Image: WAM
The UAE has rolled out a wide-ranging overhaul of its residency and visa framework, introducing new visit-visa categories and tightening eligibility rules as part of its broader push to strengthen the country’s appeal as a global hub for talent, business, and long-term investment.
Approved by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, the reforms add four new visit-visa purposes while standardising durations and sponsorship requirements across multiple permit types. The updated framework aligns with the UAE’s strategy to attract specialised skills, diversify its labour market, and reinforce economic openness.
New visit-visa categories
Under the revised system, four new visit-visa categories have been introduced.
These include visas for artificial intelligence specialists sponsored by licensed AI-focused entities; entertainment visas for cultural, artistic, and tourism-related activities; event visas covering conferences, exhibitions, festivals, and sporting, religious, or educational gatherings; and maritime tourism visas for cruise passengers and leisure vessels operating on approved routes with licensed sponsors.
Existing visa categories
Several existing visa categories have also been revised. Foreign truck drivers may now apply for single or multiple-entry visas under stricter conditions, including sponsorship by accredited logistics companies, financial guarantees, and health compliance. Rules for sponsoring visiting friends or relatives have been updated with income thresholds linked to kinship, ranging from Dh4,000 to Dh15,000 per month.
Business-exploration visa applicants are now required to demonstrate financial capacity, overseas professional experience, or formal recognition of their occupation by relevant authorities. The reforms also clarify humanitarian residency options, allowing individuals from conflict- or disaster-affected countries to receive renewable one-year visas, in some cases without a sponsor.
Additional provisions apply to foreign widows and divorcees previously married to UAE nationals or residents, granting six-month residencies extendable on valid grounds, while custodial mothers may sponsor their children subject to housing and financial conditions. A unified schedule covering visa durations and approving authorities has also been adopted to improve transparency and consistency.
Golden visa holders
Separately, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the federal authority, has introduced five new services for Golden visa holders. These include electronic return documents for lost passports abroad, 24-hour emergency support, humanitarian evacuation, repatriation of remains, and access to a dedicated global hotline.
Read: GCC unified tourist visa set for pilot launch by late 2025
