How to obtain UAE citizenship: 4 ways for investors and not only

It’s important to understand the nuances of Emirati nationality law first. According to this law, there are four ways to obtain citizenship.

By descent. Being born on UAE soil does not grant citizenship by itself. A citizen-to-be must descend from at least one of these groups:

• from a family of long-term Arab settlers in the UAE. This means a family of ethnic Arabs that settled there before 1925 and stayed until 1972;

• from an Emirati father in the country or abroad;

• from an Emirati mother in the country or abroad, without a legally established fatherhood — or with a stateless father;

• from unknown parents in the country, meaning the citizenship seeker is a foundling born in the UAE.

By marriage. First, a UAE national of any gender must get the court’s permission to marry a foreigner. The said foreigner must already have a UAE residence visa, along with a clean medical and criminal record.

One marrying party shouldn’t be twice as old as the other one. Religious practices aren’t an issue: non-Muslims can marry in the UAE as long as both parties consent.

A foreign man marrying an Emirati woman will not be granted citizenship on this ground. A foreign woman marrying an Emirati man may receive citizenship:

• in 7 years if they have a child together;

• in 10 years if they don’t.

By naturalisation. Previously it could be granted only to ethnic Arab settlers of good character and no criminal record, fluent in the Arabic language, with an academic qualification and a legal source of income.

After the changes to the naturalisation law, residency visa holders can also get citizenship in the UAE regardless of ethnicity.

By exceptional merit. This is the newest addition to the Executive Regulation of the Federal Law concerning Nationality and Passports. Before the government put it in place back in 2021, UAE citizenship was primarily granted by the right of blood.

The exceptional merit applicants can be:

• doctors with at least ten years of experience, who hold a membership of a reputable organisation in their field, and a recognised scientific contribution to research in their field;

• inventors who have at least one patent approved by the UAE Ministry of Economy or another reputable international organisation;

• scientists with at least ten years of experience and at least one prestigious international award or a research grant in their field;

• creative talents who are deemed innovators in their field have at least one patented invention, at least one international award, and a recommendation from a government agency in their field;

• investors — for instance, those who bought real estate in the UAE.

Applicants who fall under those criteria may be nominated for citizenship by UAE royals or officials to receive citizenship. Then, their candidacy must be approved by the Cabinet.

High-net-worth individuals can invest in property in the UAE and get nominated for citizenship. First, investors acquire a residence visa by investing in UAE property.

There are two residency options for property buyers:

• a 2-year visa requires investments of at least AED 750,000, or about $204,000;

• a 10-year visa requires at least AED 2,000,000, or about. $545,000.

In both cases, investors can purchase residential or serviced apartments, hotel rooms, villas, townhouses, offices, or warehouses. Disputed real estate and separate plots of land are not allowed.

Mortgage property investment is allowed under the permanent UAE residency conditions. The investor pays at least 20% upfront in that case.

Only freehold-zone property can be invested in for a residency permit. Freehold status gives full rights to owners. Such property and the land it’s on can be sold for the return of investment, rented out, or occupied by the investor or their family.

Leasehold-zone property is not applicable for the Property Investor Residence Visas in the UAE. Property with this status limits ownership rights — 99 years is the allowed maximum. The owner also won’t have rights to the land.

Requirements for applicants. Investors may apply for a UAE residence visa if they’re over 18 years old and have no criminal record or dangerous diseases such as HIV, hepatitis, or tuberculosis. An investor’s spouse may also get a residence visa if they meet the same requirements.

A 2-year residence visa may be granted to the couple’s children under 18. A 10-year residence visa allows investors to include unmarried sons under 25 and daughters of any age in the application.

Family members will receive the same rights as the investor. They can also be naturalised under one of the UAE naturalisation law options.

The Golden Visa in the UAE allows investors to reside and run businesses in the country, yet the acquisition process is different. For now, it requires an investment of at least AED 2 million.

The UAE government updated the Golden Visa rules in April 2022. The new rules provide a lower investment amount, a wider choice of options, and no restrictions on living abroad. However, those new rules still aren’t in force, and there’s no exact start date either.

Below are the applicants who can seek out the UAE Golden Visa under the new rules.

Investors can get a UAE Golden Visa by investment in real estate or business:

1. Real estate. Applicants for a 10-year Golden Visa invest at least AED 2 million, or approximately $544,500, in real estate. The property may be off-plan or fully constructed, and getting a loan from an accredited bank in the UAE is allowed.

2. Business. Applicants for a 10-year Golden Visa invest at least AED 2 million, or approximately $544,500, in a business. This can either be an existing company in the UAE or a new company the investor establishes.

Entrepreneurs must register a startup in the UAE as a small and medium enterprise. The startup should have at least AED 1 million, or approximately $272,000 in annual revenues. They can also generate a startup idea and get it approved by an official business incubator in the UAE or local authorities such as the Ministry of Economy.

Another option is to be a founder of a project sold for at least AED 7 million, or approximately $1.9 million.

Exceptional talents in sports, digital tech, art, or culture fields. Their income or employment statuses don’t matter. To be eligible for a UAE Golden Visa, they should present a recommendation from a local or federal government entity.

Scientists and researchers should be in the fields of life or natural sciences, engineering, or technology. They also should have a PhD or a Master’s degree in their field from the world’s leading universities and present research achievements that impacted their field. The Emirates Scientists Council recommendation provides their Golden Visa candidacy.

Highly-skilled workers from all disciplines can apply for a Golden Visa. However, fields like law, culture, medicine, IT, engineering, or business and administration are singled out.

The candidates from those fields should have high educational qualifications and solid experience. They must have a valid employment contract in the Emirates and be classified in the first or second occupational level according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. Their monthly salary should be at least AED 30,000.

Outstanding students and graduates. This category includes students in secondary schools in the Emirates and graduates from Emirati universities or the world’s top 100 higher educational institutions. The candidates should have high academic achievements.

Humanitarian pioneers. Candidates from this category should possess recognition awards in humanitarian fields. They can also be prominent volunteers and sponsors of humanitarian efforts or hold outstanding membership in public benefits associations and regional or global organisations.

Frontline heroes. This category refers to workers with outstanding achievements in crisis situations, such as the COVID‑19 pandemic relief.

The primary applicant for the UAE Golden Visa program can also add their spouse, sons, and daughters to the applications. They can also add non-family members, such as colleagues or house workers.

Discover the perks, conditions, and features of the Emirati investment program

Investors who receive a residency visa or a passport in the UAE also get multiple advantages for themselves and their families.

1. No obligatory residency in the Emirates. Residency visa holders only have to visit the country 1—2 times a year to maintain their residency permit.

2. Tax optimisation. The Emirates don’t levy taxes on income, property, capital gains, gifts, or inheritance.

The corporate profit tax in the UAE is lower than in many developed countries: 9% if a company generates more than AED 375,000 in profit.

3. International banking access. Investors can open multi currency accounts in UAE banks to save and transfer funds.

4. Access to healthcare. The Emirates is one of the fastest-growing medical tourism destinations in the world due to its robust and innovative healthcare. Residency visa holders can be treated in public or private clinics and get health insurance on special terms.

5. Education in the UAE. Children can attend public or private kindergartens, schools, and universities in the Emirates. Educational standards in the country are high, and numerous international schools are present here. Higher education programs are commonly in English.

6. Free Esaad Privilege Card. It gives exclusive offers and discounts up to 70% in the Emirates and 92 countries worldwide. Previously, this card was only granted to UAE citizens but now Golden Visa holders can get it too.

7. Eligibility for UAE citizenship in 30 years or after being nominated and approved by the country’s rulers. The UAE passport adds benefits like visa-free entry to 175 destinations, including the Schengen Area states, the UK, and Canada.

Dual citizenship is prohibited in the UAE, but investors who obtain a passport by exceptional merit can keep other citizenships.

1. There are four main ways to obtain UAE citizenship: descent, marriage, naturalisation, and exceptional merit. Naturalisation requires 30 years of living in the UAE, making the exceptional merit path more plausible for foreigners.

2. Citizenship by exceptional merit is available to individuals such as doctors, inventors, scientists, and investors who meet specific professional criteria and make significant contributions in their fields.

3. Investors can apply for a 2-year or 10-year residence visa by purchasing property in the UAE.

4. The minimum investment required being AED 750,000 for a 2-year visa and AED 2,000,000 for a 10-year visa.

5. Residency provides an opportunity to move to the UAE, do business and optimise taxes, open bank accounts, benefit from local healthcare and education, and use exclusive discount offers.