UAE overhauls visa system in 2025 to boost skills and investment

Dubai: The UAE carried out a major overhaul of its residency and visa system in 2025, introducing new categories and updating existing rules to strengthen the country’s position as a global hub for living, working, and investment.

The reforms, approved by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security, added four new visit-visa purposes and revised durations and eligibility criteria across several permits. The changes align with the UAE’s strategy to deepen economic openness, attract specialised skills, and diversify the labour market, 24.ae reported.

The updates introduced four new visit-visa categories:

Several existing visa rules were also revised. Foreign truck drivers can now receive single or multiple-entry visas under stricter conditions, including sponsorship by accredited logistics companies, financial guarantees, and health compliance.

Rules for visiting friends or relatives now include minimum income thresholds for sponsors, based on kinship: Dh4,000 for first-degree relatives, Dh8,000 for second- and third-degree relatives, and Dh15,000 when sponsoring a friend.

Applicants for business-exploration visas must demonstrate sufficient financial capacity, prior professional experience abroad, or formal recognition of their occupation by relevant authorities.

Residency options for humanitarian cases were clarified. Individuals from countries affected by war, disasters, or instability may receive one-year visas, renewable or suspendable at the authority president’s discretion, and in some cases without a sponsor.

Specific provisions were introduced for foreign widows and divorcees married to UAE nationals or residents. They may receive six-month residencies, extendable on valid grounds, subject to housing and financial requirements, while custodial mothers can sponsor their children.

A unified schedule for visa durations and authorities was adopted across six main categories to standardise procedures and improve transparency.

Separately, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the federal authority, launched five new services for Golden visa holders, including electronic return documents for lost passports abroad, 24-hour emergency assistance, humanitarian evacuation, repatriation of remains, and a dedicated global hotline.