The United Arab Emirates started the year’s final trading day by publishing the most sweeping change to its immigration framework since the Golden Visa debuted in 2019. A cabinet resolution approved by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) creates four completely new entry-permit types—Specialist (targeting artificial-intelligence experts), Entertainment, Events and Maritime Tourism—while tightening financial thresholds for anyone wishing to sponsor friends or extended family.
Under the new rules, AI scientists and data engineers can obtain a Specialist Visa in single- or multiple-entry form with a renewable 90-day validity; accredited cultural performers will use the new Entertainment Visa; conference delegates receive an Events Visa on the basis of an organiser’s invitation; and cruise passengers can shuttle in and out on the Maritime Tourism Visa. Existing categories are untouched, but the ICP raised sponsorship income requirements to AED 4,000 for first-degree relatives, AED 8,000 for second- and third-degree relatives, and AED 15,000 for non-relatives. Companies in logistics must now underwrite health guarantees for foreign truck drivers, while short-term Business Exploration Visas will demand evidence of both funds and professional track record.
Golden Visa beneficiaries gain the most headline benefits. They will have access to a 24-hour consular hotline, electronic return documents if passports are lost abroad, and priority seats on government-organised evacuation flights during crises. Humanitarian relief measures were also codified: women widowed or divorced from UAE residents receive a six-month renewable stay, and nationals of conflict-torn countries may apply for a one-year, renewable humanitarian residency.
![UAE Launches 2025 Visa Overhaul, Adding AI-Specialist and Entertainment Categories]()
Companies and individuals navigating these new application pathways might find specialised assistance invaluable. VisaHQ, an online visa processing platform, can streamline submissions for everything from the new Specialist Visa to traditional residencies, providing step-by-step guidance, document checking and real-time status updates; learn more at https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/.
Immigration counsel are urging mobility managers to revisit their policy matrices. The new Specialist Visa offers an inexpensive alternative to the conventional one-year employment residency for AI contractors, while tightened sponsorship rules will require HR to verify salary certificates before agreeing to host visiting relatives. Talent teams should also reassess relocation packages: the Golden Visa’s upgraded safety net could become a selling point in executive negotiations.
Practically, companies should update invitation-letter templates to include project descriptions and proof-of-funds statements for Business Exploration Visas, and log the new income thresholds in assignment checklists. Employers in creative sectors—film, digital media, live performance—can finally bring freelancers in on the purpose-built Entertainment Visa rather than shoe-horning them into ad-hoc visit permits.
Under the new rules, AI scientists and data engineers can obtain a Specialist Visa in single- or multiple-entry form with a renewable 90-day validity; accredited cultural performers will use the new Entertainment Visa; conference delegates receive an Events Visa on the basis of an organiser’s invitation; and cruise passengers can shuttle in and out on the Maritime Tourism Visa. Existing categories are untouched, but the ICP raised sponsorship income requirements to AED 4,000 for first-degree relatives, AED 8,000 for second- and third-degree relatives, and AED 15,000 for non-relatives. Companies in logistics must now underwrite health guarantees for foreign truck drivers, while short-term Business Exploration Visas will demand evidence of both funds and professional track record.
Golden Visa beneficiaries gain the most headline benefits. They will have access to a 24-hour consular hotline, electronic return documents if passports are lost abroad, and priority seats on government-organised evacuation flights during crises. Humanitarian relief measures were also codified: women widowed or divorced from UAE residents receive a six-month renewable stay, and nationals of conflict-torn countries may apply for a one-year, renewable humanitarian residency.
Companies and individuals navigating these new application pathways might find specialised assistance invaluable. VisaHQ, an online visa processing platform, can streamline submissions for everything from the new Specialist Visa to traditional residencies, providing step-by-step guidance, document checking and real-time status updates; learn more at https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/.
Immigration counsel are urging mobility managers to revisit their policy matrices. The new Specialist Visa offers an inexpensive alternative to the conventional one-year employment residency for AI contractors, while tightened sponsorship rules will require HR to verify salary certificates before agreeing to host visiting relatives. Talent teams should also reassess relocation packages: the Golden Visa’s upgraded safety net could become a selling point in executive negotiations.
Practically, companies should update invitation-letter templates to include project descriptions and proof-of-funds statements for Business Exploration Visas, and log the new income thresholds in assignment checklists. Employers in creative sectors—film, digital media, live performance—can finally bring freelancers in on the purpose-built Entertainment Visa rather than shoe-horning them into ad-hoc visit permits.
