Can I get Golden Visa for students in the UAE, if I graduated from a university abroad? Here is how to find out if you are eligible

Dubai: If you have recently graduated from a university outside the UAE, and secured good grades, you may be eligible for the Golden Visa, which allows you to stay in the UAE on a 10-year residency permit without a sponsor.

You can even apply for a long-term visa for your family, under your sponsorship as a Golden Visa holder. However, you need to meet all the criteria set by immigration authorities in the UAE, including the fact that you should have graduated from one of the top 100 universities, accredited by the UAE’s Ministry of Education (MOE). Here are all the details.

Four requirements for outstanding students from foreign universities

1. The university must be among the top 100 universities in the world according to the rating system recognised by the UAE’s Ministry of Education (MOE). You can find the list of universities accredited by MOE here: https://www.moe.gov.ae/en/eservices/servicecard/scholarships/pages/academicprogramsuniversities.aspx .

2. Your cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) should not be less than 3.5 .

3. It has not been more than two years since you graduated.

4. The graduation certificate must be recognised by MOE, for which you would need to apply for a service from MOE called ‘Recognition of university certificates issued from outside the UAE’. 

Required documents

• A valid copy of the passport.
• A recent passport-sized photo.
• A copy of the bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree from a university recognised by MOE.
• Transcripts proving that the GPA is not less than 3.5 and that no more than two years have passed since graduation.

Before you start applying for the Golden Visa, take this quiz first

If you are unsure about whether you are eligible for the Golden Visa for students, you can always take the ‘Golden Visa quiz’ from the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP).

There are 16 questions, which you have to answer with either 'yes' or 'no'. The purpose of this quiz is to help you find out which category of the Golden Visa you may fall under. To know more, click here .

Where do I apply for the Golden Visa?

If you are applying for a visa in Dubai, then you must apply through the website of the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA), Dubai: gdrfad.gov.ae, or through an Amer Centre, which processes visa applications on behalf of GDRFA-Dubai.

For other emirates such as Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, you must apply through ICP’s smart service platforms - smartservices.icp.gov.ae.

You can also apply through registered typing centres in your emirate. However, if you do employ the services of an agent at the typing centre, it is important to remember that you would need to pay additional service charges.

Visit this link to find all the registered typing centres in your emirate: https://icp.gov.ae/en/typing-offices/

Cost

The cost of issuing a Golden Residency for university graduates is approximately Dh2,790.