UAE long-term residency

Residency that answers to you.

A five-year UAE residency you hold yourself — no employer sponsor, no national partner. Built for skilled employees, freelancers and investors who want their status to outlast any one contract.

5
year residency
6
month grace period
Zero
sponsor required

Which one fits

01 / Routes
01

Skilled employees

A degree-qualified professional on a valid UAE contract, in an occupation classified at the first, second or third skill level.Bachelor's degree or equivalent, and a monthly salary from AED 15,000

Employment
02

Freelancers & self-employed

Independent professionals working under a freelance permit rather than an employment contract.MoHRE freelance permit, a degree or specialised diploma, and proven self-employment income

Self-sponsored
03

Investors & partners

Owners and partners in a commercial licence, where the investment itself is the basis of the residency.Approved commercial licence and investment value confirmed by the competent authority

Investment

What it changes

02 / Why it matters
01

You hold the sponsorship

Change employer, go independent or pause between contracts without your residency following the job out of the door.

02

A longer runway

Six months to remain or re-enter after expiry, where a standard residency gives thirty days.

03

Wider family sponsorship

Sponsor a spouse, parents, and sons up to twenty-five — beyond the limits attached to a standard permit.

From decision to done

03 / How it works
01

Route selection

We establish which of the three categories you actually qualify under, and which is strongest for you.

02

Evidence pack

Degree attestation, contract or freelance permit, salary or income proof, and the supporting documents each route asks for.

03

Submission

Filed with the ICP or the relevant emirate's authority, with the permit or licence steps sequenced ahead of it.

04

Entry & Emirates ID

Entry permit, status change where needed, then medical, biometrics and the Emirates ID itself.

Let's begin

Hold your own residency.

Tell us how you earn — employed, freelance or invested — and we'll come back with the route that fits, what it asks for, and how long it takes.