To apply for the entrepreneur Golden Visa, confirm that you meet one of the entrepreneur routes, get the endorsement that route needs, and submit a nomination request through ICP Smart Services using UAE Pass. Once your nomination is approved, you complete the residence application, medical test and Emirates ID.
ICP is the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security. If your residence file sits in Dubai, the process runs through GDRFA Dubai and starts with a Dubai Future Foundation nomination instead.
This guide covers the rules as they stand in November 2026, including who qualifies, what to prepare, what it costs and where the process differs by emirate.
Who qualifies for the entrepreneur Golden Visa?
You qualify through one of three routes. Each is about your business record or an approved idea, not your personal wealth.
| Route | What you need | Who it suits |
| Operating SME | Own or co-own a UAE-registered SME in an approved field with annual revenue of at least AED 1,000,000 | Founders with a trading business |
| Approved idea | Approval of your venture idea from an accredited incubator, the Ministry of Economy, ICP or a relevant local authority | Early-stage founders |
| Previous exit | Founder or co-founder of one or more ventures sold for a total of at least AED 7,000,000 | Founders who have sold a company |
All routes share one more condition. You and your family members need comprehensive, valid health insurance when you apply.
The current ICP Golden Residency Guide, last updated on 10 September 2026, has no AED 500,000 project value test. If you are preparing an auditor’s letter on that basis, check with ICP before you pay for one.
The guide lists the entrepreneur term as 10 years. The UAE government portal table, updated in July 2026, shows 5 years. The validity on your issued permit is the one that counts, so confirm the term with ICP when you apply.
Key point: Revenue alone may not carry your file. Plan on getting an endorsement letter from an incubator or authority, even if your company already earns more than AED 1,000,000 a year.
What is an ICP nomination?
A nomination is an official check that you fit a Golden Visa category before the visa itself is processed. Most categories need a nomination or endorsement from a relevant government authority before visa processing can start.
For a founder, two separate things often get called “the nomination”:
- The endorsement. This is a letter from an incubator, the Ministry of Economy or a local authority that backs your business or idea.
- The nomination request. This is the online application you file through ICP, with that endorsement and your other evidence attached.
The endorsement usually takes longer, so start there. An approved nomination doesn’t guarantee the visa, because final approval comes later. Treat it as permission to move to the next stage.
Which authority handles your application?
The right channel depends on where your residence file sits.
- Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah: These files go through ICP.
- Dubai: These files go through GDRFA Dubai, the emirate’s residency department.
- Abu Dhabi, as an extra option: UAE residents can request a nomination through the Abu Dhabi Residents Office on TAMM, and non-residents can contact the office by email.
You can also go directly to the endorsing body. A nomination can be requested from the relevant authority’s own website or through ICP’s Smart Services portal.
What documents do you need?
The standard nomination file includes a passport copy with at least six months’ validity, a passport-size photo, valid health insurance and an updated CV. Business owners should also expect to show a trade licence, bank and tax records, and financial reports.
The ICP guide doesn’t give a full evidence list for each entrepreneur route. Abu Dhabi’s list is more detailed, so it makes a useful checklist for any emirate:
If you own or co-own an active business:
- Trade licence
- Audited financial statements for the past two years
- Company profile or pitch deck
- LinkedIn profile
- Nomination from a UAE business incubator
If you have an approved idea:
- Nomination from a UAE business incubator
- Business concept deck
- Acceptance letter from an incubator, venture studio or accelerator
- Founder LinkedIn profile, plus a trade licence if you have one
If you sold a previous venture:
- Nomination from a UAE business incubator
- Trade licence of the sold company
- Proof of the sale at AED 7,000,000
- Founder LinkedIn profile, plus the new owner’s name or profile if applicable
Make sure names, licence numbers and revenue figures match across every document. A mismatch gives the reviewer a reason to come back with questions.
How do you apply for the Golden Visa UAE nomination?
Follow these steps if your file goes through ICP. Dubai applicants should read the Dubai section first.
- Set up UAE Pass. This is the UAE’s digital ID, and you need it to log in and complete your request.
- Run the eligibility check. Open the check on smartservices.icp.gov.ae and choose the category that fits you, then answer its questions. A positive result only lets you continue, and it isn’t an approval.
- Get your endorsement. Approach an incubator, the Ministry of Economy or your local authority. The ICP guide doesn’t publish a list of accredited incubators, so ask for written confirmation that its letter is accepted for Golden Residency before you pay for a programme.
- Start the nomination request. In the ICP dashboard, open Golden Services, choose Inside UAE, then select Nomination Request.
- Complete your details. Your personal data should fill in from your Emirates ID record, and your profession must match the one shown there.
- Upload your evidence and pay. You’ll get a reference number after payment, which you can use to track the request.
- Respond to any follow-up. ICP may contact you for more documents, so watch the phone number and email on your file.
- File the residence application. After approval, apply through ICP Smart Services or the ICP app with your passport, photo and proof of eligibility. If you already live in the UAE, a change of status inside the country costs AED 500.
- Finish the medical test and Emirates ID. ICP notifies you when the residence is issued, and your Emirates ID then arrives by courier.
If a current employer or family member sponsors you, plan the switch carefully. Your existing residence must be cancelled, and any family you sponsor shouldn’t be left without a valid sponsor.
Tip: No consultant can file around this system or promise a result. Golden Visa applications are handled only through official government channels, and ICP doesn’t authorise any consultancy to manage them.
How much does the entrepreneur Golden Visa cost?
Government fees are modest compared with the cost of building your evidence. These are the published amounts:
| Fee | Amount |
| ICP nomination request | About AED 150 to AED 155 |
| ICP residence application | AED 100 |
| ICP residence issuance | AED 100 per year of validity |
| ICP smart service fee | AED 100 |
| Change of status inside the UAE | AED 500 |
For a 10-year permit, that makes AED 1,200 in ICP residence fees, before any status change. Your medical test, Emirates ID, health insurance and any audit or incubator charges come on top. Always check the final figure on the payment screen, as the total may vary.
How long does the process take?
The online steps are quick, but your evidence decides the real timeline. A nomination request takes about two working days, although the time varies with your category, eligibility and documents. ICP lists two days for issuing the residence permit itself.
Neither figure covers the wait for an incubator or authority letter, and there’s no published total for the full process. Audited accounts can also add time if yours aren’t ready. Get those two items moving first.
How does the Dubai Golden Visa route differ?
The Dubai Golden Visa for entrepreneurs is a GDRFA service, and the GDRFA entrepreneur service page sets out its own conditions. Here are the main differences:
- Nominating body: You need a nomination letter from the Dubai Future Foundation.
- Business conditions: GDRFA lists a pioneering project with annual income of AED 1 million, a project from an incubator or the Ministry of Economy with income of AED 2 million, or a founded project sold for at least AED 7 million.
- Term: The residency runs for 10 years and can be extended if you still meet the same conditions.
- Where to file: You can apply online or at an Amer service centre.
- Fees: The residence permit fee is AED 1,100, with two AED 10 add-on charges, AED 20 for delivery and AED 500 if you’re inside the country. The issuance fee also rises by AED 100 a year for permits over two years.
- Timing: GDRFA expects to complete the service in five days.
The Dubai route has the same caution as ICP. A nomination isn’t final approval, and GDRFA makes the final decision after reviewing your file.
Can you apply from outside the UAE?
Yes. Eligible applicants outside the UAE get a six-month multiple-entry visa to finish the process, which can be renewed for another six months. The entrepreneur category is also open to established businesses or successful business plans based inside or outside the UAE.
In the ICP Golden Services dashboard, you’ll see separate options for applicants inside and outside the UAE. After you enter on the permit, you complete the medical test, Emirates ID and residence issuance in the country. In 2023, the six-month entry permit cost AED 1,250 in total, so check the current fee before you pay.
Don’t leave the final steps until the end of your stay. Overstay fines are AED 50 a day. Confirm your completion deadline with ICP or GDRFA Dubai when your permit is issued.
The operating SME route needs a venture registered in the UAE, so an overseas founder would usually use the approved-idea or previous-exit route, or set up a UAE company first.
What happens after you get the visa?
You can live and work in the UAE without a sponsor. ICP’s guide also gives holders these benefits:
- Residence permits for spouses and children of any age, and for parents
- The right to sponsor domestic workers, under the applicable rules
- Continued stay for sponsored family until their permits expire, if the sponsor dies
Your residence also survives long trips. Holders are exempt from the 180-day rule on staying abroad, although a permit that expires while you’re outside the UAE becomes void. Watch your expiry date if you travel a lot.
ICP describes the residency as automatically renewable, but Dubai applicants should prepare to show they still qualify. GDRFA allows extension when the same conditions are met, and its renewal service asks for a Dubai Future Foundation nomination letter again. You must also be able to support yourself and your family without government help.
What if you don’t qualify as an entrepreneur?
Check the investor routes before you drop the Golden Visa plan. An established company may already fit one of them, and neither needs an incubator’s approval:
- Set up a company with capital of at least AED 2,000,000, or hold a partner share of that value
- Own a company that pays at least AED 250,000 in federal taxes each year
- Hold a partner share that corresponds to at least AED 250,000 of the tax paid each year
The invested capital must be your own and can’t come from a loan.
If you’re still growing toward the AED 1,000,000 revenue mark, keep clean accounts now. You’ll need that record when you apply.
Frequently asked questions
Can I nominate myself for the entrepreneur Golden Visa?
Yes. ICP lets you check your eligibility and file your own nomination request online with UAE Pass. You’ll still need evidence for your route, and approval of the request doesn’t guarantee the final visa.
Is the AED 500,000 project route still available?
It isn’t part of the ICP Golden Residency Guide updated on 10 September 2026. The guide lists AED 1,000,000 in SME revenue, an approved venture idea, or AED 7,000,000 in sold ventures. Check with ICP before you buy an auditor’s valuation.
Is the entrepreneur Golden Visa valid for 5 or 10 years?
ICP’s current guide and GDRFA Dubai both list 10 years, while the UAE government portal shows 5. Confirm the term with your issuing authority, because the validity on your permit is what applies.
Do I need a Dubai Future Foundation nomination?
You do if your residence file is in Dubai, because GDRFA requires that letter. Applicants in the other emirates use ICP, and Abu Dhabi applicants can also request a nomination through the Abu Dhabi Residents Office on TAMM.
How much does the ICP nomination request cost?
It costs about AED 150 to AED 155. This covers only the nomination request, so residence, medical, Emirates ID and insurance costs are separate. The ICP payment screen shows the exact amount before you submit.
Conclusion
To get the entrepreneur Golden Visa, first confirm your route: AED 1,000,000 in SME revenue, an approved venture idea, or a AED 7,000,000 exit. Then secure your endorsement and health insurance, file the nomination through ICP, and complete the residence steps once approved. Dubai files go through GDRFA with a Dubai Future Foundation nomination. A strong application has matching documents, a recognised endorsement and fees checked on the official payment screen.
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