
Visa for Dubai
Do you want to live out your dream of emigrating to Dubai? For a long-term stay in the United Arab Emirates, a visa is essential. We explain what visa types are available for the United Arab Emirates and what the requirements are. Find out now which visa for Dubai is right for you so that you can get one step closer to your dream of living in Dubai.
Visitor Visa
First of all, there is the Visitor Visa, which German nationals need to visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE). However, you do not have to apply for this in advance, since it can be issued on arrival. This visa allows you to stay in the UAE for 90 days for tourism purposes. You are not allowed to work or study with this visa. For the Visitor Visa, you need a passport that is valid for at least another six months.
Green Visa
If you want to live in Dubai for a longer period of time and, above all, work there, you will need a permanent visa. The “Green Visa”, for example, falls into this category. This visa allows you to live and work in Dubai for up to five years. You do not need a sponsor for the “Green Visa”. This means that, although you do need an employment contract, but your employer does not have to sponsor you and is therefore not a direct part of the visa process. If you want to immigrate to Dubai as a freelancer, you can completely self-sponsor with this visa. After it expires, you can have the visa extended for another five years.
Requirements for the “Green Visa”
For this visa, you must be either a freelancer, self-employed or a skilled worker. The following requirements apply in each case.
Requirements for freelancers and the self-employed:
- Approval for freelancers/self-employed persons from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation
- Bachelor’s degree or specialist diploma
- Proof of annual income of at least 360,000 dirhams (approx. 93,000 euros) from self-employment in the last two years or proof of solvency throughout your entire stay in the UAE
Requirements for skilled workers:
- You must be considered a skilled worker and your profession must be classified as at least the first, second or third professional level as defined by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation
- Valid employment contract
- A bachelor’s degree or a comparable degree at a minimum
- Salary of at least 15,000 dirhams (approx. 3,900 euros) per month
Documents for the “Green Visa”
Do you meet the requirements for this visa? Then you will need the following documents for your application:
- Passport (valid for at least another 6 months)
- Copy of the passport
- Passport photo with a white background
- Proof of financial security
- Proof of health insurance for Dubai
Investors and partners in companies:
- Certificate from the UAE Ministry of Economy on the percentage of the participation
- Employment contract
Skilled workers and self-employed:
- Certificate from the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation
- Proof of education (only for skilled workers)
Process
So, you have all your documents together? Then create an account at ICP and follow these steps:
- Log in
- Select the appropriate service and your visa
- Fill out the application and upload all documents
- Pay the applicable fees
You will then receive a message confirming receipt of your application. If documents need to be submitted later, you will also receive a notification and then have 30 days to submit the relevant documents.
1,200-1,350 dirhams (approx. 310-350 euros)
A few days
Standard Work Visa
Another option for a longer stay in Dubai is the “Standard Work Visa”. However, with this visa, you are only allowed to live and work in Dubai for two to three years – depending on your field of work. For this visa, you need a sponsor and thus also a permanent job, since the employer usually acts as a sponsor. This visa allows you to work for both private companies and the public sector, i.e. a state-run body. You can also work for companies in the so-called “free zone”. These are spatially separate zones in which legal and administrative relief for companies applies, especially in the area of taxes and customs. Dubai has the most “free zones”.
Documents for the “Standard Work Visa”:
State-run body
- Passport (valid for at least another 6 months)
- Copy of the passport
- Passport photo with a white background
- Medical certificate approved by the competent authorities
- Emirates ID application
- Health insurance in Dubai
- Entry permit
Documents for the “Standard Work Visa”:
Private company and free zone
- Passport (valid for at least another 6 months)
- Copy of the passport
- Passport photo with a white background
- Employment card for the private sector category
- Medical certificate approved by the competent authorities
- Emirates ID application
- Health insurance in Dubai
- Entry permit
Process
The application process is the same as for the “Green Visa”. Make sure you have all the documents together. Then create an account at ICP, log in, select the appropriate service and your visa, fill out the application, upload all your documents and pay all of the applicable fees.
You will then receive a message confirming receipt of your application. If documents need to be submitted later, you will also receive a notification and then have 30 days to submit the relevant documents.
Application fee 100 dirhams (approx. 26 euros), issuance fee 100 dirhams (approx. 26 euros) per year of stay, 150 dirhams (approx. 39 euros) for online service
A few days
Golden Visa
The “Golden Visa” allows you to live and work in the United Arab Emirates for by far the longest time, as it entitles you to stay for five to ten years.
However, special requirements also apply. The “Golden Visa” is granted to the following persons:
- investors
- entrepreneurs
- top students, graduates
- certain occupational groups
- persons undertaking special humanitarian work
- “first line of defence” workers, such as nurses, lab technicians and other professional groups who are considered frontline heroes in the UAE
Requirements for investors
You can either invest in real estate or a mutual fund in the UAE.
As a real estate investor, you must own a property worth at least 2 million dirhams (approx. 520,000 euros) in the UAE and keep it for at least three years. Moreover, this property must not be financed with a loan. This makes you eligible for a “Golden Visa” for five years.
However, you can also invest at least 2 million dirhams (approx. 520,000 euros) in an investment fund in the UAE. This investment also may not be financed by means of a loan. In addition, you must pay at least 250,000 annually to the Federal Tax Authority in the UAE. This investment entitles you to a stay of ten years.
Requirements for entrepreneurs
As an entrepreneur, you can obtain a five-year “Golden Visa” if you have “an economic project of a technical or inventive nature that is based on risk and innovation”.
Certain occupational groups
If you work in one of the following professions, you are in luck and can also apply for the “Golden Visa”:
- Doctors
- Scientists
- Creatives from culture and art
- Inventors
- Managerial staff
- Specialists in scientific fields
- Athletes
- Persons with a doctorate
- Technical and scientific professionals
Note: The field of technology and science includes the areas of epidemiology and viruses, artificial intelligence, big data, computer technology, electronic technology, software engineering, electrical engineering, genetics and biotechnology.
For more information on the “Golden Visa”, please visit the UAE government website.
Blue Visa
Another visa was added in 2024 to the other types mentioned above: the “Blue Visa”. This visa allows those who have made an important contribution to environmental protection and sustainability, both locally and internationally, to live and work in Dubai for up to ten years.
For this visa, you have to apply to the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security or be nominated by the UAE authorities. More information can be found on the UAE government website.
Emirates ID
If you have obtained a visa for a longer stay in Dubai, you will need to apply for an Emirates ID. This is basically your new identity card. The Emirates ID confirms the identity of UAE citizens and you must carry and be able to show it at all times. Unlike a German ID card or passport, you must also provide your fingerprints in addition to the signature and passport photo.
Translations for your Dubai visa
If you need to submit documents for your visa that are not in English or Arabic, you will need to have them translated and certified.
More information about Dubai
Want to learn more about Dubai? Then continue browsing through our guide to living and working in Dubai.
You do not need to apply for a visa in advance to stay in Dubai as a tourist. German citizens receive a visa when entering the United Arab Emirates. If you want to stay in Dubai for more than 90 days, you will need to apply for a visa that entitles you to a longer stay.
Yes, but as a German citizen you will receive a visa when entering Dubai. All you need is your passport, which must be valid for at least another six months.
You can apply for a visa for permanent residence in Dubai online at ICP.