IMPACT – MEDIUM

The Emirati government has announced that a new Green Visa is available to foreign nationals seeking residency in the country.

Key Points:

  • Entrepreneurs, investors, highly skilled professionals and top achievers are eligible to apply for the Green Visa without being sponsored by a business.
  • Green Visa holders may sponsor parents and children who are 25; previously, visa holders could only sponsor their male dependents until they were 21.
  • Green visas hold validity for five years while the golden visa is 10 years. As of now, the two visas only differ in the visa duration.

Additional Information: The Emirati government further explained that the Green Visa will be a continuation of its existing visas schemes and work alongside the golden and tourist visas. The government has not provided additional information on eligibility requirements or application guidelines.

BAL Analysis: The new Green Visa will allow foreign nationals the ability to enter the country without an employer sponsorship. More details on how the system will work should be announced in the coming weeks. BAL will continue to monitor Green Visa developments and will provide more information as it becomes available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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