At a glance
Retirees aged 55 or older with at least 15 years of work history may qualify for a five-year UAE residence permit without an employer or family sponsor. Financial requirements also apply, and the published income amounts differ between Dubai and federal guidance.
- Age and work history
- Retired, aged at least 55, with at least 15 years of prior work
- Financial options
- Dubai: AED 240,000 annual income, or AED 1 million property plus AED 1 million savings; confirm rules elsewhere
- Health requirements
- Health insurance and the normal medical fitness and residence checks
Summary
The UAE’s retirement residence option lets qualifying retirees settle with documented work history, accepted finances, health coverage, and the required residence records. The five-year permit is renewable if you continue to meet the conditions.
Federal and Dubai guidance publish different income requirements. Confirm the financial option that applies with ICP, the federal residence authority, or GDRFA, Dubai's residence authority, before arranging funds or property.
-
Check your age and work history You must be at least 55, retired, and able to show at least 15 years of work.
-
Confirm the financial option Ask the authority which income or property-and-savings evidence it accepts.
-
Apply for retirement residence Provide your retirement, work-history, and financial documents to ICP or Dubai's GDRFA.
Official services publish different income amounts. Confirm the requirement for your application before relying on a figure.
Eligibility
You need to meet the age and work-history requirements, an accepted financial option, and the usual residence checks.
Age and work history
- You are at least 55 years old.
- You are retired.
- You can show at least 15 years of work history before retirement.
Financial options
- Dubai income route: GDRFA requires fixed annual income of at least AED 240,000. You should expect to provide recent bank statements and a document from an official body or income source confirming where the income comes from.
- Lower federal income figure: the UAE Government portal states AED 180,000 annual income, which differs from GDRFA's AED 240,000 requirement. Do not rely on AED 180,000 for a Dubai application. For an application outside Dubai, confirm the figure directly with the authority before relying on it.
- Property plus savings route: UAE Government and Dubai guidance describe a route based on owning UAE property worth at least AED 1 million and having at least AED 1 million in savings, deposit, or investment. Dubai's service page says the deposit can be inside or outside the UAE at first, but must be transferred to a UAE financial institution within 60 days after residence issuance unless it is invested in the UAE.
- Property evidence: if you use real estate, expect to show title or valuation evidence from the responsible real-estate authority in the emirate. For mortgaged property, the authority may count only the value you have paid or that has been released from the mortgage. Confirm how it calculates the accepted amount.
- Deposit evidence: if you use savings or a bank deposit, expect a bank statement or deposit certificate showing at least AED 1 million and show how long you must keep the money deposited or whether you must transfer it to the UAE.
Other practical requirements
- You can obtain health insurance.
- You can complete the normal medical fitness and residence steps.
What This Route Allows
You can live in the UAE for five years without an employer or family sponsor. Renewal requires meeting the applicable retirement and financial conditions.
What This Route Is Not
The retirement permit does not itself authorize local employment. Working requires the appropriate separate permission.
Next Steps
- Decide which emirate you plan to use for the application.
- Check the income figure with that authority before you assume AED 180,000 is enough.
- Gather retirement proof, work-history proof, and the documents for your chosen financial route.
- If you are using the property route, confirm that you also meet the deposit or investment part of the current rule.
- Apply through ICP or GDRFA once your documents are ready.
Stay up to date on this pathway
Get an email when something important changes.
Discussed in these reports
Aruba
Aruba Retiree Residence
People aged 55 or older with qualifying retirement income may seek a renewable Aruba residence permit without work rights.
San Marino
San Marino Pensioner Residence
Qualifying pensioners from eligible countries can seek San Marino residence with substantial annual income and assets maintained in its banking system.
Uruguay
Uruguay Permanent Residence for Pensioners
A person retired abroad can seek permanent residence with special relocation benefits by proving at least USD $1,500 a month in retirement or other foreign income and…