The Golden visa for professionals in the UAE is a 10-year, self-sponsored residence for employees who earn AED 30,000 a month, hold at least a bachelor's degree and work in a job at MOHRE skill level 1 or 2. Your residence stops depending on your employer. Wordcraft checks the four conditions, attests your degree and files the application until your visa and Emirates ID are issued.
Engineers, IT specialists, finance managers, lawyers, doctors and senior executives make up most of the applicants we see, and the degree is almost always the document that decides how fast the file moves.
Do You Qualify? The Four Conditions
- Monthly salary of AED 30,000, shown in your employment contract and salary certificate.
- Bachelor's degree or higher, attested for use in the UAE.
- MOHRE skill level 1 or 2: the occupation on your work permit must fall in the first or second professional level.
- A valid employment contract with a UAE employer (mainland or free zone).
Some professions, such as doctors, nurses and teachers, also have separate talent-based routes with their own conditions. We compare the routes during your free quote and choose the one that fits best. Our guide on the Golden visa for nurses explains one of them.
Degree Attestation and Equivalency: Where Professional Files Stall
A degree issued abroad must be authenticated in the issuing country and legalized by the UAE embassy there, which now completes the UAE MOFA attestation digitally in the same step. A degree issued in the UAE usually needs MOFA attestation. Some authorities also ask for an equivalency certificate from the competent UAE education authority.
Wordcraft handles degree certificate attestation for more than 50 countries, and arranges the Arabic legal translation if the receiving authority needs it. Start it before anything else: a US, UK or Indian degree can need several home-country steps before it reaches the UAE embassy.
Documents for the Professional Golden Visa
- Passport valid for at least six months and a recent photo
- Current UAE residence visa and Emirates ID
- Employment contract and salary certificate showing the AED 30,000 monthly salary
- Work permit showing an occupation at skill level 1 or 2
- Attested bachelor's degree (and equivalency certificate where requested)
- Valid health insurance
- For family members: passports, photos, attested marriage and birth certificates
How the Professional Route Works
- Send your details: photos of your passport, salary certificate, work permit and degree on WhatsApp, and we tell you whether the professional route fits.
- Quote: within 10–30 minutes you get a written quote that separates the Golden visa fees from our attestation and filing charge.
- Attestation: we attest your degree and your family's certificates, collecting the originals from you at no charge.
- Application: we submit the Golden visa application through ICP or GDRFA, depending on your emirate of residence, and track it online.
- Cancel and replace: your current employment-sponsored residence is replaced by the self-sponsored Golden visa, following the authority's steps.
- Medical and Emirates ID: you attend the medical test (where required) and the biometrics appointment we book, and the new card follows by courier.
What Happens to the Visa If You Change Jobs
Because the Golden visa is self-sponsored, you do not lose it the day you resign. Your new job should still meet the category conditions when you renew. If your salary or job level changes, talk to us before renewal so we can check whether another Golden visa route or a standard employment visa is the better option.
Last checked: 29 September 2026 against ICP and MOHRE rules for the skilled-professional Golden visa.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the AED 30,000 salary the basic salary or the total?
The rule refers to your monthly salary as shown in your contract and salary certificate. How allowances are counted is confirmed at application, and we check your documents against the current rule before filing.
Do I need an equivalency certificate?
Not in every case. Some authorities accept an attested degree alone; others ask for an equivalency certificate as well. We tell you in your quote which applies to you.
Can I apply if I work for a free zone company?
Yes. Employees of mainland and free zone companies can both apply, provided they meet the salary, degree and skill-level conditions.
Can I sponsor my family on a professional Golden visa?
Yes. Your spouse and children can be sponsored on the same visa length; their marriage and birth certificates must be attested and translated where required.
How long does it take?
Mostly on the degree attestation, which varies by the country that issued it. Once we know that, the written quote includes an estimate.
