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UAE Green Visa for Skilled Employees

Fifteen thousand a month and a degree. That is the bar, and it is low enough that most people reading this already clear it without knowing.

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AED 15,000 Monthly minimum
Levels 1, 2 and 3 Wider than golden
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Who qualifies for the green visa as a skilled employee?

Someone employed in the UAE on a valid work permit, holding a bachelor's degree or its equivalent, in a role classified at level one, two or three by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, earning a monthly salary of not less than AED 15,000. The visa runs for five years and is held in your own name rather than by your employer.

UAE Green Visa for Skilled Employees at a glance
DurationFive years
Minimum salaryAED 15,000 a month
EducationBachelor's degree or equivalent
ClassificationMoHRE level one, two or three
EmploymentValid work permit and UAE contract
DocumentsMoHRE contract and attested degree

Last updated 10 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.

Level three is the line that matters

The golden visa stops at classification level two. This one includes level three, and that single difference is what makes the green visa reachable for a large group of technicians, supervisors, coordinators and specialists who were told the long-term routes were not for them.

Read the level off your contract before you decide anything.

  • Level one: managers and business executives
  • Level two: professionals across the main fields
  • Level three: included here, excluded from the golden visa
  • The level is on your contract, not your business card
Corporate documents and a passport on a desk in a modern office

What has to be evidenced

Two documents carry this: a valid employment contract from MoHRE or its equivalent showing your job title and monthly income, and an attested bachelor's degree or equivalent.

That is a shorter list than the golden visa, which also wants six months of bank statements. Do not take that as licence to be casual about the two you do need.

  • MoHRE employment contract showing title and income
  • Attested bachelor's degree or equivalent
  • Both have to agree with each other and with your permit
  • A shorter list than the golden visa route
Desk calendar standing beside identity documents and a slim office folder

Your employer is involved but does not own it

The application rests on your employment, so your HR department will need to provide the contract, and in practice the process usually starts with them. What they do not get is control of your residence once it is issued.

That distinction confuses employers as often as employees. It is worth being clear about it in the conversation.

  • HR supplies the contract evidence
  • The visa is issued in your name
  • Changing employer later does not end it
  • Sponsorship of your family sits with you

If the salary is close

A raise that takes you over AED 15,000 changes your position, and so does a reclassification of your role. Both are worth raising with your employer if you are near the line and long-term residence matters to you.

We will tell you the gap honestly rather than filing and hoping.

  • A raise over the threshold changes eligibility
  • A reclassification can too
  • Both are conversations with HR, not with immigration
  • Better to wait and qualify than to file and be refused

How we handle a skilled employee application

  1. Read the contractSalary and classification level.
  2. Confirm the degreeAttested, or start the chain.
  3. Assemble the evidenceContract and degree, matched to your permit.
  4. FileThrough ICP or GDRFA as appropriate.
  5. Medical and Emirates IDThe standard residence sequence.
  6. DependantsSponsored by you afterwards, if you want.

Where you stand

Position and outcome
Your positionOutcome
AED 15,000+, degree attested, level 1-3Apply now
AED 15,000+, degree not attestedAttestation first
Salary just under the thresholdAsk HR about the gap before filing
Role classified below level threeReclassification is the obstacle
AED 30,000+ and level one or twoLook at the golden visa instead
The mistake we see most: Applying without checking the MoHRE classification, on the assumption that a senior-sounding job title implies a senior classification. The level is set on the contract when the permit is issued and frequently does not match how the role is described internally.
MSM tip: If you clear AED 30,000 and your role sits at level one or two, look at the golden visa before filing this. Ten years beats five for the same attestation work, and people occasionally take the green visa without realising they qualified for more.

What documents do you need?

What we need

Passport copy and current residence visa
Emirates ID, both sides
MoHRE employment contract showing title and salary
Your MoHRE classification level, if you know it
Degree certificate and its issuing country
Whether the degree has been attested

Send the contract itself rather than describing it. The classification level and the salary are both on it, and those two decide the answer.

UAE Green Visa

The parent service, all three routes.

Golden Visa on Salary

The ten-year route at AED 30,000.

Green Visa for Freelancers

If you work for yourself.

Go deeper

Specific situations we handle under this service, each covered in full.

Investors & Partners

Green Visa for Investors

Five-year self-sponsored residence for investors and partners in a UAE business.

Read next: Degree certificate attestation for the UAE · UAE residence visa types explained

Sources

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Frequently Asked Questions

What salary do I need for the green visa?
Not less than AED 15,000 a month for the skilled employee route, alongside a bachelor's degree and a role classified at MoHRE level one, two or three.
Does classification level three qualify?
Yes, and that is the key difference from the golden visa, which stops at level two. It brings a large group of specialists and supervisors into scope.
What documents are needed?
A valid MoHRE employment contract showing your job title and monthly income, and an attested bachelor's degree or equivalent.
Does my employer control this visa?
No. They supply the contract evidence, but the visa is issued in your name and survives you changing jobs.
My salary is just below AED 15,000. What now?
A raise over the line changes your position, as can a reclassification. Both are HR conversations, and it is better to wait and qualify than to file and be refused.
Should I take this or the golden visa?
If you clear AED 30,000 at level one or two, the golden visa gives ten years for the same attestation work. Below that, this is the route.

Earning over AED 15,000?

Send your contract. The classification level and salary are both on it, and they decide this.

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Check Skilled Employee Eligibility

Salary, classification and an attested degree. Those three.

Hotline: +971 52 933 0454

Email: info@msmdoc.com

Office: Deira, Dubai — serving all seven emirates.

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