United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates visa salary thresholds
The UAE does not set a uniform salary floor for work permits but requires a minimum for Golden Visa categories and for dependant sponsorship. Free zones publish their own employee-sponsorship floors.
Last checked 18 August 2026. Every figure is mapped to a primary government source and re-verified over time; recorded changes appear in the changelog.
What salary do you need for a skilled-work visa in United Arab Emirates?
The main skilled-work salary floor in United Arab Emirates is AED 360,000 / year (Golden Visa — skilled employee minimum), effective 3 October 2022. Occupation-specific going rates may bind higher.
Source checked against UAE Government Portal — Golden Visa on 18 August 2026.
Threshold table
| Route | Amount | ~USD | In force since | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Golden Visa — skilled employee minimum# Minimum annual gross salary (AED 30,000/month) for skilled employees applying for the Golden Visa on the basis of a Level 1 or Level 2 ISCO occupation. No changes recorded for this figure since 3 October 2022. | AED 360,000 / year | $98,000 | 2022-10-03 | UAE Government Portal — Golden Visa |
Golden Visa — investor (public investment)# Minimum investment threshold for the Golden Visa on the basis of public fund deposits or real-estate investment worth at least AED 2 million. | AED 2,000,000 / year | $544,000 | 2022-10-03 | UAE Government Portal — Golden Visa |
Green Visa — freelancer minimum# Freelancers applying for the Green Visa need evidence of annual earnings of at least AED 360,000 over the previous two years (or financial solvency during stay). | AED 360,000 / year | $98,000 | 2022-10-03 | UAE Government Portal — Green Visa |
Dependant sponsorship — resident employee# Indicative minimum annual salary (AED 4,000/month, or AED 3,000 + accommodation) for a resident sponsoring a spouse or children, per ICP / GDRFA. | AED 48,000 / year | $13,000 | 2023-01-01 | UAE Government Portal — Residence visa for family members |
Cite or reuse this dataset
This figure is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the Visa Atlas page for the compiled, dated dataset, and cite the official source for the underlying government rule.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "United Arab Emirates visa salary thresholds", https://visaatlas.org/salary-thresholds/uae. Last checked 18 August 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/salary-thresholds
How often this changes
Federal Decree-Law 29/2021 restructured the UAE visa system in 2022. Thresholds have been stable since then (verified June 2026) but free-zone employers may set higher internal minimums.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum salary to qualify for a work visa in United Arab Emirates?
The UAE does not set a uniform salary floor for work permits but requires a minimum for Golden Visa categories and for dependant sponsorship. Free zones publish their own employee-sponsorship floors.
How often do United Arab Emirates salary thresholds change?
Federal Decree-Law 29/2021 restructured the UAE visa system in 2022. Thresholds have been stable since then (verified June 2026) but free-zone employers may set higher internal minimums.
Does meeting the headline threshold guarantee approval?
No. Headline floors are one of several criteria. Most jurisdictions also apply an occupation-specific going rate, character and health checks, and — for sponsored routes — employer/sponsor compliance. Failing any one of these can lead to refusal even where salary is above the threshold.
Related
Reviewed by Sam Parks, Editor and lead researcher.