02.09.2025
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What is it about? Let's start by saying that the term "residence permit" does not exist in Dubai, as in all Emirates. Instead a residence visa is available to immigrants. It gives the right to long-term residence in the country and can be renewed an unlimited number of times.
What to pay attention to? There are different ways to obtain a residence visa. The most common is employment in Dubai, although there are many other options, such as property purchase, business establishment, studying at a local university, and marriage.
One of the main reasons to consider moving to Dubai is the absolutely equal rights and freedoms for immigrants and UAE citizens.
Every person who has obtained a residence visa can easily access all government agencies, rent premises, work, conduct business and do everything else they would do in their own country.
But besides these obvious advantages, there are many others:
The taxation system in the UAE is very lenient. The state does not tax any personal income of citizens, including employment income, earnings from stocks, deposits or dividends. Property and inheritance are also not subject to taxation.
Immigrants become tax residents if they spend at least 183 days per year in the country.Therefore, to become a tax resident of the UAE, in addition to obtaining a special visa, you need to reside in the country for most of the year.
The UAE government actively supports business owners. They are interested in attracting as many foreign entrepreneurs as possible to the country, as they boost its economy.
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The main advantage for businessmen in the Emirates is the absence of profit and dividend tax. Such support from the state, the absence of corruption, and constant development attract more and more entrepreneurs from around the world to the UAE.
Opening a bank account without residency in the UAE is practically impossible, with a very high risk of rejection. If an immigrant does not have such a visa, they will need to present a number of documents. A residence permit from any country other than the one from which the person came, a proof of open accounts in any foreign banks and utility services for housing outside Russia will suffice.
A residence visa in Dubai gives the right to bring family members. However, the number of family members is usually limited and depends on the type of visa.
Holders of the Golden visa, issued for 10 years, can easily move with their entire family. They have the right to bring along their parents, a spouse, and children regardless of their age, as well as household helpers. The Green visa is issued for 5 years and allows the immigrant to bring along their parents, a spouse, and children (sons up to 25 years old and unmarried daughters).
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For holders of other types of visas, it is allowed to bring along their parents, a spouse, unmarried daughters, and sons up to 18 or 21 years old (depending on whether they have graduated or not).
In recent years, this has become difficult for Russians. Many European countries often reject applications from Russian citizens even for short periods and with good visa history. When trying to obtain a visa in the UAE, such a problem hardly ever occurs. Getting a positive response to the application will not be difficult at all.
There are several options for obtaining a Dubai residence visa in 2025:
This method is typically chosen by wealthy immigrants. The duration of the residence visa issued for property purchase (for example, an apartment) directly depends on the cost of this property. When purchasing property worth at least one million dirhams ($270,000), a residence visa for 3 years is issued.
The higher the amount spent on housing, the longer the residence visa will be valid. Thus, property worth at least 5 million dirhams ($1,360,000) guarantees obtaining a residence visa for 5 years, and a10 million ($2,720,000) property — for a whole 10 years.
After purchasing an apartment or a house, there are no restrictions on their use. You can live there with your family or rent it out. Moreover, the rental price for an apartment in Dubai is quite high and can reach up to 10–12 thousand dollars per year.
Thus, an immigrant can easily ensure comfortable living in the UAE by renting out property, especially considering the fact that the amount received from tenants is not taxed. However, this method can only be used if you can prove legal income of at least 10,000 dirhams per month, which is equivalent to $2,700.
The UAE highly values people who positively impact the state's economy. Therefore, entrepreneurs are one of the population groups that can obtain a residence visa for their activities. For this, an immigrant needs to open a new business or invest in an existing one.
Conditions for obtaining a residence visa in Dubai: the investment amount must be at least $6,000, and the entrepreneur must subsequently continue to conduct business or make investments.
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There is a "Golden Visa for Entrepreneurs" program that serves to attract entrepreneurs to the country. To obtain a Golden visa, an immigrant must have an existing business or an investment of at least 500,000 dirhams. The reward for participating in the program is a residence visa for 5 years.
There is a similar program for obtaining the right to reside in the UAE for 10 years. To participate, you need to invest at least 2,000,000 dirhams in the UAE investment fund, buy property, create a company or invest your money in any other firm. However, there is a restriction here: the amount of investments in property should not exceed 40% of the total investment value.
One of the ways to obtain a residence visa in Dubai for Russians is studying at a university. Education in the UAE is of a high standard. For admission, you can choose any local university or one of the branches of British educational institutions. It's not even necessary to know Arabic for studying, as many educational programs are conducted in English. In Dubai, English is used on par with the state language.
A visa is issued to students who are older than 18, and it must be renewed every year by presenting a proof of still being a student at a local university.
At the end of 2018, UAE authorities passed a law allowing the most diligent and responsible students to obtain a visa. For this, the applicant must graduate from high school with a grade of 95% or higher. And if a higher education student applies for a visa, their grade point average must be at least 3.75.
In case of obtaining a residence visa, the benefits will extend not only to them but also to their immediate relatives.
To obtain a student visa, it is necessary to pass international English language exams IELTS and TOEFL. The cost of education varies from 12 to 60 thousand dollars per year. For this reason, the applicant must present proof of stable and sufficient income to pay for classes before admission.
Meanwhile, students have the right to work part-time, and after graduation, they can apply for employment in an organization corresponding to their major and obtain a different type of residence visa.
Although in many aspects the Emirates surpass most other countries in development, the state still remains quite patriarchal. Because of this, men can marry women from other countries without obstacles, while UAE women cannot marry a person who professes a different religion. But in some cases, they can marry a foreigner.
If a person has at least 3,000 dirhams and has accommodation provided by their employer, then their spouse can also obtain a residence visa in Dubai and relocate.
About 90% of the country's working population are foreigners. And although most management positions are held by native Emirates residents, there are no restrictions for immigrants in their careers.
They can also prove themselves and achieve heights. However, before moving, it is necessary to study the market and compare the amount of earnings and rental payments for housing to make sure that you will have enough for everything, and emigration will be successful.
Employment contracts in Dubai are typically drawn up in great detail. They specify the conditions of cooperation, obligations of the employer and the employee, and payment amount including compensation for transport and rent expenses.
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The contract is usually concluded for a specified limited time period, but the employer fully takes care of all the hassle with processing the employee's residence visa. They also pay for medical insurance, visa fees, and compensate for the cost of traveling to the home country once a year.
For each type of visa, the list of required documents is different. However, there is an approximate set of papers that are requested during its processing:
During the period of obtaining a residence visa, a foreign citizen will need to go through the following stages:
At the very beginning, you need to determine for yourself why you are moving and what documents you can provide.
At the next stage, you need to gather all the necessary documents. First, you need to enter a university, invest money, buy property, get a job or marry a Dubai citizen.
Then gather the documents confirming your right to move to the country. This can be a university enrollment order, a purchase agreement, a marriage certificate or an employment agreement.
You can apply for a residence visa online. Two departments handle immigration issues in Dubai: the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs and the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship.
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To submit an application, you can use the eChannels virtual portal or the GDRFA website, as well as mobile applications ICA UAE eChannels and GDRFA Dubai app. Each emirate issues residence visas independently. As a rule, in any part of the state, the application processing time does not exceed 2–3 days.
After a positive response to the application, the foreigner is allowed to enter the territory of the state, and a resident visa is issued. Then the immigrant is issued an Emirates ID — an official identity document.
It is a plastic card with a photo and basic information about the person in English and Arabic languages. From this moment, the foreigner has the right to reside in the UAE territory.
Dubai is just one of the emirates, there are 7 in total. Besides it, the state has a capital — Abu Dhabi, as well as Fujairah, Ajman, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain emirates. The union of these territories is what is called the UAE.
Not at all. There are many immigrants in Dubai. At work, at the university and just on the street, you will be understood if you speak English.
Foreigners can freely buy property in areas designated as freehold. Foreign citizens and UAE residents can purchase and own property without any restrictions for a period of up to 99 years.
The basis for obtaining a residence visa and the package of necessary documents do not give a 100% chance of approval of your application. A visa may be refused if the applicant has criminal connections or if they have publicly expressed themselves against Islam.
This can be done by birth, naturalization, or after marriage to a UAE resident. Large investments or great merits to the state can also be grounds. Through naturalization, citizenship can be obtained after 30 years of residence in the state territory. The fastest way is through investments.
Russian citizens can stay for up to 90 days in the UAE territory without a special permission. But if you want to stay for a longer period, you need to obtain a residence visa. It will allow permanent residence in the emirates and multiple border crossings, leaving and entering the state territory.
The most common reasons for Russians moving to Dubai and obtaining a residence visa are opening their own business or employment.
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