July 31, 2023 | By Manish Kumar | Blog | Last year in April , the UAE cabinet announced many major amendments to the UAE visa system, where new entry visas will have much simplified requirements and a lot of benefits for both visitors and residents. The new UAE visa rules come into effect last year from October 3.The changes were approved by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai. The biggest news for visitors entering the UAE is that tourist visas is now valid for 60 days, which is an expansion from the 30 days. A multi-entry 5 year tourist visa was also announced, which allows visitors to stay up to 90 days in the UAE. Nevertheless, they can’t exceed 180 days in a year. Expansion of Golden visa It also became easier for residents to obtain a golden visa, with simplified requirements and more categories of talented individuals able to apply. Public and real estate investors are covered in the expanded categories, as well as exceptional talents in fields that include art and culture, digital technology and sport. Professionals , scientists and frontline heroes are also eligible to apply. In order to obtain a 10-year Golden Visa, one need to invest a minimum of AED 2M (USD 545K) in a completed property, which can also be mortgaged from select local banks. If a person owned a completed property worth AED 2M before the amendments became effective, they can now easily apply for a Golden Residence Visa. The latest rules enable the Golden Visa holder to sponsor not only their spouse and children regardless of their age, but also domestic staff without any limitations to their number. Previously, the age of sons to be sponsored was limited to 18. Family members are also allowed to stay in the UAE in the case of the death of the original Golden Residence holder until the expiration of their permit duration. New five year Green Visa The Five tear Green Visa is basically a residency visa that permits its holder to sponsor himself/ herself for five years without the requirement for company sponsorship, along with offering an array of benefits to the family members. Below are the three main categories of residents who can apply for Green Visa : • Freelancers or self employed individuals • Investors and /or partners in commercial business have to provide a proof of their investment. If the applicant has more than 1 business license, the total investment capital will be counted. • High skilled workers Residency permits Several visas, including the one-year remote working visa, two year real estate owner visa and five-year retirement visa also now require zero sponsor and can also be renewed for the same period. Residents can also sponsor their sons who are unmarried until the age of 25,which was earlier 18, and unmarried daughters regardless of their age. Contact our business setup experts to know more about various visas and for any visa related requirement. For any business setup related concerns call us to book free consultation.