UAE Residence Visa for the Retired Foreigner
Five years for people aged 55 and over, against either a qualifying asset pair or a qualifying annual income. Fifteen years of documented work history sits behind it either way.
This is the visa most poorly reported in the region. The version that circulates, AED 1,000,000 of property or AED 1,000,000 of savings, or AED 20,000 a month, is a mixture of an older rule and a Dubai figure. The official federal page now requires AED 1,000,000 of property and AED 1,000,000 of savings as one combined route, or AED 180,000 of annual income. Dubai applies its own income floor of AED 240,000. If you budget from a summary, you will be short at the counter.
Programme snapshot
| Item | Current rule |
|---|---|
| Main audience | Retirees aged 55 and over with 15 years of work history |
| Route family | retirement |
| Validity | 5 years |
| Stay per entry | Residence status, no per-entry cap while valid |
| Threshold | AED 1,000,000 of property plus AED 1,000,000 of savings, or AED 180,000 annual income, about USD 49,000, 2026. Dubai requires AED 240,000 annual income, AED 20,000 a month |
| Threshold formula | Asset pair or flat income floor, emirate dependent |
| Renewal | Renewable every 5 years on the same evidence |
| Settlement | None |
| PR clock | None |
| Citizenship clock | None, no ordinary route |
| Family | Partial. Spouse and children subject to separate financial tests |
| Local employment | Not permitted |
| Tax headline | No personal income tax. Foreign pension and rental income treatment depends on your home country |
| Processing | 3 to 6 weeks |
Application flow
- Confirm you are 55 or over and can document fifteen years of work history.
- Choose the route: the asset pair or the income floor for the emirate you will live in.
- For the income route, check the emirate’s floor. Federal is AED 180,000, Dubai is AED 240,000.
- For the asset route, assemble the title deed and savings evidence, and expect a seasoning period.
- Obtain private health insurance.
- File through ICP or GDRFA Dubai.
- Complete medical screening and Emirates ID enrolment.
- Renew at five years against the same evidence.
Good fit
A couple in their early sixties with around USD 300,000 of savings who also own a qualifying UAE property, which is the combination the federal route now expects. Someone with pension or rental income above AED 240,000 a year who wants to live in Dubai rather than another emirate. People who already spend part of the year in the UAE and want the residence stamp instead of repeated entries.
Poor fit
A retiree with savings but no property, since the asset route now wants both. Someone with income between AED 180,000 and AED 240,000 who plans to live in Dubai. Anyone who cannot document fifteen years of work history, which is the test that most often fails.
Watchpoints
- The widely quoted rule is looser than the official page. The federal route now pairs AED 1,000,000 of property with AED 1,000,000 of savings. Budget for both, or use the income route.
- AED 20,000 a month is the Dubai floor, not the federal one. AED 240,000 a year in Dubai, AED 180,000 federally. Applying in Dubai at AED 200,000 will fail.
- Fifteen years of documented work history is a separate test. Most summaries omit it entirely.
- Savings must be held, not just shown. Expect a seasoning period of around six months. A large deposit made just before applying is a red flag.
- This is residence, not a pension or healthcare entitlement. Insurance is private, mandatory and not subsidised.
Sources
- UAE federal portal, residence visa for the retired, opened 2026-10-22
- GDRFA Dubai, retirement visa service, search result only
- ICP, residence permit categories, search result only
Last updated 2026-10-22.