UAE Green Visa 2026: Requirements, Salary & Eligibility

The UAE Green Visa, officially called Green Residency, is a five-year renewable residence permit that lets eligible people live in the UAE without an employer or family member as sponsor. It has three separate routes, and each one has its own test:

• Skilled workers must have a bachelor’s degree, a current UAE employment contract, a MOHRE skill level of 1 to 3, and a monthly remuneration of at least AED 15,000.
• A MOHRE permission, a qualification, and either proof of financial solvency or an annual income of at least AED 360,000 for the preceding two years are required for freelancers and self-employed individuals (the Dubai and Abu Dhabi pages use “or”; the ICP’s wording is less clear; see below).
• Proof of investment or participation, along with the necessary approvals, are necessary for investors and business partners. AED 1,000,000 is the minimum donation required by GDRFA Dubai and ICP.

This guide explains each route, the documents, the fees published by the authorities, and where to apply. Approval is never automatic. Meeting the criteria lets you apply, and the authority still reviews each application.

What is the UAE Green Visa?

The Green Visa is a permit for long-term residency. ICP describes it as valid for five years, renewable, and granted through self-sponsorship, so you do not need a sponsor inside the country.

“Self-sponsored” has limits. It means no employer or family member holds your residence. It does not remove the other conditions. A skilled employee still needs a job contract and a work permit, and a freelancer still needs a MOHRE permit. A work permit is not the same as a residency permit. For the wider picture of residence routes, see our UAE residence visa options.

UAE Green Visa eligibility at a glance

	Skilled employee	Freelancer / self-employed	Investor / business partner
Core test	Valid UAE contract, MOHRE skill level 1–3	MOHRE freelance or self-employment permit	Proof of investment or partnership
Qualification	Bachelor’s degree or equivalent	Bachelor’s degree, specialised diploma or equivalent	Not listed as a Green condition
Money test	Salary of at least AED 15,000/month (or equivalent in other currencies)	Income of at least AED 360,000 a year over the previous two years, or proof of financial solvency (Dubai and Abu Dhabi); ICP wording less clear	A minimum contribution of AED 1,000,000 (ICP and GDRFA Dubai)
Other	Valid work permit	Solvency or steady income during the stay	Licences and approvals from the relevant authorities
Source	ICP, GDRFA Dubai	ICP, GDRFA Dubai, Abu Dhabi (ADDED)	ICP, GDRFA Dubai

The pages I checked publish no Pakistan- or India-specific criteria for the Green Visa. Applicants of every nationality are measured against the same published tests.

Green Visa for skilled employees

You must meet all four conditions listed by ICP:

1. A legitimate UAE employment contract.
2. A job classified at skill level 1, 2 or 3 under MOHRE’s occupational classification.
3. At least a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent. 
4. A minimum wage of AED 15,000 per month, or the equivalent in another currency.

Additionally, whether the employer is governmental, semi-governmental, or located in a free zone, GDRFA Dubai lists an employment contract and a MOHRE work permit under that contract.

Two points the official pages do not settle:

• Basic or total salary: the pages do not say whether AED 15,000 means basic salary or the whole package. Ask the authority before relying on allowances.
• Your skill level: MOHRE classifies jobs. The level for your work title can be verified by MOHRE or your employer.

For the employer-sponsored route, read our UAE work visa guide.

Green Visa for freelancers and self-employed individuals

A bachelor’s degree, a specialized diploma or its equivalent, evidence of income or solvency, and a MOHRE freelance or self-employment permit are all listed by ICP. The Abu Dhabi Green Visa page and GDRFA Dubai state that proof of financial solvency or an income test of AED 360,000 over the preceding two years is required. Make sure you have both the income amount and the proof of solvency if you apply through ICP, as ICP provides both in separate bullets and does not indicate whether they are necessary.

The AED 360,000 test belongs to Green Residence, not to every freelance permit. For permit types, free zones and licensing, see our UAE freelance visa guide.

Green Visa for investors and business partners

ICP’s overview asks for proof of investment or partnership in a UAE project and all licences and approvals from the relevant authorities. The service cards add detail:

• ICP: Whether contributing to an already-existing business or at the time of company formation, the investor’s contribution must be at least AED 1,000,000 in cash or its equivalent. The Ministry of Economy appreciates in-kind contributions. The requirements must be fulfilled in order to keep and renew residency, and the issuing authority must be informed if they cease to apply.
• GDRFA Dubai: The firm must be one of the legal forms specified on the service page, and the investor’s or partner’s share must be paid at least AED 1,000,000. According to GDRFA’s residence card, the permit is good for a maximum of five years.

Owning a business or making an investment does not automatically qualify you. Check your company’s legal form, your paid share and your approvals with ICP or, in Dubai, GDRFA. See Golden Visa eligibility for the Golden Visa investor routes.

UAE Green Visa required documents

For all categories: passport valid for at least six months, and a personal photo.

Category	Documents listed by the authorities
Skilled employee	MOHRE work permit. Employment contract if the employer is governmental, semi-governmental or in a free zone (GDRFA Dubai).
Freelancer	MOHRE freelance or self-employment permit (GDRFA Dubai). The Dubai card lists nothing else, so confirm on your service screen how to show your qualification and income or solvency.
Investor / partner	Trade licence. Partnership, memorandum of association or investment agreement (ICP and GDRFA Dubai).

Practical tip (not an official list): keep your degree certificate and salary or income evidence ready, because they prove the conditions even where a service card does not itemise them.

Often requested at the residence stage: medical fitness test, Emirates ID and health insurance. The Green service cards I checked do not itemise these, so confirm them on your service screen. See our guides to UAE visa photo size and medical test results.

How to apply for the UAE Green Visa

1. Confirm your category and conditions. Use the tables above.
2. Secure the prerequisite. Get your MOHRE work permit and contract (skilled employees), your MOHRE freelance or self-employment permit (freelancers), or your licences and agreements (investors).
3. Choose the authority. Dubai-issued residence goes through GDRFA Dubai. ICP runs the federal Green Residency service, and Abu Dhabi’s page points Green Visa applications to ICP.
4. Access the GDRFA Dubai services portal or the ICP Smart Services portal. Both accept UAE Pass.
5. If you are not in the UAE, apply for the entry permit. GDRFA Dubai’s entry-permit cards for investors and skilled workers describe a 60-day stay from entry to complete residence procedures. If you are inside the UAE, the in-country fee lines apply (see fees).
6. Complete the follow-up steps. This means the medical test, Emirates ID and any other formalities your service screen lists.
7. Pay the fees and submit. Next, monitor the request by checking the status of your application.

UAE Green Visa fees and processing time

There is no single official total. Fees are published as line items, and they differ between authorities.

Authority / stage	Published fee lines
GDRFA Dubai – entry permit	AED 200 plus 5% VAT. If the person is inside the UAE: AED 10 Knowledge Dirham, AED 10 Innovation Dirham and AED 500 in-country fee. GDRFA notes that the total may vary with the applicant’s circumstances.
GDRFA Dubai – residence permit	AED 200, plus AED 10 and AED 10, plus AED 500 inside the country, plus AED 20 delivery. According to GDRFA, the issuing fee rises by AED 100 every year if the residency lasts more than two years.
ICP – Green Residence	AED 100 application, AED 100 Green Residence issuance fee per year of validity (five-year permit), AED 100 smart service.

Medical tests, Emirates ID, health insurance and typing-centre or agent charges are separate, and I found no official total that includes them.

Processing time: GDRFA Dubai lists 48 hours for its entry-permit and residence-issuance services, and ICP lists 2 days for its residence-issuance service. These cover the service stage only. Medical testing, travel, biometrics and delivery add time, and no official end-to-end figure is published.

UAE Green Visa validity, renewal and grace period

• Validity: five years, renewable.
• Renewal: GDRFA describes renewal under the same terms as the original issue. For investors, ICP says you must keep meeting the conditions and notify the issuing authority if they stop applying.
• Grace period: GDRFA Dubai’s skilled-worker, self-employment and investor residence cards state 180 days after expiry or cancellation. ICP’s overview refers to “specified grace periods” without a number, so check your own deadline in ICP Smart Services. See also overstay fines and visa cancellation.

Can UAE Green Visa holders sponsor their families?

Yes. ICP lets holders sponsor a spouse, unmarried daughters, sons under 25 and children with special needs, and Green Residence holders may also sponsor first-degree relatives. The family’s residence cannot exceed the sponsor’s permit. For income tests, documents and fees, see our UAE family visa requirements guide.

UAE Green Visa vs Golden Visa vs employment residence visa

	Green Visa	Golden Visa	Standard employment visa
Validity	5 years, renewable	5 or 10 years depending on category, renewable	2 years, renewable
Sponsor	None	None	Employer applies
Eligibility basis	Skilled-employee, freelancer or investor criteria	Investment, specialised talent, entrepreneurs, students and other category criteria	A job and an employer
Best for	Skilled professionals, freelancers, mid-sized business partners	Investors, specialised talent	Standard employees

Frequently asked questions

What is the minimum salary for the Green Visa? 

AED 15,000 a month for skilled employees, or the equivalent in another currency. The pages don’t say whether that means basic salary or the total package.

Is AED 360,000 compulsory for freelancers? 

GDRFA Dubai and the Abu Dhabi page say income of AED 360,000 over the previous two years or proof of financial solvency.If you apply through ICP, make sure you have both ready because the language is less clear.

Can I apply without a job offer? 

A UAE employment contract is required for skilled workers. Freelancers need a MOHRE permit. Investors need their licences and agreements.

Do Pakistani or Indian citizens have different requirements? 

I found no Pakistan- or India-specific criteria on the ICP, u.ae, GDRFA or Abu Dhabi pages. For attestation or translation of your documents, confirm with the authority, because the Green service cards do not specify it.

Does the Green Visa guarantee a work permit? 

No. Residence and work authorisation are separate approvals.

Can I move between emirates? 

I did not find an official statement on this, so confirm with the issuing authority.

How long is the grace period? 

GDRFA Dubai states 180 days. Check yours in ICP Smart Services.

If I fit the requirements, is my clearance assured? 

No. The authority reviews each application.

NOTE: Requirements and fees can change. Before making a payment, verify your case with GDRFA Dubai or ICP.