Investor Visa in Abu Dhabi: The Golden Visa Program for Investors

Foreign nationals currently residing in Abu Dhabi or living outside the United Arab Emirates can make a minimum of AED 2,000,000 investment in Abu Dhabi and use that to obtain an investor visa. This visa is known as the investor visa in Abu Dhabi. It is part of the UAE’s Golden visa program, which provides not only long-term residence benefits but also other privileges, such as the right to stay overseas (i.e., outside the UAE) for longer than six continuous months without invalidating their residence visa.

In Abu Dhabi, there are two types of investor visas: the non-real estate investor visa and the real estate investor visa.

Non-Real Estate Investor Visa

Apply for the Abu Dhabi Golden visa for non-real estate investors if you have AED 2,000,000 deposited in Abu Dhabi or invested in a company, establishment, venture, or some other entity in Abu Dhabi.

Benefits 

It has the following specific benefits aside from the general benefits of a Golden visa:

• You get a 10-year, renewable visa.

• You can sponsor your spouse(s) and children.

• You can sponsor one advisor and one executive director.

Eligibility

To be eligible, you must invest (or must have invested) at least AED 2,000,000 in any of the following ways:

• A deposit in a national bank or investment fund operating in the UAE

• A company, i.e., ownership of a company valued at no less than AED 2,000,000 or company ownership stake or share worth at least AED 2,000,0000

• Proof of tax payment, i.e., proof that the company you own paid at least AED 250,000 in annual taxes in the last two years before your visa application, or proof that your share of the taxes paid by the company in the last two years is equivalent to at least AED 250,000 per year 

Application Requirements 

You must prepare these documents before applying for the investor visa.

• The company’s trade license, which proves the company’s incorporation, or your share ownership

• An up-to-date commercial registration certificate (CRC) that indicates the company’s paid-up capital and every investor’s share ownership percentage

If you’re an investor through the company ownership (or share) route, provide:

• A letter from a bank or an investment fund on deposited capital or your share’s value that indicates a deposited capital of no less than AED 2,000,000 if you own the company or shows your share value is no less than AED 2,000,000 if you’re a shareholder of the company

• A copy of the company’s commercial register; which proves that the company (or your share of it) has no attachments

If you’re an investor applying through the minimum tax settlement route, prepare:

• Tax returns for the immediate past two years; proof that your company’s tax dues (or your share of them) were at least AED 250,000 every year

• Tax receipts, which are proof that the taxes shown on the returns have been settled or paid for

Real Estate Investor Visa 

A better option for getting an investor visa is to find a villa or apartment for sale in Abu Dhabi, buy it, and use that purchase to apply for an investor visa in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi now allows foreign nationals to have 100% non-expiring ownership of real estate properties in designated freehold areas.

This pathway not only paves the way for a long-term Abu Dhabi residence. It also ensures you won’t have to rent a house in Abu Dhabi. You can live in a house you own instead.

Benefits 

The real estate investor visa has the following specific benefits:

• You get a 10-year, renewable visa.

• You can sponsor your spouse(s) and children.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Golden visa for real estate investors, you must own real estate valued at AED 2,000,000 outright. If you purchased the real estate through a mortgage, your real estate equity (the portion of the real estate value you own) must be at least AED 2,000,000.

For example, if an apartment is valued at AED 4,000,000, you must pay at least AED 2,000,000 out-of-pocket on that purchase. You can borrow from a bank, but the mortgage principal cannot be more than AED 2,000,000.

 Application Requirements 

If you fully own a property, present one of the following:

• Registered purchase agreement: The purchase agreement must be duly registered with the Department of Municipalities Transport (DMT) or an equivalent government body authorized to oversee real estate registration in the UAE. The registration document must indicate the property particulars, the parties to the sale, and the value at which the real estate was purchased at that time. This purchase price cannot be less than AED 2,000,000.

• Real estate unit value certificate: This is issued by the Department of Municipalities Transport (DMT) or the government agency where the purchase was registered.

If you bought a ready property through a mortgage, prepare these documents:

• Real estate unit value certificate: This is issued by the Department of Municipalities Transport (DMT) or the UAE government agency where the purchase was registered.

• Search certificate: It indicates that the property does not have a seizure court order attached and has a value of at least AED 2,000,000. This is also issued by the Department of Municipalities Transport (DMT) or the UAE government agency where the purchase was registered.

• Tax return forms: They should be for the last two years and show tax settlement of at least AED 250,000 per year. 

You can also buy off-plan property in Abu Dhabi. If you bought off-plan, provide the following:

• Purchase agreement: Issued by the real estate developer, it should contain the real estate particulars, the parties in the agreement, the date the property was purchased, and the value at the time of the purchase.

• Proof of payments: These should show you have paid the developer a cumulative amount of no less than AED 2,000,000.

How to Apply for an Investor Visa in Abu Dhabi

The process is simple.

• If you’re already a UAE resident, fill out the request for a Golden visa nomination through the Abu Dhabi Residents Office on the Abu Dhabi government services portal, TAMM.

• If you’re not currently a UAE resident, you can email  e.management@adio.gov.ae to request a Golden visa nomination.

Invest in Abu Dhabi for a Golden Visa

If you envision yourself staying in Abu Dhabi in the foreseeable future, and you have at least AED 2,000,000 to invest, apply for an investor visa in Abu Dhabi. This way, you can enjoy special privileges, including not having to apply for visa renewal for at least 10 years and the ability to sponsor your family, including children (whatever their age).  

Investing in real estate is an easier way to obtain an investor visa. It’s also practical because you can use your property purchase as a means to obtain a Golden visa for investors. You also get a house to live in.

Bloom Holding, a foremost UAE real estate developer, can help you find your investment property. We have apartments, townhouses, and villas for sale in Abu Dhabi. Check out our list of Bloom properties and find your forever home in Abu Dhabi.