UAE Golden Visa for Pakistanis: AED 30,000 Salary Route, Investors and How to Apply
Pakistanis in the UAE can get a 10 year Golden visa with a degree, a MOHRE level 1 or 2 job and AED 30,000 a month. Check every route and the documents needed.
A Pakistani working in the UAE can get a 10 year Golden visa as a skilled professional with a bachelor's degree, a job at MOHRE level 1 or 2 and a monthly salary of at least AED 30,000. Investors need at least AED 2 million. The visa needs no sponsor and lets you stay outside the UAE for more than six months.
The UAE is home to one of the largest groups of Pakistani workers abroad, and most of them live on a two year employment visa tied to one employer. Lose the job and the visa goes with it. The Golden visa breaks that link. The UAE government portal, u.ae, describes it as a long-term, renewable residence of 5 or 10 years for investors, entrepreneurs, talented specialists, outstanding students and frontline heroes.
| Category | Visa length | Main requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Skilled professional | 10 years | Degree, MOHRE level 1 or 2, AED 30,000 a month |
| Investor | 5 or 10 years | At least AED 2 million |
| Entrepreneur | 5 years | Approved innovative project |
| Exceptional talent | 10 years | Doctors, scientists, PhD holders and others |
| Outstanding student | 5 or 10 years | Certificates of excellence |
The Golden visa gives you residence without a sponsor
The UAE Golden visa is a residence visa valid for 5 or 10 years that you hold in your own right. You do not need an employer or relative to sponsor you, and the visa stays valid even if you spend more than six months outside the UAE.
The u.ae portal lists four benefits. The visa is long-term and renewable. You need no sponsor. You can stay abroad longer than the usual six month limit that cancels an ordinary residence visa. And you can sponsor your family, including your spouse and children.
That six month rule is the one Pakistanis feel most. A worker who comes home to Lahore for a long family emergency can lose an ordinary UAE residence. A Golden visa holder does not face that limit.
Skilled professionals need AED 30,000 a month and a level 1 or 2 job
The skilled professional route is the one most Pakistani engineers, bankers, IT staff and managers can aim for. It gives 10 years. You need a bachelor's degree, a job classified level 1 or 2 by the UAE labour ministry, MOHRE, and a monthly salary of at least AED 30,000.
The Abu Dhabi Residents Office explains the two levels. Level 1 is managers and business executives. Level 2 is professionals in science, engineering, health, education, business and management, IT, law, sociology and culture. Your level is set by MOHRE's job classification, so check the job title on your work permit, not the one on your business card.
The office lists four documents for this route:
- Proof that your position is level 1 or 2 under MOHRE's classification.
- Your attested bachelor's degree or equivalent.
- Six months of statements from an approved UAE bank showing a salary of at least AED 30,000 a month.
- A salary certificate from your employer, issued within the last month.
Attestation is where many Pakistani applications stall. Your degree has to be attested in Pakistan first, starting with HEC degree attestation online, before the UAE side accepts it. Check too whether a paper needs an apostille or attestation, because the two are not the same. Start that while you are still building the six months of salary history.
Investors need at least AED 2 million
The investor route asks for a minimum capital of AED 2 million. According to u.ae, public investments can bring 10 years and real estate investments 5 years. Property ownership, or a stake in a business paying at least AED 250,000 a year in taxes, can qualify.
At an exchange rate of about Rs 76 to the dirham, AED 2 million is more than Rs 150 million. This is a route for business owners and wealthy families, not for most salaried workers. If you are buying property to qualify, confirm with the land department of that emirate that the property counts before you pay.
Doctors, scientists, students and frontline workers have their own routes
The exceptional talent route gives 10 years to doctors, scientists, inventors, artists, executives, athletes, PhD holders and specialists in priority science and engineering fields. Each group has its own rules, such as recommendation letters, licences or accredited degrees.
For health professionals, the Abu Dhabi Residents Office asks for a bachelor's degree and a valid UAE licence to practise. Technicians and assistant roles also need at least five years of experience in the UAE. Researchers are judged on citation measures, such as an H-index of 10 or higher.
Outstanding students can get 5 years for top high school results or 10 years for top university results, with certificates of excellence and recommendation letters. Humanitarian pioneers and frontline heroes can get 10 years, usually with at least five years of service. Children of Pakistani families in Dubai who top their school exams should look at this route.
Apply through ICP, or TAMM in Abu Dhabi
Golden residence is a service of the UAE's Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, known as ICP. In Abu Dhabi, nomination requests go through the TAMM government services platform. Dubai residents apply through the Dubai residency authority, GDRFA.
Keep these points in mind before you apply:
- Apply from inside the UAE if you already live there, so your bank history and Emirates ID are on record.
- Fees are shown when you apply. We could not open a fixed official fee table, so do not trust a figure an agent quotes.
- Gather the documents first. The six month bank statement and the one month salary certificate must line up with each other.
- Keep your Pakistani passport valid. A residence visa is stamped against a passport.
Be careful of anyone selling a "guaranteed" Golden visa. No agent can guarantee it, and the UAE government lists only its own channels. If you are still in Pakistan and looking for a first job, the normal UAE work visa from Pakistan comes first, and the Golden visa comes once you meet the salary and job level.
Common questions
Can a Pakistani get a UAE Golden visa?
Yes. The Golden visa is open to all nationalities who meet a category's rules. There is no separate rule for Pakistanis.
What salary do I need for a UAE Golden visa?
At least AED 30,000 a month on the skilled professional route, with a bachelor's degree and a MOHRE level 1 or 2 job.
Can I sponsor my family on a Golden visa?
Yes. The u.ae portal says Golden visa holders can sponsor family members, including spouses and children.
Does a Golden visa cancel if I stay in Pakistan for over six months?
No. Golden visa holders can stay outside the UAE for more than the usual six months without losing their residence.
How much does the UAE Golden visa cost?
The fee is shown when you apply on the official channel. We could not confirm a fixed fee on an official page, so ignore agents' figures.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked 10 October 2026, about 8:30 pm PKT. Categories, lengths, benefits and the AED 2 million investor rule are from the UAE government portal's Golden visa page, updated 28 July 2026. Skilled professional, health and researcher rules are from the Abu Dhabi Residents Office. The rupee figure uses an approximate rate for illustration only.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
