Green Visa in the UAE 2026 – 5-Year Self-Sponsored Residency: Eligibility & Process
The UAE Green Visa is a 5-year, self-sponsored residency that frees you from needing a UAE employer or sponsor. It suits freelancers, skilled professionals and business partners who want independence plus the right to sponsor their family — including parents. Dubai Business Services confirms your route and manages the whole application.
Who Qualifies
- Freelancer / self-employed: hold a freelance or self-employment permit (from MoHRE or a free zone) and show the required income history.
- Skilled employee: a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, a job classified in skill levels 1-3, and a salary of at least AED 15,000.
- Investor / partner: own or hold a stake in a licensed mainland or free-zone company.
Key Benefits
- 5-year residency, self-sponsored — no employer tie
- Sponsor spouse, children and, importantly, parents
- A longer 6-month grace period after expiry or cancellation to remain in the UAE
- Freedom to change work without cancelling your status
Requirements & Documents
- Passport and photo
- The underlying proof for your route — freelance permit, degree + salary certificate, or company share evidence
- Medical fitness test and Emirates ID biometrics
Process & Timeline
- Route and eligibility check with DBS
- Obtain the underlying permit or licence
- Application, medical and Emirates ID
- Visa issuance and family sponsorship
A complete file is usually processed within days once the underlying permit or salary evidence is ready.
Cost — What Drives the Price
Your total combines the government visa and issuance fees, the medical test, Emirates ID, the underlying freelance permit (if that is your route), and DBS’s processing fee. Family sponsorship adds a visa, medical and Emirates ID per dependent. DBS gives you an itemised quote rather than a single headline number.
Why DBS
DBS advises whether the Green Visa or another route (Golden, investor, freelance) gives you the best terms, secures the underlying permit, and processes your residency and dependents together — so you get five years of independence without the paperwork guesswork.
Frequently Asked Questions
Green Visa vs Golden Visa? Green is 5 years for freelancers and skilled workers; the Golden Visa is 10 years for investors and top talent. DBS advises which fits your profile.
Can I sponsor my parents? Yes — parent sponsorship is one of the Green Visa’s advantages.
Do I need a company? Not for the freelancer or skilled-employee routes.
What salary do skilled employees need? At least AED 15,000, with a degree and a job in skill levels 1-3.