Client story
Client's story
Where they started
The client is 58 years old, has completed his active career, and wanted what many postpone until later - to live peacefully by the warm sea in a safe and comfortable country. Dubai was ideal: no income tax, quality healthcare and infrastructure, direct flights home. However, he set a clear condition from the start: he did not want to invest significant funds in real estate solely for the visa. Purchasing an apartment for 2 million dirhams under the Golden Visa program seemed excessive to him - he was seeking a way to relocate peacefully and without such expenses.
Why the standard route did not work
This is where the UAE retirement visa came in handy - a separate residency pathway designed specifically for people his age. He met the age requirement: the program is designed for those who have reached 55 years of age with at least 15 years of work experience. Next, he needed to meet one of the financial criteria - and there are several, which provided flexibility.
What BRIDGES had to solve
There are several grounds by which one can obtain a retirement visa, and it is sufficient to meet any one of them: real estate or savings in the amount of 1 million dirhams, a bank deposit of 1 million dirhams placed for a fixed term (approximately three years), or confirmed annual income of 180,000 dirhams (in Dubai this is approximately 15,000 dirhams per month). That is, purchasing an apartment for 2 million was not mandatory: for a client with savings, the pathway through savings and a deposit was simpler and more cost-effective. A separate mandatory requirement was valid health insurance in the UAE.
Why a standard answer would not do
The client came to BRIDGES to select the optimal criterion for him and carefully assemble the documentation package: confirm age and work experience, choose between savings, deposit, and income, obtain health insurance, and process the visa as self-sponsored, without an employer-sponsor. As a result, he obtained a five-year residence permit and relocated to Dubai - without purchasing real estate that he did not want.
I am 58, I have completed my career and simply wanted to live by the sea in a normal country. Everyone around me said: if you want Dubai, buy an apartment for two million dirhams under the Golden Visa. But I didn't need that apartment. At BRIDGES, they explained that for my age there is a retirement visa: it is sufficient to confirm savings and a deposit, real estate purchase is not necessary. They helped me choose the criterion, obtained health insurance, and processed the visa as self-sponsored. As a result, I have a five-year UAE residence permit, no income tax, and I am living where I wanted - without unnecessary spending on an apartment that was of no use to me.
