visaprocessUAE: 'Retirement visa' in Dubai; What are the requirements and How to apply

Updated requirements for Retire in Dubai visa as of 01/01/2021.

General updates:

All applications must contain a passport-sized photo of the applicant and their dependents.
Retirees may sponsor their children, with no restrictions on age, gender or marital status.
Sponsorship of domestic help is subject to compliance with Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) regulations and is independent from the Retirement Visa.
Retirees are currently not permitted to work without a temporary work permit. At this stage, such permits are issued only for short term engagements/advisory work for the Government of Dubai.

Specific updates per application route:

A. Income route (AED 20,000 monthly)

A letter must be provided indicating that they are retired. This can be in the form of an end of service letter from their last employer, or a retirement letter from their social services indicating that the applicant is retired.
GDRFA is currently prioritising income from pension schemes or social services.
Other sources of income will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis; with justification and evidence of source of income to support continuity of future income.

B. Savings route (AED 1 million)

A letter must be provided indicating that they are retired. This can be in the form of an end of service letter from their last employer, or a retirement letter from their social services indicating that the applicant is retired.
The AED 1 million savings must be deposited in a 3 year fixed deposit in a UAE-based bank. Applicants must submit a letter from the bank (in Arabic), addressed to GDRFA, stating that AED 1 million has been deposited in a 3 year fixed deposit.
International applicants must provide an attested and translated certificate or statement showing at least AED 1 million (or equivalent in another currency) in their international bank account. Upon approval of residency and arrival of the applicant, the AED 1 million must be deposited in a fixed deposit for 3 years in a local bank within 30 days of residency issuance.

C. Property route (AED 2 million)

If your property is mortgaged, the net equity value must be above AED 2 million and such applications will be evaluated for validity.
If the property is owned by a company and/or SPV, the company must be wholly owned by the applicant.

Note: All applications will be reviewed and processed by DTCM’s official processing partner, Al Rais Travel Agencies LLC under the supervision of DTCM. All applications submitted from 1 December 2020 will incur a US$ 25 processing fee, payable to Al Rais directly. The payment of processing fee does not guarantee approval of the application and is non-refundable.

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Any resident or retiree outside of UAE and over the age of 55 can apply

Applications can be submitted under the "Retirement in Dubai" program, which is the first of its kind in the region and the result of cooperation between Dubai Tourism and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs.

Any resident or retiree outside of UAE and over the age of 55 can apply for the retirement visa via the website www.retireindubai.com.

There are terms and conditions for obtaining a retirement visa that is renewable every five years.

The retiree must have a monthly income of Dh20,000, which he earns from investments or pension, or has a balance of one million dirhams, or has real estate in Dubai of two million dirhams.

Retirement Visa features

The visa is valid for five years and can be renewed automatically online as long as the retiree continues to meet the eligibility criteria.
The Retirement Visa is available to you, your spouse and your children.

To qualify, you must fulfill the below criteria:

Minimum Age: You must be at least 55 years of age

Health Insurance: You must have valid medical insurance covering the UAE.

Financial Capacity: The applicant must meet one of the following financial criteria:

Property Value: To own a property in the country that is not mortgaged and is worth no less than AED 2 million (approx. USD 550,000)
OR
Cash Savings: To have a bank deposit in the UAE of no less than AED 1 million (approx. USD 275,000) OR
Minimum income: To provide a proof that he has a monthly income of no less than AED 20,000 (approx. USD 5,500) or of an equivalent other currency OR
Combination of Property value and Savings: To combine points 1 and 2 so that the sum of the bank deposit and market price of the property value is no less than AED 2 million (approx. USD 550,000).

Application documentation:

Whichever eligibility route you wish to use, ensure that you have the required supporting evidence attached in your application email (mentioned below).
For example, if you wish to apply using route a - Property value - you must attach a copy of your property title deed.
If, on the other hand, you prefer route b Cash savings, then a letter from the bank stating the value of the deposit is required.
In the case of route c – Income - a bank statement for the past 6 months and evidence of source of income is required as proof.
If you wish to use route d – Combination - then a combination of proofs noted above to a minimum sum of AED 2 million is needed.

When ready, you can email the below mentioned documents to: retireInDubai@dubaitourism.ae
This e-mail belongs to Dubai Corporation of Tourism & Commerce Marketing. After reviewing your application, if it is eligible, they will forward it to GDRFA for visa processing;

Passport copy of applicant, spouse and children (if applicable)
Marriage certificate copy (if sponsoring the spouse)
Current copy of visa (If applicant is a resident of UAE)
Copy of Emirates IDs of applicant (if applicant is a current resident in UAE)
Eligibility evidence copy (as explained above).
Copy of a valid Health insurance policy covering UAE (policies for spouse and children, if applicable). Please ensure you complete the purchase your health insurance the day before your visa application. In the situation where your application is not accepted, the health insurance providers offer a 30 day refund period after purchase.
Current home address (Building number, street number, area, city, country)
Mobile number and email address on which you wish to be contacted on.

After submission of your documents it may take 3 working days to receive confirmation from Dubai Tourism Department on the status of your application.

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