Home > Visa Services >

Skilled Professionals

UAE Golden Visa for Skilled Professionals

Most people who ask us about the golden visa are not investors and do not own property. They are employed, well paid, and on the route nobody writes about.

Check My Salary Eligibility Call +971 52 933 0454

Salary Route For employed professionals

Degree Attestation Handled in-house

Deira Office Talk to a person, not a portal

Can you get a UAE golden visa on salary alone?

Not on salary alone. The published criteria pair a minimum monthly salary of AED 30,000 with a bachelor degree or equivalent, employment in the UAE, and a role classified at Level 1 or Level 2 on the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation occupational scale. Salary is the part people know about; the attested degree and the classification are the parts that stop applications.

UAE Golden Visa for Skilled Professionals at a glance
Route	Skilled professionals in employment
Minimum salary	AED 30,000 per month
Education	Bachelor degree or equivalent, attested
Classification	MoHRE Level 1 or Level 2
Duration	10 years
Authority	ICP, with GDRFA in Dubai

Last updated 8 September 2026 · Reviewed by Mohammed Shareef A, Senior PRO Consultant, Dubai government liaison. Fees and timelines are set by the issuing authority and change without notice — confirm current figures before you budget.

The three tests, and the one that fails

Salary you know. The employment contract is usually fine. The qualification is where applications stop, because a degree certificate sitting in a folder is not the same as an attested degree recognised here, and getting from one to the other runs through the country that issued it.

People arrive convinced they qualify on money and leave with a two-month attestation job.

AED 30,000 a month, evidenced by six months of statements
A UAE-approved employment contract at that salary
An attested bachelor degree or equivalent
A role at MoHRE occupational Level 1 or Level 2

Degree certificate and professional documents prepared for a residency application

Why the degree has to be attested

Because the authority verifies rather than takes your word for it. A certificate issued in India, the Philippines, Egypt or the UK runs through a legalisation chain beginning in that country, and for some qualifications an equivalency assessment sits on top of that.

Start it before you apply. It is the item with a real external timeline.

The chain starts in the issuing country
UAE legalisation follows
Equivalency may be needed on top
Weeks, not days; start early

Long-term residence documents arranged for a renewal application

Your job title versus your classification

The route covers specified occupational classifications, and what matters is how your role is classified rather than what your business card says. A generously titled role in a small company does not automatically sit where the applicant assumes.

We read the contract and the permit rather than the title.

Level 1 covers managers and business executives
Level 2 covers professionals in sciences, engineering, health, education, business, IT, law, sociology and culture
A generous job title does not by itself place you there
Some professions also need a valid practising licence

What it gets you that your current visa does not

Residence that is not tied to your employer. If you resign, are made redundant or want to start something of your own, your residence and your family's does not collapse with the job.

For people with children in school, that is usually the whole point.

Residence not dependent on the employer
Sponsor spouse and children on your own visa
Room to change jobs without a visa scramble
Longer renewal cycle than an employment visa

How we handle a salary-route application

Read the contractSalary, role and classification.
Check the qualificationAttested, or start that chain now.
Assess against the thresholdThe current published position.
Tell you plainlyApply now, or what is missing.
File the applicationWith the qualification evidence attached.
Medical, Emirates ID, stampingThen dependants, if you want them.

Which golden visa route fits you

Situation and route
Your situation	Likely route
Employed, AED 30,000 a month, degree qualified	Skilled professional route
Own qualifying UAE property	Property investor route
Doctor or healthcare professional	See our doctors page
Engineer	See our engineers page
Salary qualifies, degree not attested	Attestation first, then apply
Salary qualifies, role below Level 2	Classification is the obstacle, not the money
Salary qualifies, no degree	Another route may fit better; ask

The mistake we see most: Applying on salary and hoping the qualification will not be examined closely. It is examined closely, an unattested certificate is not evidence, and the refusal costs more than the attestation would have.

MSM tip: Look at your last six bank statements before you do anything else. The salary evidence is not a letter from HR alone, it is six months of statements showing the money actually arriving, and a recent raise or a period of variable pay can leave you short on paper while your contract reads perfectly well.

What documents do you need?

What we need

Passport copy and current UAE residence visa

Emirates ID, both sides

Current employment contract showing salary

Salary certificate, plus six months of bank statements

Degree certificate, and the country that issued it

Whether that certificate has been attested

Your practising licence, if your profession requires one

Tell us where the degree was issued and whether it is attested. Those two answers decide whether this is a three-week job or a three-month one.

Golden Visa Services

The parent service, all routes.

Golden Visa for Property Investors

The asset-based route.

Equivalency Certificate

Where the qualification needs assessing.

Sources

Golden visa for skilled professionalsAbu Dhabi Department of Economic Development
Golden visaThe UAE Government Portal
Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port SecurityUAE Government
General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs, DubaiGovernment of Dubai

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Frequently Asked Questions

What salary do I need for a UAE golden visa?

AED 30,000 a month is the published minimum for the skilled professional route, evidenced by a salary certificate and six months of bank statements. Thresholds do change, so we confirm the current position against your contract before filing.

Is salary enough on its own?

No. You also need a bachelor degree or equivalent, attested, employment in the UAE, and a role classified at MoHRE Level 1 or Level 2. The degree and the classification are what usually stop applications.

Does my degree need to be attested?

Normally yes, through the chain starting in the country that issued it, and sometimes with an equivalency assessment on top. Start it before applying.

What counts as evidence of my salary?

A salary certificate from your employer together with six months of bank statements showing the money arriving. That second requirement catches people whose pay has recently changed.

What if I have the salary but no degree?

This route needs a bachelor degree or equivalent, so another category may suit you better. Tell us your situation and we will look at what actually fits rather than pushing this one.

How long does it last?

The skilled professional route is issued for ten years, which is the practical difference from an employment visa tied to your job.

Can I sponsor my family on it?

Yes, a golden visa holder can generally sponsor a spouse and children, and for most applicants with school-age children that is the main attraction.

Start Today

Check Skilled Professional Eligibility

AED 30,000 a month, an attested degree and a Level 1 or 2 role, together.

Hotline: +971 52 933 0454

Email: info@msmdoc.com

Office: Deira, Dubai — serving all seven emirates.