How to apply for a UAE residence permit

A residence permit in the United Arab Emirates allows you to stay in the country for two to three years. In some instances, you can even stay in the country for up to five or ten years. So if you are planning on staying in the UAE for an extended period, you will have to apply for a residence permit.

Furthermore, you can also apply for a residence permit if you are studying in the UAE, if you are a freelancer or even if you are an investor who is launching a business or purchasing a property.

To find out more about applying for a residence permit in the UAE, have a read through the rest of the article as it provides a very helpful detailed guide.

Table of contents:

• Option 1. Applying as a student
• Option 2. Working visa
• Option 3. Freelance visa
• Option 4. Residence permit by investment
• Option 5. Purchasing a property in the United Arab Emirates
• Applying for a residence permit in the UAE
• Residence permit in the UAE: required papers
• Purchase an apartment in the UAE at Emirates.Estate

Option 1. Applying as a student

To apply to a university or college in the United Arab Emirates, you first need to pass an English test, namely, TOEFL or IELTS. Only after you pass one of these tests (with a high score) can you apply to a university or college. Also, you should bear in mind that the cost of living in the UAE is quite high. This includes tuition fees. Therefore, before applying for a UAE residence permit as a student, you need to make sure that you can afford to study in UAE first.

In addition, courses at universities in the United Arab Emirates cost between $5,000 to 10,000 per year. While courses at the local divisions of the British universities here cost at least $20,000.

Furthermore, the most popular course selections at both the local universities and colleges are hotel management, architecture, and oil production. Is it any wonder why graduates from the UAE can just as easily find a job in the country or anywhere else in the world?

So while a student visa in the UAE allows you to apply for a residence permit in the country, it’s not for free. It will cost you about $800.

Option 2. Working visa

The United Arab Emirates offers a great variety of jobs in the construction and hotel business sectors, as well as, many other fields. So if an employer is interested in you and finalizes an employment contract with you, this is another way in which they can help you to obtain a visa in the UAE. More specifically, a work visa.

Also, while this type of visa gives you the right to apply for a resident permit in UAE, it’s not for free and will cost you between $600 to $2,000.

Option 3. Freelance visa

In the United Arab Emirates, even freelancers can apply for a long-term visa. Moreover, they can apply for this type of visa in the same way as that of a residence permit.

Also, since freelancers are usually artists, photographers, designers, people working in personal development, and education (business coaches, mentors, tutors), these are the types of people that one can expect to apply for this type of visa.

What’s more, a residence permit issued on the basis of a freelance visa will cost you between $600 to $1,000.

Option 4. Residence permit via a business investment

In the United Arab Emirates, you can launch your own business in the free economic zones or you can develop your business together with a local individual or a legal entity.

The fee for a visa obtained on the basis of a business investment in the UAE depends on where you register your business.

Option 5. Purchasing a property in the United Arab Emirates

You can apply for a residence permit if you own a residential or commercial property in the UAE that costs at least $272,000. Moreover, foreigners can purchase real estate in the UAE in specially constructed areas known as freehold zones. In Dubai, popular freehold zones include but are not limited to the very prestigious districts of Palm Jumeirah, Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina.

In addition, investing in property of over $272,000, allows you to apply for a two-year residence permit in the UAE. Although it’s important to note that this type of visa does not give you the right to work in the UAE or require you to permanently reside in the UAE, you still need to visit the country at least once every six months. Furthermore, applying for a residence visa via property investment will cost you between $3,500 to $4,000.

Applying for a residence permit in the UAE

A person who has obtained a residence permit in the United Arab Emirates can also get a residence permit for their family members (children and spouse).

Residence permit in the UAE: required papers

To apply for a residence permit, you need to submit the following papers:

• A completed application form.
• Photos.
• Copies of a valid passport.
• Birth certificates of children.
• Papers confirming property ownership (title deed).
• A statement of income of the investor (the property owner in case residence visas for family members are made on the basis of this property purchase).
• Documents regarding the registration of a company in the United Arab Emirates (for persons who have already received a UAE resident visa and are applying for a residence permit in the Emirates for their family members on the basis of running a business).

Note that this type of resident visa does not allow family members to work in the United Arab Emirates.

In order to obtain a residence permit in the UAE for a period of five or ten years, you need to invest an amount of between $1,300,000 and $2,700,000, respectively, in the country's economy. Also, apart from investors, highly qualified doctors employed in the UAE, as well as scientists and people of creative professions can apply for a visa for such a period.

So as long as you study, work, or run a business and own real estate in the UAE, you can renew your residence visa.

While it does seem rather involved and quite challenging at times for a foreigner to become a citizen of the United Arab Emirates, they can apply for a residency visa with either of the above-mentioned options, which gives them a lot of opportunities, benefits, and rights as the owner.

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