Dubai’s General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) and Awqaf Dubai have opened a new Golden Visa category that grants 10-year renewable residency to individuals who make qualifying donations to Islamic endowment (Waqf) projects . The move operationalises the "Financial Supporters of Humanitarian Work" pathway created by Cabinet Resolution 65 of 2022 but never before activated.
Eligible applicants must pledge a government-approved donation, obtain a nomination letter from Awqaf Dubai or another authorised body, and file the request through GDRFA’s smart services portal. Unlike investor visas, there is no minimum salary or property requirement, widening access to philanthropists and diaspora families who wish to base themselves in the UAE.
![UAE launches Golden Visa track for humanitarian Waqf donors]()
For employers, the policy could expedite long-term residency for executives whose family foundations support social programmes. Immigration advisers expect demand from high-net-worth individuals in the GCC, South Asia and Malaysia who already fund regional charitable initiatives.
The new stream complements existing Golden Visa routes for investors, scientists and outstanding professionals, which collectively attracted more than 160,000 recipients by mid-2025. Officials frame the humanitarian route as aligning residency privileges with the UAE’s soft-power goals and its Year of Sustainability legacy.
Applicants still undergo standard security and background checks, and must maintain their philanthropic commitments to retain status at renewal.
Eligible applicants must pledge a government-approved donation, obtain a nomination letter from Awqaf Dubai or another authorised body, and file the request through GDRFA’s smart services portal. Unlike investor visas, there is no minimum salary or property requirement, widening access to philanthropists and diaspora families who wish to base themselves in the UAE.
For employers, the policy could expedite long-term residency for executives whose family foundations support social programmes. Immigration advisers expect demand from high-net-worth individuals in the GCC, South Asia and Malaysia who already fund regional charitable initiatives.
The new stream complements existing Golden Visa routes for investors, scientists and outstanding professionals, which collectively attracted more than 160,000 recipients by mid-2025. Officials frame the humanitarian route as aligning residency privileges with the UAE’s soft-power goals and its Year of Sustainability legacy.
Applicants still undergo standard security and background checks, and must maintain their philanthropic commitments to retain status at renewal.
