UAE Green Visa
The UAE Green Visa gives skilled workers, freelancers, and investors 5-year self-sponsored residency. See which of the three routes fits you and what it costs.
What is the UAE Green Visa?
The UAE Green Visa is a 5-year residency you sponsor yourself. No employer holds your status, and no UAE national needs to stand behind you. You keep the visa even if you change jobs or leave one, which is the whole point of it.
It opens to three groups: freelancers, skilled employees, and investors. The visa is the same for all three. What differs is how you qualify, and what gets you rejected. A freelancer fails on income proof; a skilled worker fails on salary or job level.
It is built for mid-career talent, not just the wealthy. That is the line between it and the Golden Visa. Riz & Mona reads your income, role, or business and tells you which of the three routes you actually clear before you spend on documents.
Green Visa vs Golden Visa
| Factor | Green Visa | Golden Visa |
|---|---|---|
| Validity | 5 years | 10 years |
| Self-sponsored | Yes | Yes |
| Built for | Mid-career talent | Elite investors |
| Freelancer income | AED 360K/year | Much higher bar |
| Skilled salary | AED 15K/month | Not the main test |
| Family sponsorship | Yes | Yes |
Who qualifies for the Green Visa?
You qualify through one of three routes, and you only need one. Are you a freelancer with a permit, a skilled employee on a strong salary, or an investor in a licensed business? Your route decides your paperwork and your threshold.
Under whichever route you pick, the same base checks apply. Get these ready first. The route-specific proof is where applications actually pass or fail, but a missing base document stalls you before you even reach that stage.
- A passport valid for at least 6 more months.
- An attested bachelor's degree or specialised diploma.
- UAE health insurance that meets local standards.
- A medical fitness test taken inside the UAE.
- Proof for your route: income, salary, or investment.
Note: The Green Visa is self-sponsored, so losing or leaving a job does not cancel it. Your residency holds for the full 5 years while your basis stands. Riz & Mona coordinates the file with ICP or GDRFA, but the authority makes the final call and approval is never automatic.
The three Green Visa routes
Same visa, three ways in. Find the route that matches how you earn, then check the threshold and the thing that most often trips it up.
Freelancers and self-employed
Skilled employees
Investors and partners
Not sure which route you clear?
Send us your income, contract, or business licence. We tell you which of the three routes you qualify for now, and which one to aim for if you are close.
How much does the Green Visa cost?
The visa application itself sits in an indicative range. Freelancers should read one line carefully: the MoHRE permit is a separate cost that comes before the visa, not part of it.
Indicative visa fees
AED 2,500 – 4,500
Covers the entry permit, status change, medical, Emirates ID, and visa stamping for one applicant. The freelance permit, if you need one, is separate and comes first.
What each route asks of you
All figures are indicative and current at the time of writing, and they exclude the MoHRE freelance permit, which freelancers pay separately. Costs shift by route, free zone, and whether you apply from inside or outside the UAE. Riz & Mona sends you a personalised, itemised quote before any payment, matched to your route.
Route assessment
Most Green Visa problems start with the wrong route. We check your income, contract, or business against all three and tell you which one you clear, before you spend a dirham on documents.
Permit and attestation
Freelancers need a MoHRE permit before the visa. Every route needs an attested degree. We sequence the permit and handle attestation so your file is not sent back for a missing stamp.
Income proof done right
Freelance applications fail most on messy bank statements. We help you present 24 months of income so the deposits are clear and match your invoices, which is exactly what the reviewer checks.
Family and change of status
Already here on an employer visa? We switch you to the Green Visa without an exit. Once it is active, we sponsor your spouse and children on the same 5-year term.
Visa processing
Weeks
From a complete file. Freelancers add the permit step first. Skilled and investor routes move faster when the contract or licence is already in place.
Good to know: The Green Visa gives a 6-month grace period if it is cancelled, longer than most visas. Leaving the UAE for more than 6 continuous months can still void it, so keep your trips inside that window while your residency is active.
How fast does the Green Visa come through?
The visa itself usually takes 2 to 6 weeks once your documents are clean. Freelancers should add time for the MoHRE permit, which has to exist before the visa application starts.
- Confirm your route and gather its specific proof
- Freelancers: secure the MoHRE freelance permit first
- Attest your degree and prepare income or investment proof
- File through ICP or GDRFA, or change status if inside the UAE
- Complete the medical and Emirates ID biometrics
- Receive the 5-year visa and sponsor your family
You renew every 5 years by re-proving the exact basis you first qualified on. The route you took decides what you show. Start early and use the grace period as a buffer, not a plan.
We have placed UAE residents on self-sponsored visas since 2009, from Dubai. The Green Visa looks simple until you file. Then it turns on details: an unattested degree, a job graded at level 4, or bank statements that do not match the invoices behind them.
We are your coordinator, not your sponsor. This visa is self-sponsored by design, so it stays in your name. What we do is name the route you clear, prepare proof the reviewer will accept, and file it through ICP or GDRFA without a wasted attempt.
A Green Visa is rarely refused for who you are. It is refused for how the file was put together.
Right route named
Freelancer, skilled, or investor.
Attestation handled
Degrees stamped and accepted.
Clean income proof
Statements that match invoices.
Family and switches
Change of status and sponsorship.
Years in UAE residency and setup
Green Visa routes we cover
Self-sponsored, renewable
Grace period on cancellation
Every figure on this page is indicative and current at the time of writing.
Ready to go self-sponsored for 5 years?
Tell Riz & Mona your income, contract, or business licence. We name the route you qualify for, prepare proof the reviewer accepts, and file it clean the first time.