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Dubai Transition Consultants

Which UAE visa route fits you?

Answer seven short questions. You get the residence routes that fit, what each one needs, and the official source for every figure, as at October 2026.

1 What will you do in the UAE?
2 Your salary or income a month, before tax

In UAE dirhams. If you are paid in pounds, convert at today's rate. For a job you have not started, use the offer.

3 UAE property you own or plan to buy
4 Savings or capital you could put into the UAE

Money of your own, not borrowed: a deposit, an investment or a share in a company.

5 Do you have a bachelor's degree or a specialised diploma?

The Green visa and the skilled-professional Golden visa ask for one.

6 Family you want to sponsor
7 Your age

This checker applies the published conditions for each route to your answers. It is a guide, not a decision: the authorities decide every application, and they change the rules from time to time. Figures as at October 2026, from the official pages listed below.

How the checker works

Each answer opens or closes routes. Your plans in the UAE set the main route: a job, your own company, freelancing, remote work for an employer abroad, retiring or property. Your income, capital, degree and age then show whether a Golden, Green or retirement visa also fits. A route marked "worth checking" meets the figures but has a condition the questions cannot see, such as your job's skill level.

Not sure which way to go? Read how to move to Dubai without a job, self-sponsorship, the Green visa, qualifying for the Golden visa and sponsoring your family.

Sources, as at October 2026

The remote work threshold is USD 3,500 a month; at the dirham's fixed rate of 3.6725 to the US dollar that is about AED 12,854.

Common questions

Can I move to Dubai without a job?

Yes. Your own free zone company can sponsor your residence visa. A remote job with an employer outside the UAE paying at least USD 3,500 a month qualifies for the virtual work visa. UAE property worth AED 2,000,000 or more opens the Golden visa, and at 55 or over the retirement visa opens on income or assets. Figures as at October 2026, from u.ae, ICP and GDRFA Dubai.

Can I sponsor my family?

On most routes, yes. An employee needs a salary of at least AED 4,000 a month, or AED 3,000 plus accommodation, to sponsor a spouse and children (u.ae). Golden and Green visa holders can sponsor a spouse and children, and ICP says Golden visa holders can sponsor parents too. The official retirement visa page does not say, so we confirm it for your emirate.

Is this checker official?

No. It applies the conditions published by u.ae, ICP and GDRFA Dubai as at October 2026 to your answers and links every source. The authorities decide each application, and conditions change, so check the source page or ask us before you apply.