The ten-year residency is real, it is not reserved for celebrities and athletes, and it is probably the single most misreported thing about living in the UAE. Search it and you will find confident, contradictory answers about thresholds, eligibility and process, most of them either out of date or invented.
Here is the shape of it, and the two routes Almas actually assesses and files.
What it gives you
The confirmed core of it: ten-year renewable residency, against the property or deposit threshold below. The UAE authorities publish the fuller list of conditions and benefits that come with it, and those change and vary by circumstance — we point you to them rather than restate specifics here that we have not independently confirmed.
Who qualifies — the two routes we file
Almas works two qualifying routes, both at the same threshold:
1. AED 2 million in UAE property
Ownership of UAE property to that value. The property route is the more common of the two and the one most people have heard of, though usually with the wrong number attached.
2. AED 2 million held on deposit
The visa granted against a bank deposit of that amount. This route suits people whose capital is liquid, or who are not ready to commit to property in a market they are still getting to know.
Other categories are published by the UAE authorities under the wider scheme. Those are outside what we assess and file, so they are outside what this guide covers. We would rather point you elsewhere than give you a half-informed answer on a ten-year commitment.
Why applications get rejected
The pattern is the same as a corporate banking file: rejections are usually about the quality and coherence of the documentation, not the merit of the applicant.
- Documents that do not corroborate each other. Valuations, ownership records and identity documents need to tell one consistent story.
- Valuations without supporting evidence. A number on its own is not a valuation.
- Expired documents. Check every date before submission.
- Applying under the wrong category for the actual circumstances. This is the most common and the most avoidable.
Three myths worth correcting
- "It is only for celebrities and athletes." No. The property and deposit routes are open to anyone who meets the threshold.
- "You get it through owning a company." Not through the two routes we work with — those are property and deposit. If someone is telling you your trade licence alone qualifies you, ask them under exactly which provision, and confirm it directly with the UAE authorities before you rely on it.
- "Once you have it, you can ignore it for ten years." It is renewable residency with conditions attached, not a permanent status. The conditions still matter.
What the process looks like
In practice the work is almost entirely in the preparation. Establishing which route fits, assembling the evidence so that it corroborates itself, and confirming the category before anything is submitted. An application that has been properly prepared is a formality. One that has not is a decline waiting to happen, and a decline costs time you do not get back.
This is why we start with an eligibility assessment rather than an application. It tells you which route you are on, or that neither applies yet — which is also a useful answer, and a cheaper one to receive now than after a rejection.
Check where you stand
An eligibility assessment will tell you whether either route is open to you and what evidence you would need — we assess eligibility before you commit to anything. Message "VISA" on WhatsApp to +971 52 733 8749.
Thresholds and eligibility criteria are set by the UAE authorities and can change. The figures above reflect the routes Almas currently assesses and files. Confirm your position before acting on it.
Tell us what you are trying to do and we will tell you what it takes
No obligation, and we will say plainly if a route does not fit — including when the answer is the cheaper one.
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