A free PDF guide — a visa for 5 years from the start
A guide to the retirementvisa of the UAE
A five-year residence status with no tie to an employer: you evidence either an income or property together with savings. We set out both ways, how Dubai differs and how to sponsor the family.
- PDF in English
- Free of charge
- Verified on 12.08.2026
- Sent by email, WhatsApp or Telegram
Preliminary information is not tax advice. The emirates may set requirements of their own.
01 / The essentials first
What to know about the visa before you file
Four things that decide whether the status is open to you and what it is worth.
- A visa for five years from the start
Not a one-year permit renewed annually but a 5-year status with no tie to an employer. It is renewed while the conditions hold.
- Two ways to evidence your means
Either an annual income from AED 180,000, or property and savings of AED 1,000,000 each. Meeting one of them is enough.
- Age and service are hard filters
55 or over at the point of retiring, and at least 15 years of working life — in the UAE or abroad.
- Personal income is not taxed
The UAE has no income tax. Tax residence is certified separately and depends on actual presence.
02 / The conditions
What you will have to evidence
Choose the way and the family: we will show the requirement and the costs that go with it.
03 / Two ways
Income or assets
Meeting one condition is enough — people choose whichever is easier to evidence with documents.
The values were checked against the official material on 12.08.2026. Only the rows for which there is no official wording are marked separately.
| Criterion | IncomeAn annual income from AED 180,000 | AssetsProperty and savings of AED 1,000,000 each |
|---|---|---|
| What you evidence | regular receipts | a property and money in the account |
| The sum | from AED 180,000 a year | AED 1,000,000 each |
| The source | may be outside the UAE | the property must be in the UAE |
| In Dubai | a higher requirement: AED 240,000 | the emirate sets its own terms |
| The term of the visa | 5 years | 5 years |
| The family | you sponsor them yourself | you sponsor them yourself |
| Who it usually suitsA BRIDGES estimate | You have a pension or rental income | You have a home in the UAE and savings |
- What you evidence
- regular receipts
- a property and money in the account
- The sum
- from AED 180,000 a year
- AED 1,000,000 each
- The source
- may be outside the UAE
- the property must be in the UAE
- In Dubai
- a higher requirement: AED 240,000
- the emirate sets its own terms
- The term of the visa
- 5 years
- 5 years
- The family
- you sponsor them yourself
- you sponsor them yourself
- Who it usually suitsA BRIDGES estimate
- You have a pension or rental income
- You have a home in the UAE and savings
Dubai applies thresholds of its own: the emirate has to be settled before filing.
04 / The country
What the country looks like
Briefly about the country and about what sets the terms of the visa.
- The essentials firstThe key facts of the programme: what decides the matter.
- A comparisonThe thresholds and the terms of the programme in one table.
- How the work runsThe process step by step — from the check to the documents.
- The analysisWhat is checked before the status is granted.
- The limitsWhat affects the timings, the costs and keeping the status.
- Your teamWho runs the case and what each specialist answers for.
05 / The order of work
How the process runs
First the emirate and the condition, then the documents, the medical and the Emirates ID.
- The conditions are checked
55 or over, 15 years of service or more, and one of the financial conditions — we look at what the documents will support.
- Choosing the emirate
The federal rules are common, but Dubai has figures of its own. The sum and the way you file follow from the emirate.
- Preparing the documents
Proof of income or assets, the record of service, the passports, medical insurance.
- Filing the application
The application goes to the emirate’s authorities, which examine the documents and the financial conditions.
- The medical and the Emirates ID
After approval come the medical examination, the biometrics and the resident’s identity card.
- The family and the renewal
The resident sponsors a spouse and children. The visa runs 5 years. The whole process takes 1-2 months.
07 / The check
What is examined on filing
The age and the service, the financial condition, the insurance and the particular emirate’s requirements.
- Age and service
Employment documents covering the working years: at least fifteen of them have to be evidenced.
- The financial condition
Income statements, or the title documents for the property together with proof of savings.
- The emirate’s requirements
Dubai applies thresholds of its own: the file is built for the particular emirate.
- Insurance
Medical cover valid in the UAE — a required condition for the resident and the family alike.
The record of service is evidenced with documents going back many years: that is the point that most often needs preparing.
08 / The limits
What to take into account in advance
Five limits that bear on the status and on the cost of living.
Citizenship is not grantedThe UAE does not offer it
This is a status for living and for tax planning, not a path to a passport.
The conditions have to be keptThey are examined at renewal
Selling the property or an income falling below the threshold puts the status in doubt.
Dubai has its own figuresAn income of AED 240,000
The emirates may set stricter requirements than the federal ones.
Presence mattersFor your tax status
The visa by itself does not make you a tax resident: a real centre of life in the country is needed.
Living costs are highHousing and schools
The absence of income tax is offset by what rent, medicine and education cost.
09 / Your team
Who runs your case
The work is led by specialists who arrange residence visas in the UAE.
The editorial record
The material was prepared and checked by
- First published
- 12 August 2026
- Last updated
- 12 August 2026
The official sources
- The residence visa for retired expatriatesThe UAE Government portal, u.ae · checked 12.08.2026The age, the service and the financial conditions of the five-year retirement visa.
- The Federal Authority for Identity and CitizenshipICP, UAE · checked 12.08.2026How to file, the Emirates ID and sponsoring members of the family.
- The rules of the Emirate of DubaiGDRFA Dubai · checked 12.08.2026Dubai’s requirements on income and assets for the retirement visa.
10 / Common questions
Questions about the retirement visa
What are the financial conditions?
One of two: an annual income from AED 180,000, or property from AED 1,000,000 together with savings from AED 1,000,000.
Are there age limits?
Yes: 55 or over at the point of retiring, and at least 15 years of working life.
Is Dubai different?
Yes, the emirate has thresholds of its own: an income from AED 240,000 a year, or property and savings of AED 1,000,000 each.
How long is the visa granted for?
For 5 years, renewed while the conditions hold.
What about the family?
The resident sponsors a spouse and children: they take the status for the same term.
Do I have to pay tax?
There is no income tax in the UAE. Tax residence is certified separately and depends on presence.
May I work?
The retirement visa is not meant for employment: a work visa is arranged for that.
How long does the process take?
1-2 months with the documents ready and the financial condition met.
Free of charge
Take the guide and a check on your position
We will send the PDF with the requirements and a preliminary check on your situation.
- Both financial conditions, with the figures
- How Dubai differs from the other emirates
- How the process runs and what the Emirates ID is
- How to sponsor a spouse and children