Independent index: figures taken from official tariffs, not from agents
themigrationroute.com/
Get offers
The dirham is pegged to the dollar — no currency risk

Golden Visa
for UAE entrepreneurs

An innovative project from AED 500,000 endorsed by an accredited incubator, or an active business with revenue from AED 1M/year — no incubator endorsement needed. A 5-year Golden Visa.

Get a quote →
Project from
≈$136,000
Revenue alternative from
≈$272,000/yr
Stay requirement
5 years
Currency risk
none (fixed peg)

Two independent routes — with or without an incubator

The programme accepts either an endorsed innovative project or proven revenue from an active business — two different logics for proving eligibility.

ROUTE
THRESHOLD
WHAT TO KNOW
Innovative project + incubator
THRESHOLDfrom AED 500,000
The project must be technological or innovative, endorsed by an accredited UAE incubator (Hub71, in5, Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center, etc.).
Active business by revenue
THRESHOLDfrom AED 1M/year
Applies when there is no incubator endorsement — proven by the UAE company’s annual revenue.

What the process consists of

Beyond the project cost or revenue proof, there are separate administrative fees for the visa itself.

COST ITEM
RATE
APPLIES TO
Golden Visa fee
RATE~AED 2,500–4,000 (≈$680–1,090)
per applicant
Emirates ID
RATE~AED 370–1,070
per applicant
Medical exam (mandatory)
RATE~AED 700–1,000
per applicant

How the process runs

01
Choosing a route
An innovative project endorsed by an incubator, or proven revenue from an active business at AED 1M/year+.
02
Obtaining incubator endorsement (for the project route)
An accredited UAE incubator confirms the project is innovative/technological in nature.
03
Preparing financial documents
For the revenue route — proof of the UAE company’s annual turnover.
04
Filing through u.ae
The official UAE portal for Golden Visa.
05
Receiving the 5-year visa
With renewal available while the criteria continue to be met.

A good fit if

You have an innovative or technological project worth AED 500,000+, ready to secure endorsement from an accredited incubator.
You have an active UAE business with annual revenue of AED 1M+ — then incubator endorsement is not required.
Currency certainty matters — the dirham is pegged to the US dollar, so exchange-rate risk is minimal.
The 5-year visa term with renewal while business metrics are maintained works for you.

A poor fit if

Your project is worth less than AED 500,000 and you have no alternative revenue of AED 1M/year+ — neither route formally applies.
Your project is not innovative or technological in nature — accredited incubators will not endorse such projects.
Your UAE business has not yet launched and has no revenue history — the revenue route requires an already-active company, not a startup idea.
You need certainty on a path to permanent residence or citizenship — the Golden Visa grants long-term residence, but not a direct path to UAE citizenship.

Who runs this programme

Your request goes to two or three firms from this list. You see exactly which ones before it is sent, and you can exclude any of them.

No matching firms in the directory for this category yet — the list is curated by hand and grows over time.

This is an independent list of firms in the market, not our partners — we do not forward requests to them or receive payment for referrals. Contact them directly via the link.

Frequent questions

Why isn’t currency risk flagged like on other country pages?

Because the UAE dirham (AED) is officially pegged to the US dollar at 3.6725, unchanged for decades — a UAE Central Bank policy, not a floating market rate. The dollar equivalent here barely goes stale.

Is incubator endorsement always required?

No — it is required only for the innovative-project route. Owners of an active business with revenue from AED 1M/year can file without incubator endorsement.

Which incubators are accredited?

Among those mentioned are Hub71, in5, the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center, and other state-recognised innovation-support bodies.

Does the Golden Visa lead to UAE citizenship?

No — it is long-term residence (5 years, renewable), not a path to naturalisation. Citizenship by investment formally does not exist in the UAE.

How does this differ from the UAE investor Golden Visa?

The investor Golden Visa (the "ae" programme in this index) is built on real estate or direct investment from AED 2M; the Entrepreneur version is built on an innovative project or proven business, with a lower entry threshold.

Can family be sponsored on this visa?

The Golden Visa is broadly known for allowing family sponsorship — specific conditions for Entrepreneur-route holders are not covered separately on this page.

Sources

U.ae — official UAE government portal, Golden Visa page↗

Figures are for reference only. Verified against official sources on 26 August 2026. A precise quote is issued by the appointed firm after document review. This material is not legal advice, a public offer or investment advice.