. No minimum value for a sole owner since April 2026; joint owners need at least AED 400,000 each. Renewable while you hold the property.
One or more properties with a combined registered value of AED 2 million. Off plan and mortgaged property can qualify.
Golden Visa categories for entrepreneurs, specialised talent and others, each with its own criteria.
There is no minimum investment into a company: the company route costs only the company formation and visa fees. On every route there are also the medical test, Emirates ID, health insurance and attestation of family documents, and the property route adds the Land Department fees. Every situation is different, so we quote everything as one custom fixed fee in writing after a free call.
We assist you in obtaining each document, then have it attested (certified by the issuing country and the UAE embassy), translated and filed for you.
Every route lets you sponsor a spouse and children; unmarried daughters can be sponsored at any age, while for sons the rules differ by visa type, so we confirm the current position before filing. Golden Visa holders can also sponsor their parents.
The headline rates for people who are tax residents there. Holding a residency or passport does not by itself make you a tax resident, and your current country may still tax you, so the licensed tax advisers in our local team confirm your position.
Company, property or Golden Visa category. We map which one fits your business, family and travel pattern, and what it costs end to end. We then assist you in obtaining the relevant documents and having them attested and translated, since the UAE uses embassy legalisation rather than apostilles.
Our local team forms the company, or we check the property title and registered value against the threshold before you commit.
You travel to the UAE for the medical fitness test and biometrics, and the residence visa is issued, usually within a few weeks.
With your Emirates ID in hand, we help with personal and business bank account introductions and add your family as dependants.
We track your expiry dates and handle renewals, and we tell you plainly what time in the UAE you need if a tax residency certificate is part of the plan.
Our local team stays with you once you are approved and takes care of the practical steps, then keeps everything current and compliant.
It is a strong one if your budget allows. The Golden Visa gives ten years of residency with no minimum stay, so it keeps a door open without asking you to live there. The limits are cost, since rent and schooling are expensive, and the fact that residency never turns into a passport. A two year visa is cheaper but lapses after six months away, so it suits people who will actually visit regularly.
Yes, it is one of the best. There is no personal income tax at all. To obtain a UAE tax residency certificate you generally need 183 days in the country in a 12 month period, or 90 days if you hold a residence visa and either have a permanent home available there or work or run a business there. The harder part is ceasing to be tax resident in your home country, which depends on your nationality and circumstances, so book a free call and we can talk through yours.
Yes. A UAE company, often in a free zone, is a common backbone for international businesses: corporate tax is 9% on profit above AED 375,000, qualifying free zone income can be taxed at 0%, and the banks are large and well run. Opening accounts takes patience, because banks ask for detailed proof of where your money and clients come from, and we help prepare that file.
It can be, though it is not the cheapest place to start, because a company there carries yearly licence and visa renewals. Small business relief, which treats companies with revenue up to AED 3 million as having no taxable profit, was extended in August 2026 to cover tax periods ending on or before 31 December 2029. If your revenue is still modest, we often compare the UAE with lower cost options before you commit.
There is no minimum stay for the Golden Visa. Two year residence visas lapse if you are outside the UAE for more than six months in a row, so you need to enter at least once every six months. Living there is a separate question that matters for tax residency.
Not in the normal course. Citizenship is granted only in exceptional cases by nomination. Think of the UAE as a long term base, and pair it with a citizenship program if a second passport is the goal.
Once the company is formed or the property is registered, the visa, medical and Emirates ID usually take two to four weeks. Company formation itself often takes one to three weeks depending on the free zone.
Yes. For the AED 2 million Golden Visa in Dubai, off plan and mortgaged property can qualify based on the value registered with the Land Department. The two year property visa is different: it needs a completed property with a title deed.
Yes. All routes allow a spouse and children, and unmarried daughters can be sponsored at any age. The age limit for sons depends on the visa type, so we confirm it with the authorities before filing. Golden Visa holders can also sponsor their parents.
The visa depends on the property. If you sell, the visa can be cancelled unless you hold other qualifying property that still meets the threshold, so we plan any sale around your renewal dates.
Individuals pay no income or capital gains tax on personal crypto gains. Trading through a company is a different matter and can fall under corporate tax, so we look at how you hold it.
The residency works the same way, but the US taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live. Some relief is available, such as the foreign earned income exclusion, so US citizens should plan with a US tax adviser alongside the move.
Laws and fees change, so we confirm every number before you commit.
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ReadTell us a little about yourself and we will review whether UAE Residency suits you, what it would cost in total and how long it would take. No cost and no obligation.
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