In November 2021, the UAE government introduced amendments to the law, allowing expat residents to stay in the country after retirement.

Residents who have retired and are above the age of 55 can apply for a 5-year long-term visa. They can also sponsor their spouses and children.

Here is all you need to know about the visa:

Who is eligible?

The following criteria must be fulfilled for a resident to be eligible for the retirement visa, according to Visit Dubai:

• A minimum yearly income of Dh180,000 or Dh15,000 monthly income
• Dh1 million savings in a 3-year fixed deposit
• Dh1 million in property
• A combination of Options 1 and 2, valued at a minimum of Dh1 million in a 3-year fixed deposit and property, worth Dh500,000 each

How to apply

The first step is to choose your option. If you are going via the savings option, you will be dealing with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA). For property-based applications, the relevant authority is the Dubai Land Department (DLD).

For the GDRFA, you need to go to the website, select the ‘Individuals’ login option, and register to start a new application. You can follow the prompts on the screen and submit the online form.

For the DLD, however, the applicant must visit the real estate regulating agency’s office in person to proceed with the application.

All four options require the following documents:

1. Passport copy of applicant and dependents – spouse and children
2. Marriage certificate copy – if you are sponsoring your spouse
3. Copy of current visa of applicant and dependents – if you are a UAE resident
4. Copy of Emirates IDs of applicant and dependents – if you are a UAE resident

The additional documents required depend on the option you choose.

For Option 1, the income-based application, you need:

• Proof of income: This document must include the name of the beneficiary and date of commencement. It can be a letter from the relevant entity which provides the source of income (such as a pension scheme), or a letter from your previous employer if they are continuing to provide monthly retirement income, or supporting documents to display you have a sustainable income
• 6-month bank statement: The statement must show a minimum deposit of Dh15,000 monthly or Dh180,000 yearly from your source of income, it must be from a Dubai-based bank, and it must be stamped by the bank as well.

For Option 2, the savings-based application, you need:

• Proof of retirement: This is to prove to the authorities that you have been employed in the past and are a qualified retiree. This could be an end-of-service letter from your last employer, which confirms that you are a retiree and specifies the number of years you have worked, or it could be a letter from a social service entity detailing that you are retired.
• Proof of savings: This is a stamped bank letter in Arabic from a UAE-based bank. The letter should state that the Dh1 million in savings are in a 3-year fixed deposit in a bank located in UAE, and must be addressed to GDRFA.

For Option 3, the property-based application, you need:

• Copy of title deed: The title deed must show that the property is located in Dubai, that it has a minimum value of Dh1 million, and that it is in the name of the applicant (not the spouse).

If the property is owned by a company, the applicant must have 100% ownership of the company. In the case of shared ownership, the applicant’s share should be at least Dh1 million.

If unmortgaged, the property must be fully paid, and if mortgaged, the payment to date should be a minimum of Dh1 million. It cannot be an off-plan property.

You can put forward multiple properties with a combined value of Dh1 million, as long as they meet all the criteria.

For Option 4, the property-and-savings-based application, you need:

• Copy of title deed: The property must be located in Dubai and the title deed issued by DLD. It must have a minimum value of Dh500,000. The other criteria are the same as above.
• Proof of savings: This is a stamped bank letter in Arabic from a UAE-based bank detailing the balance amount, which means if the property value is Dh500,000, then the statement should show savings of at least Dh500,000 so the total amounts to Dh1 million. The letter should state that the Dh500,000 million in savings are in a 3-year fixed deposit in a bank located in UAE, and must be addressed to GDRFA.

If your application is approved by the GDRFA or DLD, a total of Dh3,714.75 per applicant must be paid. The amount covers all the visa-related expenses, including entry permits, visa status adjustment, residency stamping, Emirates ID, medical examination and management fees.

Abu Dhabi: The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) has said that extension of UAE visit visas will be only one-time, for a period of 30 days only, in exchange for a fee of Dh750.

An official source confirmed to Gulf News that holders of a visa to visit a relative or friend in the UAE, whether for 30, 60, or 90 days, for one or several trips, are now entitled to extend it for a period of 30 days only, against a fee of Dh750. The source said the decision to extend a one-time visit visa for 30 days only was issued several weeks ago and is being implemented in accordance with a decision issued by the UAE Cabinet.

The authority allows visiting foreigners the possibility of extending the visa according to the specified period (30 days and one time only), through smart channels via the smart application “UAEICP”.

The source indicated that the documents required to benefit from the service include the original entry permit and a personal colour photo.

The authority has stated on its website that there are several conditions for issuing a visa to visit a relative or friend, including that the visitor be a relative or friend of a citizen or foreigner residing in the country in accordance with the provisions determined by the authority, attaching proof of kinship and justifications for the visit, and fulfilling the financial guarantee determined according to the purpose.

The authority has said that once you choose the service for issuing a visit visa for a relative or friend through the application according to its duration, all the data of the individual hosted in the country appears automatically, and all he has to do is complete the steps of submitting the application and entering the identification data of the sponsored person benefiting from the service, then attaching the required documents and paying the prescribed fees for issuing the visa.

The authority added that the application will be rejected electronically after 30 days if the application is returned due to deficiencies in the data or failure to complete the required documents. The application will also be rejected if it is returned three times due to deficiencies in the data or failure to complete the required documents.

The authority pointed out that fees are refunded via credit card within a period not exceeding six months from the date of submitting the application, or they are refunded through the procedures used to recover fees via a check or bank transfer – for banks located within the country only – and within a period not exceeding five years.

The authority allows individuals residing in the UAE the ability to apply on their own to issue a visit visa for a relative or friend of foreigners abroad through the smart application with simplified and smooth steps, which enhances the experience of electronic services provided to customers, and meets the future needs of all categories of foreigners and residents of the country.

In collaboration with DIFC and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), Smart Salem has significantly reduced the waiting time for the issuance of the mandatory Emirates Identity card by guaranteeing same or next-day biometric appointments to expedite the residency visa process. This service provides a distinctive advantage, particularly for new residents in Dubai, who can reduce the time it takes to process the Emirates ID by up to three weeks. Equipped with advanced automation, robotics and smart technologies, the 12,000 square feet facility in DIFC also provides medical fitness results within 30 minutes of screening.

Alya Al Zarouni, Chief Operating Officer at DIFC Authority, said, “At DIFC, we are passionate about providing seamless services to enhance convenience of our visitors and the more than 39,000 professionals that work here. Smart Salem services which can be accessed through DIFC Services, plays a pivotal role in improving the DIFC experience for our growing community as it utilises the latest in tech to streamline UAE residency visa processes.”

Sanjay Verma, CEO of Smart Salem, said, “We are proud to collaborate with DIFC and the GDRFA in delivering a seamless and digital visa journey for residents in the Emirate. A Medical Fitness test is an essential step for anyone wishing to get residency, and we are significantly enriching that end-to-end experience for all residents and property investors.”

Harnessing digital innovation in line with its commitment to the Dubai Smart City Vision, Smart Salem aims to increase efficiency and improve services for its customers through its state-of-the-art facilities at DIFC, Dubai Knowledge Park and City Walk, Dubai. More than 100,000 customers have availed residency services and completed medical tests across its three centres over the past 12 months.

In addition to visa-related tests, all Smart Salem centres also offer a range of blood marker tests at a nominal fee to promote overall general wellness. Visitors can complete all formalities within 10 minutes at the fully digital and paperless centre.

The semi-annual increase in the average number of pages viewed was 3.52 percent, compared to the same period last year, reflecting users’ confidence in U.AE’s content, which includes comprehensive government information and services useful for citizens, residents, visitors and the business sector.

TDRA works constantly on developing U.AE’s content to meet customers’ expectations, in cooperation with federal and local government entities. Recently, TDRA launched the generative AI-supported version of UAE’s Government Unified Digital Platform, to provide an interactive environment that allows users to obtain information and government services in an interesting and interactive way, around the clock.

The upgraded version of U.AE uses generative AI algorithms to achieve live interaction between the user and the platform, while ensuring privacy by using UAE Pass to log in the platform. When the user logs in and searches for information and services, he gets his needs in an individualised and accurate manner, thanks to the use of AI algorithms and UAE Pass, thus, he gets his needs quickly, without going through a long process of navigation between several options.

TDRA announced that most of the visits made by users were related to inquiries about entry permits, visas and their validity, unemployment insurance system, tourist visa, golden visa, Emirates ID, and other topics of interest to the general public.

Commenting on U.AE’s performance in the first half of 2023, Mohammad Al Zarooni, TDRA Deputy Director-General, said, “Since its launch, the UAE’s Government Unified Digital Platform has strengthened its position as the first source of information and government services in the UAE. This success was not the result of a single effort, but rather the result of cooperation and the spirit of one team that includes all government entities, as each entity reviews the content relevant to it on the platform. Moreover, the process of development takes place in a spirit of harmony and shared purpose.

“This was reflected in the happiness of the platform’s customers, as the happiness level reached (90 percent). It was also reflected in some key indicators, including the Online Service Index and the Digital Participation Index. U.AE is the first destination of international assessors who measure the extent of the development of digital governments in the world. The UAE ranked first in the Arab region in Digital Government Development overall index, as well as in sub-indicators such as the OSI and the E-Participation Index.”

Analytical figures indicate that the majority of visitors to the platform came from the UAE at a percentage of 55.52 percent, followed by India, then the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, Germany, Qatar, and Oman, respectively.

U.AE consists of five main sections, including the information and services section, the UAE section, the E-Participation section, the media section, and U-ask section. The information and services section addresses many topics such as work, investment, tourism, infrastructure and visa, in addition to a complete list of all government services in the country.

The second section covers the history of the UAE in different eras, as well as the plans and strategies of the UAE to foresee the future and achieve comprehensive development. This section also covers the country’s efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. The Digital Participation section lists the channels of communication with the UAE Government, as well as platforms for consultation, instant chat, and others. The recently added “U-ask” section aims to leverage AI algorithms to achieve live interaction between the user and the platform.