Sweeping UAE Visa Reforms 2026 Add AI-Specialist Permits and Raise Family-Sponsorship Income Bar
UAE Enacts “Corporate Citizenship Law 2026” to Deepen Roots for Multinationals
Golden Visa ‘Scientists & Specialists’ Route Restores AED 30k Basic-Pay Test
Latest News
UAE Widens Visa-on-Arrival Scheme for Indian Travellers Holding G7 Residence Permits
Indian travellers who hold residency in any of seven G7 economies now qualify for instant visas on arrival in the UAE, trimming paperwork for a key market and energising bilateral business traffic.
GDRFA launches month-long pop-up immigration centre at Dubai’s Global Village
For the next month, Dubai’s immigration authority will run a fully functional visa-service centre inside Global Village, letting residents and tourists renew visas, pay fines and register for Smart Gates while visiting the theme park. The initiative should shorten queues at Al-Jafiliya headquarters and gives HR teams an after-hours option during peak season.
UAE signals path to corporate citizenship as part of new competitiveness drive
The Ministry of Economy and Tourism has unveiled plans to let qualifying firms obtain “UAE citizenship”, branding themselves as Emirati entities and tapping into trade-deal benefits. While full regulations are pending, the move could hand multinationals new visa quotas and procurement advantages, making the UAE an even more attractive regional headquarters location.
Golden Visa ‘Scientists & Specialists’ route tightens salary test—basic pay must hit AED 30k
Dubai has restored pre-2024 rules for Golden Visa applicants in the ‘Scientists and Specialists’ track: only the basic salary—now set at AED 30,000 per month—counts toward eligibility. Companies must issue revised salary letters and ensure MoHRE records match, or risk application refusals.
Greek ATC outage causes only isolated delays for Emirates, Etihad and Air Arabia
A communications blackout over Greece briefly rerouted European traffic, but UAE airlines kept schedules largely intact. The scare highlights the need for contingency visas and real-time tracking when diversions shift Schengen entry points.
FTA scraps fees for paper tax certificates, moves to free e-documents with QR verification
From 1 January 2026, the FTA has eliminated fees for paper tax-registration certificates, issuing free QR-coded e-documents instead. The digital shift speeds up immigration and licensing processes that rely on the certificate as proof of tax status.