UAEFinancially independent

Retirement Visa in the UAE

The retirement visa is long-term UAE residence for older people with a proven employment history. The applicant qualifies on one of the grounds: property and savings in the country, or a steady annual income. What sets the status apart from golden residence is that it rests on age and length of service rather than on investment or professional merit. In Dubai applications are handled by the GDRFA and in the other emirates by the ICP, and the two authorities' requirements do not match entirely.

Visa term

5 years, renewable on the same conditions; the grace period after expiry is 60 days

Processing time

GDRFA Dubai processes it in 48 hours

Residence

There is no minimum stay. An absence of more than 180 days in a row cancels the residence

Source: gdrfad.gov.ae — retirement visa, Dubai

Who qualifies for the retirement visa

The common filter for every variant: aged 55 or over, with at least 15 years of employment history — in the UAE or abroad.

Property

An owner of housing in the UAE
Property from AED 1,000,000 plus a deposit of AED 1,000,000 with a UAE financial institution
A title certificate or a Land Department valuation and a deposit certificate

Mortgage

An owner of housing with an outstanding mortgage
The part of the value already paid — from AED 1,000,000
A mortgage charge over the property is accepted

Income

A recipient of a pension or other steady income
Dubai (the GDRFA) and the ICP service card state AED 240,000 a year. The federal u.ae page states AED 180,000 a year
Bank statements and a letter from the body that is the source of the income

When the visa will not suit

Three situations in which the status turns out not to be what is needed.

Age or employment history falls short of the threshold

Look at the ICP's other long-term residence categories, or arrange a visit visa

Income is below the threshold and there is no property or savings in the UAE

Check the conditions for the investor visa — a separate category in the u.ae list of visas.

Visa for property

The status is needed in order to take a job in the UAE

The retirement visa is built on age, service and money; an employment contract plays no part in its conditions. For employment the u.ae list has a separate work visa.

Work visa

What it costs

Residence permit feeThe base rate of the schedule. For each year beyond two, AED 100 is added to the issuing fee.	200 AED
Knowledge dirhamCompulsory for every applicant.	10 AED
Innovation dirhamCompulsory for every applicant.	10 AED
DeliveryDelivery of the documents to the applicant.	20 AED
Processing inside the countryPaid by those arranging the status without leaving the UAE.	+500 AED
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. “Processing inside the country” adds 500 AED. Charges with no official price list are in the list below.	240–740 AED

Paid separately

Medical examination — compulsory for everyone aged 18 and over; the price is not published in the service schedule
Medical insurance policy — the ICP requires it in the document set; the cost depends on the insurer

The GDRFA Dubai schedule. The ICP publishes its own fees separately.

Documents to gather

The basic set is the same for everyone; papers for your own ground are then added.

A passport copy
A personal photograph
Property: a title certificate or a Land Department valuation
Deposit: a deposit certificate and proof of the transfer of funds
Income: bank statements for the last 6 months
Income: a letter on the source of income from an official body
The ICP additionally requires a retirement certificate
The ICP additionally requires a valid medical insurance policy
The ICP additionally requires utility bills

How the process runs

1
Filing the application
The GDRFA accepts applications through the smart services around the clock, and also at Amer centres and customer happiness centres during opening hours.
2
Review
48 hours
The ICP states two days for its own service.
3
Emirates ID
The application for the identity card is filed with the ICP.
4
Placing the deposit
60 days
The property route: the deposit is placed with a UAE financial institution within 60 days of the residence being issued.

Timelines and rights

Work

Employment in the private sector goes through a permit from the Ministry of Human Resources — requested by the employer

Who you can bring with you

The retirement visa service pages do not describe the composition of the family. The general resident sponsorship rules from the u.ae portal apply: the sponsor needs a salary from AED 4,000, or from AED 3,000 with housing provided.

Spouse

Sponsored by the resident. The authorities publish no separate threshold for pensioners

Sons

Up to the age of 25

Unmarried daughters

With no age limit

Children with special needs

With no age limit

Dependants after the visa expires

A grace period of 6 months from expiry or cancellation in which to obtain a new residence

Renewal and the grace period

The status is granted for 5 years with the right of renewal. The GDRFA repeats the renewal conditions word for word: the same age, the same length of service, the same property or income ground, the same set of documents. After the residence expires or is cancelled, you may remain in the country for a further 60 days.

How the retirement visa differs from the golden and the green

The main difference is what exactly is checked and what happens on a long absence.

	Retirement visa	Golden Visa	Green Visa
Term	5 years	5 or 10 years	5 years
What is checked	Age, employment history and assets or income	Investment, talent or outstanding merit	Qualifications, freelance income or a share in a company
Absence of more than 180 days	Residence is cancelled	Residence is kept	Residence is kept
Employment	Through a MOHRE permit — requested by the employer	With no separate permit	With no tie to an employer

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

Permanent residence is not granted in the UAE: the status rests on renewing the visa on the same conditions

Route to citizenship

Time spent living in the country has no bearing on citizenship. A passport is granted on nomination by federal bodies: to investors, doctors, scientists, inventors, figures in culture and their families. The decision is taken by the rulers' courts, the executive councils and the Cabinet, and the previous citizenship may be kept

Frequently asked questions about Retirement Visa

Who handles the retirement visa — the ICP or the GDRFA?

u.ae offers a choice of two digital channels: the federal ICP and GDRFA Dubai. The requirements depend on that choice — the authorities publish different income thresholds.

Is medical insurance required for the retirement visa?

Yes. The ICP includes a valid medical insurance policy in the compulsory set of documents for a residence permit.

Is the residence lost if you leave the UAE for a long time?

The residence is cancelled after 180 days of continuous stay outside the country. u.ae lists the exceptions — among them students abroad, patients undergoing treatment and investors.

What happens to the Emirates ID when the visa ends?

The identity card issued by the ICP expires together with the residence visa — it cannot be renewed separately.

Other ways to move to UAE

Every route in one list — migration programmes: UAE.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.