Sign in
Sign up
Dubai is constantly working at creating new opportunities for foreigners to obtain a residence visa in the fastest and most convenient way.
The emirate authorities launched a programme to attract wealthy investors of retirement age.
In this article, we aim to explain how this programme works, what kind of life Dubai offers to potential expats who are retired, and how to move to the United Arab Emirates in the current international situation.
Content:
- Visiting the UAE in late 2021/early 2022
- How to become a member of retire in Dubai: requirements and the process of obtaining a retiree visa
- Medicine, social security, and living a safer life in Dubai: strengths and weaknesses
- Retirement work
- The assistance offered by our specialists
Visiting the UAE in late 2021/early 2022
Can retired foreigners get a residence permit in the UAE? Absolutely, yes.
Can they do so now, despite the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on movement? Yes, they can. Next, we will answer this question in more detail.
Since January 2020, the world has experienced several waves of the new Coronavirus, COVID-19. Its latest variant appeared in November-December 2021 and now humanity is dealing with the Omicron strain.
In the last two years, governments around the world have been battling to keep the virus under control and have not yet succeeded. National and international restrictions on movement have repeatedly been tightened and then relaxed again, with the rise and fall of case numbers.
This chaos regularly leads to questions about when the country’s borders will be opened.
Current situation
As of December 2021, the federal authorities of the UAE and the authorities of all its emirates have not imposed any new restrictions on international travel and are willing to accept foreign visitors.
Considering that the long-awaited EXPO-2020 is taking place in Dubai, we should not expect strict restrictions in the coming months. This is an important event for the United Arab Emirates. The exhibition opened in October and will last until the end of March 2022.
The United Arab Emirates is confident that the country is safe for foreigners.
Anticipating the reader’s doubts about this confidence, we will explain why the UAE feels this way:
- The first reason is the success of the initial quarantine measures put in place.
In 2020, the UAE imposed strict restrictions on visiting the country. They were introduced in a wave and in a point-to-point manner, in order to limit the spread of the virus.
So, in 2020, the annual influx of visitors to Dubai decreased from the usual 15-17 million people to 5 million.
Most of the restrictions on visiting the UAE were lifted in early 2021. This was done when several effective versions of the anti-coronavirus vaccine were developed and put into production.
However, some of the quarantine restrictions remain in place in the country. The prohibitions relating to Omicron and visitors from certain countries have not been lifted. At the moment, there are seven African countries that this applies to.
India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are on the list of "high-risk countries", but entry to, and from them, is not restricted.
- The second reason is the success of the nationwide vaccination programme.
As of November 2021, the UAE had distributed 21 million vaccine doses to 9.89 million people (2020). Even when taking into account that each resident was vaccinated with two doses, the figures are still impressive.
The fact that 89% of the UAE’s population are expats is significant. Vaccines in the UAE were intended not only for citizens, but also for residents who have been living in the country for a long time, as well as those who had recently arrived.
Requirements for persons arriving in the UAE
The main condition for visiting the UAE is a vaccination document.
It is also necessary to do a PCR test in the country of departure, for example, an express test six hours before arrival in the UAE.
Express tests are also conducted at UAE airports.
When vaccination is mentioned, the question often arises: "Can I get vaccinated with any vaccine, or are there any approved vaccine brands?"
Initially (from August 2021), the only way to visit the UAE was with two doses of a vaccine that was approved by WHO:
- Comirnaty (Pfizer);
- Covishield (AstraZeneca);
- COV2. S (Johnson & Johnson);
- Spikevax (Moderna);
- BBIBP-CorV (Sinopharm);
- CoronaVac (Sinovac).
But in November, the country also approved Sputnik V, as this vaccine and its light version are used inside the UAE.
To summarise
- You can visit the country.
- No strict restrictions have been announced for the coming months.
- To visit the country, it is enough to pass a PCR test, while the vaccine can be American, European, or Chinese.
Now let us talk about how you can get a Dubai resident’s visa for retirees.
How to become a member of retire in Dubai: requirements and the process of obtaining a retiree visa
One of the best ways for retirees to move to Dubai is to become a participant of the state programme known as: Retire in Dubai. This is a 5-year visa for retirees with regular renewal, without restrictions. It is available under certain conditions.
It should be noted that this visa may also be granted to those who have already lived and/or worked in the UAE or who have a residence visa based on other criteria, for example, as an investor. However, changing to a retiree visa will not make much sense, due to the fact that an investor visa and a work visa already provide all the rights that retiree visa-holders receive.
What does a retiree visa offer
Dubai has a comfortable and stable climate, excluding the hot summers. The city is proud of its high level of medical care and security, as well as the low crime rate.
By receiving a retiree visa, a person becomes a resident of the UAE and can move around the country freely, as well as access all services available to residents with other types of visas.
Residents and citizens of the UAE have similar rights. However, it is easier for a foreigner to get a residence visa than citizenship. One of the prerequisites for obtaining citizenship is 30 years' residence in the UAE (however, a positive decision is still not guaranteed). This process is called "naturalisation".
A retiree visa in Dubai is issued based on one of the three criteria:
- Minimum monthly income of $4,100.
- The applicant has $272,500 or more on deposit in a UAE bank.
- The applicant owns property in the UAE worth $272,500 or more.
The applicant must collect documents proving compliance with one of these criteria. Additionally, they must have a work experience of at least 15 years or reach the age of 55 by the time of retirement. In addition, the following documents need to be provided:
- Copy of the applicant’s and dependents’ (if any) passports.
- A copy of the marriage certificate for issuing a visa to the spouse (if available).
- UAE residents must additionally provide copies of the current visa and Emirates ID card for themselves and the persons mentioned above.
After these documents are collected, a visa application is submitted to one of the two authorities:
- DLD ‒ if the person meets the criterion for real estate ownership.
- GDRFA ‒ in all other cases.
Medicine, social security, and living a safer life in Dubai: strengths and weaknesses
In this section, we will briefly describe the advantages and limitations of retirement in Dubai.
Medicine
In the UAE, every resident is required to have medical insurance, whether it’s provided by the government or obtained privately. In the current practice, government medical facilities prioritise services for UAE citizens.
Emergency medical assistance is available to everyone and is free of charge.
Treatment is provided in state institutions. Medical records are opened at the place of emergency hospitalisation.
In other cases, a health insurance policy will be required. The average cost is between $1,200 and $2,700 for one person.
If you regularly take any medicines, the Ministry of Health and Prevention should be informed in advance, before moving, so that they can determine whether it is prohibited to transport them.
In the case of an import ban, it is necessary to find out what similar medicines are available in the UAE.
Dubai's medical sector has been created almost from scratch over the past two decades. Medical centres, hospitals, and recreational centres are well-equipped and run according to the latest technologies.
Most of the doctors are qualified foreign specialists or locals who have been trained abroad.
Dubai has areas designed for recreation, treatment, and wellness tourism. Many of them are located in Dubai Healthcare City.
The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) determines the basis of medical policy. The working hours and locations of healthcare facilities are available on the official DHA website.
As of 2021, Dubai has 52 hospitals in the private and public sectors and over 50,000 healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, and technical specialists.
The health of the citizens and residents of Dubai occupies an important place in local government policy. The city is famous for its high quality of life. This also applies to real estate. Environmentally-friendly housing is becoming increasingly important in the construction sector and has a positive impact on the environment and the health of residents.
Social security and pension
Pensions in the UAE are only paid to citizens of the country. Residents who have worked here for many years cannot apply for a pension. That is why we indicated above, that it is unprofitable for expats who have already lived and worked in the UAE, to retire. To have money, a retiree will still have to work or earn extra money in another way, which we will discuss below.
On the other hand, in Dubai, individuals are not charged taxes that are common for residents of Europe and the US. Above all, there is no personal income tax and no tax on property and wealth.
Agreements have been concluded with 139 countries to avoid double taxation. There are no problems with paying taxes for money transfers from abroad. For example, you can receive a pension in the country of your nationality and use it in the UAE.
If you have been working for a local organisation in the UAE for some time, you may receive some monetary compensation after dismissal. As in many countries, in case of dismissal (in some cases voluntary), the employee is paid severance pay. In addition, the UAE has End of Service Benefits (EoSB).
It can be considered as a one-time “superannuation payment.” The minimum number of years to be worked out is 1 year.
- After working for between 1 to 5 years, a person receives a payment equal to the salary for 21 working days for each year worked. That is, in five years, a person will receive an amount equal to the salary for 105 working days.
- For a service period exceeding 5 years, a payment equivalent to 30 daily salaries for each year of service is entitled.
Security and low crime
Dubai is one of the safest cities in the world. Minor offences, of course, are committed, like stealing a wallet or a credit card. But they are exceptions.
The vast majority of crimes are related to cybercrime and classic fraudulent schemes:
- Sending malicious mail messages.
- Creating fake websites.
- Social engineering to obtain data, such as passwords from bank accounts, etc.
Strict laws and their enforcement play an important role in keeping crime rates low. To illustrate this point, let us give an example.
The concept of a “road rage incident” exists in the judicial practice of the UAE.
Imagine a situation when one driver cuts off another during traffic, and the latter starts showing aggression, swearing at the person, and showing obscene gestures.
This is a common situation in many countries and is considered rude, perhaps condemned, but not punishable.
In Dubai, a 24-year-old American tourist was sentenced to 3 months in prison for an obscene gesture to another driver during a traffic incident.
The legislation of the United Arab Emirates strictly applies to cases that are considered crimes but also to inappropriate behaviour in public places. This goes for citizens, residents, and tourists.
However, every visitor should be careful not to become an offender.
Retirement work
The retirement age for residents is 60 years, and they may continue to work until the age of 65, with the approval of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRA).
In the private sector, it is common practice to automatically extend a work permit until the age of 65.
However, even this age is not the limit. The retirement age may be increased depending on the type of employment, qualifications, experience, and the organisation’s needs.
If an organisation is interested in keeping on an employee due to their qualifications and experience even if they are reaching retirement age, it may, on its initiative, request a work permit and a residence visa from MOHRA.
A retiring person can obtain the Ministry’s permission to work after 65 if they are willing to pay a commission of about $1,770 every 2 years.
A retiree has no restrictions on receiving income from other areas, for example, rental properties, dividends from shares of a company, etc.
The assistance offered by our specialists
As can be understood from the description of the Retire in Dubai programme – the purchase of real estate is one of the main ways to obtain a retiree visa.
It differs from the investor visa in that, for $272,500, the applicant receives a 5-year visa, whereas for a real estate investor, the amount will be from $204,000, and the visa duration is 2 years.
Thus, by buying a property in Dubai, you get access to diverse visa regimes, means of earning, and quality lifestyles.
Perhaps you wish to buy an apartment to live in or generate income through renting.
Or you are looking for a reliable way to invest money, and off-plan real estate and development projects with flexible payment plans are of greater interest to you.
Or maybe you have always dreamed of a villa by the sea and a lifestyle like a poster.
Real estate in Dubai offers various options and Emirates.Estate specialists are ready to help you find the right direction in the market as well as the housing options that will match your preferences, whatever they may be.
