In certain countries, it is possible to obtain permanent or long-term residence through investment or specialised talent. This type of permit is known as a golden visa. If you are a business owner or an entrepreneur, this type of visa may spark your interest, as, provided you have the necessary resources or experience, it may simplify the expansion or establishment of your business abroad, allowing not only you, but also your family, an appointed executive director, and an appointed business advisor long-term access to the country.
In the United Arab Emirates, the golden visa takes two different forms: a 10-year visa and a 5-year visa. Both renew automatically for as long as the owner remains eligible, but the eligibility criteria differs. The 10-year visa is open to business investors and professionals with specialised talents (including scientists, inventors, and creatives), while the 5-year visa is open to property investors, entrepreneurs, and outstanding students. The minimum requirements hence vary.
The routes include [1]:
- Property investment: Investment in a property of a gross value of at least AED 5 million,
- Business investment: Public investments of at least AED 10 million,
- Specialised talent: Ph.D. from one of the top 500 universities in the world, major contribution to scientific research, published works in distinguished publications, etc.,
- Entrepreneurship: Existing project with a minimum capital of AED 500,000,
- Outstanding student: Achievement of minimum grade (ex: GPA 3.75) upon graduation from top universities.
As you can see, depending on the route you pursue, there are a number of requirements, which you must evidence with relevant documentation. For instance, if you are applying as an entrepreneur, you will need to provide commercial documents relating to your current business venture. If you are applying as an outstanding student, you will need to provide your academic transcripts and degree certificate(s).
You will also need public documents to verify your identity and the identities of any family members or colleagues who you intend to include on your golden visa – this may include passports, birth certificates, and marriage certificates.
The UAE requires the legalisation of foreign documents for use in the country. Because the UAE is not signatory to the Hague Convention, the Hague Apostille is not recognised for this purpose. It is hence necessary to follow a process of double-certification. This process includes several steps:
- Generally, the document must be an original or duplicate. It should also bear the stamp or signature of a public official. Otherwise, it must be either certified by a solicitor or notarised before it can be legalised,
- Provided the document meets these standards, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) can issue it an Apostille,
- The UAE Embassy London can then attest it, which will render it legal for use in the UAE.
There are, additionally, a few major considerations to bear in mind when legalising documents for the UAE, namely:
- The UAE embassy will not accept documents in bundles; unfortunately, this means that any documents you submit will need to be certified or notarised (as necessary) and apostilled individually,
- The UAE embassy only accepts documents by post,
- The UAE embassy requires photocopies of all documents submitted.
Embassy legalisation can be complex. If you do not complete each step, it can easily become a time-consuming process of submission and resubmission. At Pardus Bloom, we aim to save you that unnecessary hassle. We have a network of professionals for every stage of the legalisation process and an abundance of experience handling the legalisation of documents for all purposes and for use all around the globe.