UAE Golden Visa for IT and tech specialists
IT and tech specialists use the same published tests as other skilled workers. A recommendation can come from the relevant ministry or local authority for 4IR and industry specialists. Otherwise the skilled-professional route requires MOHRE level 1 or 2, a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, a valid UAE work permit and contract, and a monthly salary of at least AED 30,000. A startup title, a GitHub profile or a follower count is not a category on the page ICP publishes.
Which published route can apply
“Tech Golden Visa” is a search phrase, not a service name. Put the phrase down and pick a row.
| Route | What ICP publishes | What this page will not assume |
|---|---|---|
| 4IR or industry specialist | Recommendation from the relevant ministry or local authority | That working in software is itself a 4IR nomination |
| Skilled professional | Level 1 or 2, degree, UAE permit and contract, at least AED 30,000 a month | A remote contract paid by a company outside the UAE with no UAE permit |
| Founder of a tech company | Entrepreneur tests: approved idea, SME revenue of at least AED 1 million, or exits of at least AED 7 million | A pitch deck with no approval and no revenue |
The only monthly salary figure on this page is the AED 30,000 ICP publishes for skilled professionals in MOHRE occupational levels 1 and 2, together with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent and a valid UAE work permit and contract. This page does not invent a salary for a job title.
Creators and influencers are not given a page of their own here, because ICP’s talent wording is about recognised awards, nominations and published work, not a follower threshold this site could honestly print. If that is your evidence, use the talent row on the eligibility page and bring the award, not a screenshot of a count. Founders should use the business owners page.
Signals for a tech file
The permit and the contract decide the salary route. The product does not.
Eligibility signals to gather before anyone files
- Is there a UAE employer, a work permit and a contract? A remote role for a foreign company is not the skilled-professional sentence.
- MOHRE level 1 or 2. Many “specialist” job titles are classified lower. The classification wins.
- Salary of at least AED 30,000 a month on that contract, if this is the route.
- A degree or equivalent. Coding experience is not published as a substitute for the degree on the skilled route.
- A nomination letter if someone told you that you are a 4IR specialist. Ask which authority signs it.
- If you are the founder, revenue, capital or an incubator approval. Do not mix a founder story into an employee form.
There is no THAJ table of salaries for developers, data scientists or cybersecurity roles. Inventing one would be the opposite of what this site is for.
Document themes
Document themes for tech applicants.
- Passport, photo, Emirates ID and current residence permit if you have them.
- Degree, attested if the route requires it.
- UAE contract and work permit showing level and salary, for the skilled route.
- Recommendation from the ministry or local authority, for a 4IR or industry nomination.
- For a founder file, the company documents the entrepreneur route actually names: licence, revenue evidence, or the incubator or ministry approval. Those are listed on the business-owners page.
- Health insurance where the category requires it.
Where a UAE authority asks for attestation or legal translation, that paperwork is coordinated as PRO work. The nominating body can ask for more than this list.
How an application usually moves
Match a published category
Write down which ICP route you are using: a specialist nomination, the Emirates Scientists Council, or the skilled-professional test. Do not file under a job title alone.
Collect the evidence that route names
Passport, photo, the degree or recommendation the route actually requires, and health insurance where ICP lists it for that category.
Nomination or direct file
Specialist and scientist routes go through the competent council, ministry or local authority. The skilled-professional route needs the UAE work permit and contract in place.
Authority decision, then residence steps
Approval is the authority’s. After it, applicants abroad use the entry window ICP describes; residents change status. Then medical, biometrics and Emirates ID.
Medical fitness, biometrics and Emirates ID follow the same order as every other category. Read the application process and the rejections guide before you book travel around an approval you do not have yet.
Family, the job, and time outside the UAE
A Golden Visa holder can sponsor a spouse, children of any age and parents, and ICP also refers to domestic workers. Health insurance for family members is an investor-category condition and is wise to have ready for other categories too. The permit is not an employment visa tied to one sponsor: ending a job is not described on the ICP page we cite as an automatic cancellation, but renewal still means the category conditions are checked again. Time outside the UAE is covered on keeping the visa while abroad. Working for more than one client is a licensing question as well as a visa question. A Golden Visa is not a freelance permit. If you will invoice, you still need a structure that is allowed to invoice. That is business setup, not a line on the residence card.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Golden Visa for IT specialists?
There is no separate IT category. You use a 4IR or industry nomination, or the skilled-professional test at MOHRE level 1 or 2 with at least AED 30,000 a month.
I work remotely for a company outside the UAE. Does that count?
Not as the skilled-professional route ICP describes, which requires a valid UAE work permit and contract. Look at another category instead of forcing this one.
Do influencers use this page?
No. Follower counts are not a threshold we can cite. Talent categories depend on the kind of recognition ICP describes, and they should be checked on the eligibility page against the actual award or nomination.
My startup has no revenue yet. Can I apply as a tech specialist?
Not on a founder story. The entrepreneur route needs an approved idea, qualifying revenue, or a qualifying exit. An employee route needs the job tests above.
Official sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 26 October 2026. Rules and fees can change; the authority’s current page always prevails.
- Golden Residency Guide — Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP)
- Golden visa — eligible categories — The UAE Government portal (u.ae)
- Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation — services — MOHRE
- ICP smart services — Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP)
Say employee or founder
The documents are completely different. Send the contract or the company papers, not both stories at once.