UAE announces 5 year residence visa for expats: Here are terms and conditions

Agencies
September 17, 2018

Expats in the UAE will be allowed to stay back in the country for a "longer period of time" after retirement, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has announced.

5-year residence visa announced in UAE: Terms and conditions

The visa will be provided to expat retirees over the age of 55 years for a period of five years under specific conditions:

1. The expat should have investment in a property worth Dh2 million, or,

2. Have savings of no less than Dh1 million, or,

3. Have an active income not less than Dh20,000 per month

UAE expats welcomed the move and see it having a positive impact. 

"This is a boon for many who have lived in this country for decades, will help them plan long time in terms of investment as well as retirement" Vinay Varma, Owner, Royal Orchid Group tells Khaleej Times.

"The decision to allow expats to stay back in the UAE for a longer time after retirement is a great news," says Kamal Vachani, Group Director, Al Maya Group. 

"I have been living in this country for the last 17 years. We belong to this country and this decision will keep many families together," Wajeb Al Khoury, Director of Line Investment, LuLu Group expresses.  

"This is a major shift in policy. Giving expats the option to stay back after retirement will have a positive impact on the society and economy," emphasises Shaher Mousli, CEO of Arthur Mackenzy Properties Group.

Comments

tony
 - 
Saturday, 28 Nov 2020

The information is inaccurate. According to The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA-Dubai) here are the requirement:
Granting a retired foreigner and his wife a residence for a period of (5 years) renewable without a sponsor; Provided that the beneficiary and his spouse have health insurance; And according to ALL of the 3 the following terms and conditions:
• He must be the owner of a real estate in the country not mortgaged to any party, with a value not less than two million dirhams. ·
• He must have a financial deposit in a bank in the country with a value of not less than one million dirhams.
• He must have proof that he has a monthly income of not less than twenty thousand dirhams or the equivalent in foreign currencies.

ALL OF THEM (3 CRITERIA)

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News Network
November 24,2025

lebanon.jpg

Israel has launched a new act of aggression on a residential neighborhood in Lebanon's capital, Beirut, killing and injuring about two dozen civilians.

The Israeli regime's military said in a statement that its forces carried out a so-called precise strike in a residential apartment in Dahiyeh in the southern suburbs of Beirut on Sunday.

The aggression targeted residential areas, killing at least five people and injuring more than 28 people, Lebanon's Health Ministry said. 

Hezbollah announced the martyrdom of senior Hezbollah commander Haytham Ali Tabatabai and four resistance fighters.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun condemned the airstrike, calling it a clear demonstration of Tel Aviv’s disregard for repeated international calls to halt violations on Lebanese soil.

“Israel refuses to implement international resolutions and all efforts aimed at ending the escalation and restoring stability,” Aoun said, urging the international community to take action to prevent further aggression.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement also condemned the attack, holding the international community accountable. 

“The international community bears responsibility and continues to provide cover for these attacks as long as it does not restrain the occupiers,” said Ali Abu Shahin, a member of the group’s political bureau.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the Israeli army carried out a strike “in the heart of Beirut."

Netanyahu reportedly approved the operation following recommendations from top Israeli security officials.

Two senior US officials commented on the Israeli strike.

The first official said that Israel did not notify Americans in advance about the attack. "We were informed immediately after the strike was carried out."

The second senior official said that the "US knew for several days that Israel was planning to escalate its strikes in Lebanon, but did not know in advance the timing, location, or target of the strike."

Speaking from the site of the Israeli strike, Lebanese MP Ali Ammar condemned the attack as part of a broader campaign of aggression that has targeted "all of Lebanon since the Washington-sponsored ceasefire."

He stated that "any attack on Lebanon is a violation of red lines; this aggression is part and parcel of the entity that targets Lebanon's dignity, sovereignty, and security of citizens."

Ammar went on to say the resistance is responding with "utmost wisdom, patience, and will confront the enemy at the appropriate time."

"Unfortunately, the enemy is emboldened to commit its aggression by voices within Lebanon that have turned themselves into tools that support its aggression," he added.

The Israeli attack on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital is the latest blatant violation of the ceasefire Israel signed with Hezbollah in November 2024, which was intended to end hostilities that had escalated into full-scale war.

An Israeli strike on the Ain al-Hilweh camp near Sidon in southern Lebanon late Tuesday killed at least 14 people. It wounded several others, including young students, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

The military claimed the attack targeted “a Hamas training compound” used to plan and carry out attacks against the regime -- a claim that has frequently been made without evidence.

Hamas rejected the allegations as “a blatant lie aimed at justifying the massacre,” stating it had “no military installations in the Palestinian camps in Lebanon” and that the targeted site was merely “an open sports field.”

According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli attacks have killed approximately 4,000 people and displaced more than 1.2 million residents across the country since October 2023.

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