A Detailed Guide on How to Apply for a UAE Green Visa in 2024

The UAE cabinet introduced the Green Visa in 2022 to offer more choices for long-term residency in the UAE alongside the existing Golden Visa. It aims to attract business talent to pursue long-term ventures in the UAE. This article focuses on understanding the benefits offered by the UAE Green Visa, along with a step-by-step guide on how to apply for the UAE Green Visa.

Understanding the UAE Green Visa

The UAE Green Visa is a type of residence visa that allows the holder to sponsor themselves for a period of 5 years, rather than relying on a UAE national or employer to sponsor them. Besides self-sponsorship and long-term residency, the UAE Green Visa offers many other benefits, which include:

• Allowing visa holders to issue residence permits for family members, including spouses and children.
• Increasing the age limit for children sponsored by parents to 25 years, from the earlier cap of 18 years, with no age limit for unmarried daughters. Differently-abled children (children of determination) are issued residency permits regardless of their age.
• Enabling Green Visa holders to issue residency permits to their first-degree relatives, with the same validity as the issuing Green Visa holder.
• Granting eligibility for a grace period of 6 months post the expiry or cancellation of the visa.

Freelancers, self-employed individuals, skilled employees, and investors/partners can apply for the UAE Green Visa to enjoy these benefits.

Eligibility Criteria for UAE Green visa

The first step toward applying for the UAE Green Visa is checking the eligibility criteria. The eligibility criteria for the three applicant categories are listed below.

Freelancers and Self-Employed

The eligibility criteria and documents required are similar for freelancers and the self-employed. Applicants must have:

• A freelancer/self-employment permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.
• An undergraduate degree or diploma.
• Proof of financial solvency for their stay in the UAE, demonstrated by evidence of annual income of not less than AED 360,000 for the last two years from self-employment pursuits.

Skilled Employees

The eligibility criteria for skilled employees are as follows:

• A valid employment contract.
• A salary of not less than AED 15,000 per month and an undergraduate degree or equivalent.
• Categorization under occupational level 1, 2, or 3 by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. The Ministry classifies employment into 9 occupational levels, with levels 1-5 representing the skilled worker category. For the purpose of the Green Visa, the employee must belong to Level 1, 2, or 3:
  • Level 1: Legislators, managers, and business executives.
  • Level 2: Professionals in scientific, technical, and human fields.
  • Level 3: Technicians in scientific, technical, and humanitarian fields.

Investors or Partners

The Green Visa is given under the Investor or Partner category if the applicants participate in or establish commercial activities in the UAE. The eligibility criteria include:

• Approval of the ICP on the investment as per the investors' rating system adopted.
• Proof of investment (if the applicant has more than one business license, the total invested capital will be calculated).
• Approval from the concerned local authorities.

Required Documents

Once the eligibility criteria are met, you must prepare the documents required by the authorities to proceed with the Green Visa application. The common documents required across all categories of applicants are a personal photo and a copy of the passport, with a minimum validity of 6 months. Other documents are specific to the category of visa applicants:

• Freelancers and Self-Employed: A self-employed permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation.
• Skilled Workers: A permit from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and an employment contract if the company is governmental, semi-governmental, or from free zones.
• Investors or Partners: The partnership or investment contract and a trade license.

Application Process

Once the documents are ready, you can apply for the UAE Green Visa through online and offline channels. The online channel is available 24/7, whereas the offline centers are open only during official working hours.

• Online: Log in to the smart services system using UAE Pass or username. Then, search for a visa application of the appropriate category, fill in the application details, and pay the service fee.
• Offline: There are two offline channels to file the application—either at a Customer Happiness Center or an Amer Service Center. Upon visiting the center, a turn ticket is issued, and you must wait for your turn. Then, submit the filled application form and relevant documents to the customer service employee and pay the service fee.

Fees

The service fee for the visa is AED 200 with a 5% value-added tax. Additional fees are levied if the sponsored person is inside the country. However, the total amount for visa application and processing can vary depending on the circumstances of the sponsored person.

Processing Time and Renewal

The expected time for completion of visa processing is 48 hours. The Green Visa is valid for a 5-year term. When it nears expiry, it can be renewed by paying a fee for the same 5-year duration.

‍