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Residency pathway · Dubai / UAE

Move to Dubai.
No personal income tax.
A 10-year residence visa.

The UAE does not levy income tax on individuals, and since 2023 it has a written statutory test for who counts as a UAE tax resident. MoveToDubai walks you through the visa categories that actually exist — Golden, Green, Remote Work, free-zone employment and retirement — with the official thresholds, fees and filing sequence, so you arrive with a plan, not a rumour.

Start my residency file — $497 →See the pathways ↓
Official thresholds / Vetted local lawyers / Exit Global review
Your residency file, organisedExample
My residency file🔒
🌍 Home country🇦🇪 Dubai / UAE

One destination. One organised file.

Every document the authority will ask for, in order.
Example checklist3 of 4 added
🛂
Passport + photosValidity checked against the rule
✓
📜
Police clearance, apostilledFrom every country of recent residence
✓
🏦
Proof of funds / incomeMatched to the category threshold
✓
🩺
Health coverAdd it when available
PENDING
Know what you have. See what's next.Less guesswork. Fewer rejected files.
At a glance

Dubai / UAE in four numbers

Figures are quoted from the official pages linked on each card. Checked 8 September 2026.

Tax system
0% personal tax

The UAE does not levy income tax on individuals; corporate tax applies only to businesses.

Official source ↗
Presence to keep residency
≤ 180 days out

A standard residence visa lapses after more than 180 continuous days abroad; Golden Visa investors are exempt from that rule.

Official source ↗
Time to first card
7–10 business days

Dubai Land Department's stated duration for the property Golden Visa once the file is complete.

Official source ↗
Citizenship
Nomination only

No standard naturalisation route: nationality is granted by nomination for investors, scientists, doctors and similar categories.

Official source ↗
Why people choose Dubai

The honest case.
And who it isn't for.

No destination is right for everyone. These are the reasons people actually choose Dubai / UAE — and the situations where we would tell you to look elsewhere.

No tax on personal income

There is no personal income tax, and the corporate tax introduced in 2023 does not reach wages, personal investment returns or personal real-estate income. The 9% rate bites only on business profits above AED 375,000, and free-zone companies can qualify for 0% on qualifying income.

A written tax-residency test

Cabinet Decision No. 85 of 2022 defines who is a UAE tax resident: 183 days, or 90 days plus a residence permit and a home or job here, or a primary place of residence and centre of interests in the UAE. The Federal Tax Authority issues a Tax Residency Certificate you can show your old country.

Long visas, English-language bureaucracy, a hub airport

The Golden Visa runs for 10 years without a sponsor and lets you stay abroad beyond the usual limit. Government services run online in English through UAE PASS, banking is international, and Dubai sits within eight hours of most of Europe, Asia and Africa.

Probably not the right fit if…
  • People who want cheap residency without capital or income — every realistic route needs either AED 2 million, a UAE job or business, or a proven income.
  • Anyone who wants to keep a home and family in the old country and spend little time here — with under 90 days in the UAE you will not meet the statutory tax-residency test.
  • Retirees and families who need low-cost living or free public healthcare: housing is expensive and private health insurance is compulsory.
An independent preparation tool. Not a government body. Residency is granted only by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) and, in Dubai, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA Dubai). Private beta.
01 / The routes that exist

The residency pathways

These are the categories that ICP and GDRFA Dubai actually issue today. Figures are the official thresholds as published on u.ae, icp.gov.ae and dubailand.gov.ae.

Golden Visa (10 years)

Property investors, capital investors and senior professionals who want a long, sponsor-free visa.

  • Real estate: one or more properties with a purchase value of at least AED 2 million; a mortgaged property qualifies with a bank no-objection letter showing the paid amount and balance (Dubai Land Department)
  • Capital: a deposit or company capital of at least AED 2 million, or an establishment paying at least AED 250,000 a year in tax
  • Skilled professional: UAE employment contract, bachelor's degree, MoHRE occupation level 1 or 2 and a monthly salary of at least AED 30,000
  • Family: spouse, children and parents can be sponsored; the holder may stay outside the UAE for longer than the usual six months
  • Dubai property route: total government fees AED 9,884.75 (medical AED 700, Emirates ID AED 1,153, residency AED 2,856.75, DLD AED 4,020, admin AED 1,155)
Timeline / validity: 10-year renewable residence permit; DLD states 7–10 business days
Official source ↗

Green Visa (5 years, self-sponsored)

Freelancers, self-employed professionals and skilled employees who do not want to depend on an employer for their visa.

  • Freelancer / self-employed: a freelance or self-employment permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, a bachelor's degree or specialised diploma, and annual self-employment income of at least AED 360,000 over the preceding two years (or proof of financial solvency)
  • Skilled employee: a valid UAE employment contract, MoHRE skill level 1–3, a bachelor's degree and a monthly salary of at least AED 15,000
  • Investor / partner: proof of the investment or partnership and all required licences and approvals
  • Family: spouse and children (sons up to 25, unmarried daughters regardless of age) can be sponsored
  • No sponsor needed; flexible grace period after expiry
Timeline / validity: 5-year renewable residence visa
Official source ↗

Remote Work (Virtual Working) visa

Employees and business owners who keep their job or company abroad and want to live in Dubai.

  • Proof of work outside the UAE — an employment contract or ownership of a company abroad
  • Salary certificate showing at least US$3,500 a month or equivalent
  • A copy of health insurance and a medical fitness test result
  • Passport valid for at least six months
Timeline / validity: 1-year visa, issued by ICP or GDRFA Dubai
Official source ↗

Employment visa via a free-zone company

Founders and consultants who set up their own free-zone company and sponsor themselves as its employee.

  • A licence from a free-zone authority (100% foreign ownership; the licence is typically issued within 14 working days)
  • The free-zone authority applies for the work permit and residence visa; the visa quota depends on the licence package and office space
  • Medical fitness test, Emirates ID and health insurance are mandatory for issue and renewal
  • Corporate-tax registration for the company; qualifying free-zone income can be taxed at 0%
Timeline / validity: Standard employment visa valid for 2 years, renewable
Official source ↗

Retirement visa (55+)

Retirees with property, savings or a fixed income.

  • Aged at least 55 at the time of retirement and worked for not less than 15 years inside or outside the UAE
  • Own property worth at least AED 1 million and hold financial savings of at least AED 1 million, or
  • Annual income of at least AED 180,000 or equivalent — for a Dubai application the fixed annual income must be at least AED 240,000
Timeline / validity: 5-year long-term visa
Official source ↗
The $497 residency-file review

Build the file once.
Pay a lawyer to file — not to chase paper.

You gather the documents; we check the file against the current ICP / GDRFA Dubai requirements, pick the right visa category for your tax plan, and hand you to a vetted Dubai PRO or law firm for filing.

$497one-time, per applicant file
Start the process →
What the $497 covers.

A category check against the current official requirements, a document-by-document review of your file, and a warm handover to a vetted local lawyer or licensed agent who files it. Their fees and government fees are separate and quoted up front.

Your information is sensitive. We treat it that way.

Documents are stored privately when you explicitly save them. We use restricted access and do not sell or share your information.

Your tax position once resident

No personal income tax, and a statutory test for who is resident.

The UAE's federal taxes are VAT (5%), excise tax and, since financial years starting on or after 1 June 2023, corporate tax under Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022. There is no personal income tax. Tax residency for individuals is defined by Cabinet Decision No. 85 of 2022 (in force from 1 March 2023): you are a UAE tax resident if you are physically present for 183 days or more in any 12-month period; or present for 90 days or more with a UAE residence permit (or UAE/GCC nationality) plus a permanent place of residence, employment or business here; or if the UAE is your usual or primary place of residence and the centre of your financial and personal interests. Every day or part of a day counts.

Official source ↗
  • Individuals pay no income tax. Wages, salaries, personal investment returns and personal real-estate income are outside corporate tax; a natural person is taxed only on a licensed business with turnover above AED 1 million a year.
  • Corporate tax is 0% on taxable income up to AED 375,000 and 9% above it; a Qualifying Free Zone Person pays 0% on qualifying income. Withholding tax on payments to non-residents is 0%.
  • No wealth or inheritance tax is on the federal statute book — the federal taxes are VAT, excise and corporate tax. Dubai tenants pay a municipality housing fee of 5% of annual rent through the DEWA bill.
  • Tax residency is a fact test, not a visa: 183 days; or 90 days plus a residence permit and a permanent home, job or business; or primary residence and centre of interests (Cabinet Decision 85/2022, Ministerial Decision 27/2023).
  • Tax Residency Certificate from the FTA: domestic TRC or treaty TRC via EmaraTax, AED 50 submission plus AED 1,000 for an individual who is not a tax registrant (AED 500 if registered), 10 business days; for a treaty TRC the FTA generally expects 183 days in the year requested, depending on the treaty.
  • Treaties: the Ministry of Finance lists 137 double taxation agreements — the certificate is what you show your old country's tax office.

Residency here is only half the move. Your old country has to agree you left.

Find your Exit site →

Exit Global's review is an advisory opinion, not a determination by any tax authority.

02 / Step by step

From decision to residency card

The order matters: apostilles and police certificates expire, and most authorities want everything dated within a few months of filing.

01

Choose the category and the emirate

Match capital, salary or pension to Golden, Green, Remote Work, free-zone or retirement; Dubai (GDRFA) and the other emirates (ICP) run separate portals and some thresholds differ.

02

Collect and attest documents

Passport with six months' validity, photographs, degree certificates (attested for Green and skilled-professional routes), marriage and birth certificates for dependants, bank letters or title deed for investor routes.

03

Create the economic tie

Buy the property and register it with Dubai Land Department, set up the free-zone company, or secure the employment contract or MoHRE freelance permit — the visa follows the tie, not the other way round.

04

Entry permit, medical and biometrics

Apply through ICP or GDRFA Dubai (or the DLD Cube centre for the property Golden Visa); pass the medical fitness test, give fingerprints and apply for your Emirates ID.

05

Health insurance and residence stamp

A health insurance policy is a prerequisite for issuing and renewing a residence permit; the visa is then issued electronically and the Emirates ID card follows.

06

Open the bank account and close the loop at home

Banks ask for Emirates ID, residence visa, passport and a salary or trade-licence document. Register on EmaraTax, track your days, apply for the Tax Residency Certificate, and finish your old-country exit file (see the Exit sites).

03 / Living there

Living there: the practical facts

The things people ask us after the paperwork: money, health, language and a roof.

Banking

Resident accounts need an Emirates ID, a valid residence visa, your passport and a salary certificate or employment letter; the self-employed add the trade licence. Expect source-of-funds questions on large deposits.

Healthcare

Health insurance is compulsory. In Dubai, Law No. 11 of 2013 obliges employers to cover employees and sponsors to cover dependants; since 1 January 2025 a policy is required nationwide before a residence permit is issued or renewed. Private hospitals are the norm.

Language and daily life

Arabic is the official language but government portals, banks and employers operate in English. Emirates ID is mandatory for every resident and must be carried; late renewal is fined AED 20 a day up to AED 1,000.

Property and renting

Foreigners may own freehold property without restriction in the areas designated under Regulation No. 3 of 2006, or take leaseholds of up to 99 years; title deeds come from Dubai Land Department. Leases must be registered on Ejari, and rent rises are capped by the RERA index (Law No. 43 of 2013).

Where are you leaving from?

Each departure has
its own rules.

Getting a card in Dubai / UAE does not end tax residency where you came from. Pick your departure country to see its residency test, exit tax and departure filings.

🇨🇦 Exit Canada🇺🇸 Exit USA🐻 Exit California🗽 Exit New York🇬🇧 Exit the UK🇮🇪 Exit Ireland🇫🇷 Exit France🇧🇪 Exit Belgium🇳🇱 Exit Netherlands🇪🇸 Exit Spain🇮🇹 Exit Italy🇩🇰 Exit Denmark🇳🇴 Exit Norway🇸🇪 Exit Sweden🇦🇺 Exit Australia🇿🇦 Exit South Africa🇩🇪 Exit Germany🇦🇹 Exit Austria🇫🇮 Exit Finland🇧🇷 Exit Brazil🇯🇵 Exit Japan🇮🇱 Exit Israel🇳🇿 Exit New Zealand🇵🇹 Exit Portugal🇰🇷 Exit South Korea🇦🇷 Exit Argentina🇮🇳 Exit India🇨🇭 Exit Switzerland
Good questions. Clear answers.

Before you
get started.

Answers reflect the official rules as checked on 8 September 2026.

Do I have to live in Dubai full-time?

Not for the visa: a standard residence visa lapses only after more than 180 continuous days outside the UAE, and Golden Visa investors are exempt from that rule. But tax residency is a separate test — if you spend under 90 days here you will not meet Cabinet Decision 85/2022, and your old country may still treat you as resident.

How is UAE tax residency triggered?

Under Cabinet Decision No. 85 of 2022, in force since 1 March 2023: 183 days or more in the UAE in any 12-month period; or 90 days or more plus a valid residence permit (or UAE/GCC nationality) and a permanent place of residence, employment or business in the UAE; or the UAE being your usual or primary place of residence and centre of financial and personal interests. Arrival and departure days each count as a full day.

Can my family come?

Yes. Golden Visa holders can sponsor spouse, children and parents; Green Visa holders can sponsor spouse and children, including sons up to 25 and unmarried daughters of any age. Sponsored family members over 18 take a medical fitness test and need their own health insurance and Emirates ID.

Is there a path to citizenship or a second passport?

Not a routine one. UAE nationality is granted only through the Rulers' and Crown Princes' Courts, the Executive Councils and the Cabinet on nomination — since the January 2021 amendment this covers investors, doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, intellectuals and artists, and the naturalised citizen may keep their original nationality. Plan for long-term residency, not a passport.

What does it cost in government fees?

For the Dubai property Golden Visa, Dubai Land Department lists a total of AED 9,884.75 for the 10-year permit (medical AED 700, Emirates ID AED 1,153, residency AED 2,856.75, DLD AED 4,020, administrative AED 1,155), plus AED 5,774.50 per family or parents permit and AED 318.75 file opening. Other categories are priced on the ICP and GDRFA service cards. A Tax Residency Certificate costs AED 50 plus AED 1,000 for an unregistered individual.

Do I need a lawyer?

Not legally — applications are filed online through ICP or GDRFA Dubai, and free-zone authorities file for their companies. In practice most people use a registered PRO or law firm to sequence the property or company step, attestations and medical, and to avoid a rejected file. Exit Global is independent, not a government body; residency is granted only by ICP or GDRFA Dubai.

Can I keep working remotely for a foreign employer?

Yes — that is what the one-year Remote Work visa is for (proof of work outside the UAE, US$3,500 a month, health insurance). Golden and Green Visa holders may also work for overseas employers. Salary from a foreign employer is not taxed in the UAE; check that your employer has no payroll obligation in the old country.

What about my old country's tax residency?

Getting residency here does not end tax residency where you came from. Use the relevant Exit site — see exitglobal.app.

The next chapter starts with a plan

Arrive in Dubai / UAE with a file
the authority will accept.

Start my residency file — $497 →

MoveToDubai · part of the Exit Global network

The Exit network

One process. Every country.

Each site covers one departure, in that country's own rules. The destination sites cover where you're going. All reviewed by the same team at Exit Global.

Leaving
🌐Exit GlobalPortfolio home🇨🇦Exit CanadaNR73 + departure file🇺🇸Exit USAExpatriation + Form 8854🐻Exit CaliforniaFTB residency🗽Exit New YorkDomicile + statutory residency🇬🇧Exit the UKStatutory Residence Test🇮🇪Exit IrelandOrdinary residence tail🇫🇷Exit FranceArt. 167 bis exit tax🇧🇪Exit BelgiumSpecial departure return🇳🇱Exit NetherlandsM-form + conserverende aanslag🇪🇸Exit SpainArt. 95 bis + quarantine rule🇮🇹Exit ItalyAIRE + black-list presumption🇩🇰Exit DenmarkFraflytterskat🇳🇴Exit NorwayUtflyttingsskatt🇸🇪Exit SwedenTen-year share rule🇦🇺Exit AustraliaCGT event I1🇿🇦Exit South AfricaSection 9H exit charge🇩🇪Exit Germany§ 6 AStG Wegzugsbesteuerung🇦🇹Exit Austria§ 27 (6) Wegzugsbesteuerung🇫🇮Exit FinlandThree-year rule🇧🇷Exit BrazilSaída definitiva🇯🇵Exit JapanExit tax on ¥100m+ assets🇮🇱Exit IsraelCentre of life + s.100A🇳🇿Exit New Zealand325-day rule + IR886🇵🇹Exit PortugalArt. 16 CIRS residency🇰🇷Exit South KoreaExit tax on large shareholders🇦🇷Exit ArgentinaPérdida de residencia + baja🇮🇳Exit IndiaSection 6 residency + RNOR🇨🇭Exit SwitzerlandWegzug + pension withholding
Arriving
🇵🇦Move to PanamaTerritorial tax, Friendly Nations🇦🇪Move to DubaiNo personal income tax🇲🇹Move to MaltaRemittance basis, EU🇨🇾Move to Cyprus60-day rule, non-dom🇵🇾Move to ParaguayTerritorial tax, fast residency🇺🇾Move to UruguayTax holiday for new residents🇨🇷Move to Costa RicaTerritorial tax🇧🇸Move to BahamasNo income tax🇵🇹Move to PortugalD7, D8, Golden Visa, IFICI🇹🇭Move to ThailandLTR visa, remittance basis🇲🇾Move to MalaysiaMM2H, territorial tax🇮🇩Move to IndonesiaSecond Home visa, Bali🇬🇪Move to GeorgiaForeign income exempt, 1% SBS🇵🇷Move to Puerto RicoAct 60 for US citizens🇮🇹Move to ItalyFlat tax, 7% pensioner regime🇬🇷Move to GreeceGolden Visa, non-dom flat tax🇭🇰Move to Hong KongTerritorial, no CGT🇸🇬Move to SingaporeForeign income exempt, no CGT