UAE Green Visa
United Arab Emirates
Residency
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See if you're a match →The UAE Green Visa is a self-sponsored residence route for skilled employees, freelancers, self-employed professionals, investors, and business partners. It generally requires fitting one of those official tracks, proving the work or investment basis, and meeting normal residence checks.
- Type
- Work residence
- Job fit
- People with a qualifying job or employer in the United Arab Emirates
- Core requirements
- Job offer, employer documents, and work authorization rules
- Renewal / path
- Renewal depends on continued employment and may count toward long-term residence.
Summary
The UAE Green Visa is a 5-year self-sponsored residence route. It is designed for people who can qualify on their own through work, freelancing, or business activity rather than depending on a traditional employer-sponsored visa.
There are three main tracks in the current official rules: skilled employee, freelancer or self-employed professional, and investor or business partner. Each track has its own document list, so the details matter.
Two UAE agencies appear often in this route: MOHRE is the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, which handles mainland employment and work-permit classifications; ICP is the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, which handles many federal residence services. Dubai filings may instead run through GDRFA, Dubai's General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs.
Eligibility
You may qualify if you fit at least one of these tracks:
Skilled employee
- You have a valid UAE employment contract.
- Your role falls in MOHRE skill levels 1, 2, or 3.
- You have a bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification.
- Your monthly salary is at least AED 15,000.
Freelancer or self-employed professional
- You have a MOHRE freelance permit.
- You have a bachelor's degree or specialised diploma.
- You can show at least AED 360,000 of freelance or self-employed income over the last 2 years, or proof of financial solvency.
Investor or business partner
- You already have the UAE business or investment.
- You have the approvals, licence, and partnership or ownership documents the relevant authority asks for.
Benefits worth knowing
- The visa is issued for 5 years and can be renewed.
- Green Visa holders can sponsor family members.
- Current UAE guidance also says Green Visa holders do not lose their residence just because they stay outside the UAE for more than 6 months while the visa is still valid.
Common mistakes
- A good salary by itself is not enough for the skilled-employee track if the contract, skill level, or degree piece is missing.
- Calling yourself a freelancer is not enough for the self-employed track if you do not hold the required permit.
What This Route Allows
If approved, this route gives you work residence in the United Arab Emirates. Renewal or longer-term path: Requires continued qualifying employment; any later long-term residence filing is separate and should be supported with continuous lawful stay, payroll, tax, address, and permit-history records.
What This Route Is Not
This is not a guarantee of approval. Immigration authorities can still review documents, admissibility, background, funds, and whether the facts match the pathway rules.
Next Steps
- Decide which of the three tracks is your real fit.
- Gather the exact proof for that track before filing.
- Attest your degree if the route relies on it.
- Apply through ICP or GDRFA once the core documents are ready.
- If you want a longer or more prestigious route later, compare this with the Golden Visa after you have Green Visa status in place.