UAE Green Visa Checker
The 5-year, self-sponsored residence visa most UK movers have never heard of. No employer sponsor, an AED 15,000/month threshold (half the Golden Visa's), and a route for freelancers. Five questions to see if you qualify.
What's your current situation?
The Green Visa has separate routes for employees and freelancers.
Green vs Golden vs employer-sponsored
Most guides only cover the Golden Visa. For a mid-senior professional on AED 15,000-30,000/month, the Green Visa is often the better-kept secret: self-sponsored security without the AED 30,000 basic-salary bar.
| Green Visa | Golden Visa | Employer-sponsored | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 5 years, renewable | 10 years, renewable | 2-3 years, tied to the job |
| Who sponsors you | You do (self-sponsored) | You do (self-sponsored) | Your employer |
| Salary threshold | AED 15,000/month (skilled employee route) | AED 30,000/month basic salary (skilled professional route) | None |
| Education | Bachelor's degree or specialised diploma | Bachelor's degree or higher (route-dependent) | Whatever the role requires |
| Freelancer route | Yes: MOHRE permit + AED 360k/yr income or solvency | No direct route (entrepreneur route instead) | Not applicable |
| If you lose your job | Visa unaffected; grace period up to 6 months on expiry | Visa unaffected | Visa cancelled; typically 1-6 months grace to exit or switch |
| Family sponsorship | Spouse and children, with extended age limits | Spouse and children, the most generous limits | Possible above salary minimums |
| Best for | Mid-senior professionals below Golden thresholds who want independence | Senior professionals, investors and founders who clear the bar | Getting in the door fast with a sponsoring employer |
How to apply: the skilled-employee walkthrough
- 1
Confirm your occupation level
The skilled-employee route requires MOHRE skill level 1-3: managers, professionals and technicians. Software engineers, product managers, data scientists, consultants, finance and healthcare professionals typically qualify.
- 2
Attest your degree
Your bachelor's degree or specialised diploma must be attested (FCDO in the UK, then the UAE Embassy). This is the longest lead time in the whole process, so start it first.
- 3
Evidence the salary threshold
A valid UAE employment contract showing AED 15,000+/month. Freelancers instead need a MOHRE freelance permit plus AED 360,000/year of self-employment income over the past two years, or proof of financial solvency.
- 4
Apply self-sponsored via ICP or GDRFA
Unlike the standard residence visa, you apply for yourself; no employer sponsorship or company PRO needed. Applications go through the federal ICP channels (GDRFA for Dubai).
- 5
Medical, Emirates ID, then family
Complete the medical fitness test and Emirates ID biometrics. Once your 5-year residence is issued you can sponsor your spouse and children yourself.
Why you probably haven't heard of it
The Green Visa launched in October 2022, five years after the Golden Visa, and the Golden Visa gets nearly all the coverage. But for a UK professional weighing a move, the practical difference is simple: at AED 15,000/month with a degree you can hold your own residency instead of borrowing your employer's. Change jobs, freelance, or take a career break without your visa being cancelled, and sponsor your family yourself.
The visa is one line of your move plan.
The free Job Move Diagnostic maps your salary uplift, visa read, employers and timeline in one report. The Move Plan sequences the whole household move around it.