Residency · Golden Visa
Golden Visa counsel in the UAE
Ten years of residence, no sponsor, no minimum stay, the whole family included. The Golden Visa is the easy part — the value is in choosing the right route, structuring the qualifying investment so it doesn't fight your succession plan, and deciding deliberately whether you want the tax residency that can come with it. Neo Legal runs all three together.
Every route
Investor · entrepreneur · talent · athlete · creator
Whole family
Spouse, children, parents, staff
Visa + tax
Residency and tax planned as one
中文 · EN
Mandarin service via the China Desk
The routes — and who they fit
- Real-estate investor — property of AED 2 million or more; the most used route. Watch how the title is held if a foundation or holdco is part of your plan.
- Public investment — AED 2 million in qualifying investments; see the HNWI pathways guide.
- Entrepreneur — approved projects and founders; see the entrepreneur route.
- Exceptional talent — executives, doctors, scientists, creatives and creators, and athletes — expanded in 2026 to AI specialists, e-sports professionals, digital creators (via Creators HQ), teachers and nurses. See what changed in 2026.
- Specific communities — dedicated guidance for Chinese nationals (served in Mandarin) and Australians exiting ATO residency.
What we do for you
- Route selection — many clients qualify under several routes; they differ in cost, evidence and speed.
- Application & endorsements — preparation, authority endorsements for talent routes, and filing through to issuance.
- Family & staff sponsorship — spouse, children, parents and domestic staff on the same footing.
- Structure design — qualifying investments that also serve succession and asset-protection goals, not fight them.
- Tax-residency planning — the visa's day-count flexibility is not tax residency; we plan the TRC and the home-country exit alongside the visa.
Why Neo Legal for the Golden Visa
Plenty of agencies can file a visa form. What we bring is the layer around it: the tax planning, the wealth structuring and the cross-border coordination that decide whether the move actually achieves what you want. Partner-led, bilingual in English and Mandarin, and the UAE practice of Cornwalls (established 1891).
Golden Visa — frequently asked questions
What are the routes to a UAE Golden Visa?
The main routes are real-estate investment of AED 2 million or more, public investment of AED 2 million, entrepreneurship with an approved project, and exceptional talent — doctors, scientists, executives, athletes and creatives endorsed by the relevant authority. Students, humanitarian pioneers and frontline specialists have dedicated categories. The 2026 expansion added AI specialists, e-sports professionals, digital creators, teachers and nurses — and removed the 50% property-payment requirement for the investor route. Many clients qualify under more than one route; they differ in cost, evidence and speed. See the pathways comparison.
Can my whole family be included on a Golden Visa?
Yes. A Golden Visa holder can sponsor their spouse and children for the same 10-year duration regardless of the children's age in most categories, can include parents under prevailing rules, and can sponsor domestic staff. If the principal dies, family members can remain until their permits expire. One well-planned application typically secures the whole household.
Do I have to live in the UAE to keep a Golden Visa?
No minimum stay applies. Unlike ordinary UAE residence visas, which lapse after six months outside the country, the Golden Visa remains valid however long you spend abroad. That flexibility is one of its main attractions — but it also means holding the visa does not by itself make you a UAE tax resident, which requires actual presence. See the day-count rules.
Does a Golden Visa make me a UAE tax resident?
No — the visa and tax residency are separate. UAE tax residency requires 183 days of presence in a 12-month period, or 90 days plus a permanent home, employment or business here, evidenced by a Tax Residency Certificate. Equally, your home country's tax net does not switch off automatically when the visa is issued. We plan both together.
How long does a Golden Visa application take?
A straightforward property-route application can complete within two to four weeks once the qualifying investment is documented. Talent and entrepreneur routes take longer because they require endorsements or approvals from the relevant authority before the visa stage. Complex cases benefit from having the structure reviewed before filing.
Can property held through a company qualify for the Golden Visa?
It depends on how the ownership is structured — personally held title is the clean case, and certain structures can complicate or defeat eligibility. Investors who want both the Golden Visa and succession-friendly holding (a foundation or holdco) should sequence the two deliberately rather than discovering the conflict after transfer.
Ready for ten years of residence?
Tell us your situation — investment, business or talent. We will pick the route, prepare the application and plan the tax position around it.
Schedule a Consultation →