Published on: 26th June, 2022
Hey there!
I recently managed to change my Freelancer Visa to a Golden Visa in the category "Persons who are talented - Software Engineering".
Thought I would do a write up in case anyone is in a similar situation and would be of help, since the information is all over the place.
Again, this is strictly for my personal case, and I don't know how other categories would work.
Timeline
It took around a week or less. Major props to the government for making this hassle free.
I had to go through 5 services and I applied through Abu Dhabi, which means I have an Abu Dhabi visa. No reason for this really, I think I clicked the first option I saw under the Federal Authorities and it was AD. For Dubai, I think you can also get the process started through Amer centers, for any other emirate, Amer won't be able to help.
The steps were as follows:
| Number | Service Name | Reason | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | VISA - GOLDEN RESIDENCE - NOMINATION REQUEST FOR GOLDEN RESIDENCE - NEW REQUEST | To apply for a golden visa, someone has to nominate you. Usually, this is the company that you work for, since I was on a Freelancer license, I applied myself. I had to put it an Establishment Number which I just put as my Freelancer License Number | 52.50 AED |
| 2 | VISA - GOLDEN RESIDENCE - PERSONS WHO ARE TALENTED - ISSUE NEW VISA | Once your nomination request is successful, then you can go on to issue a new VISA for yourself. This should also be approved, as the request was successful. You will have to cancel your old visa, otherwise this won't be approved. Once approve, you will get an Entry Permit | 305.52 AED |
| 3 | RESIDENCY - ALL RESIDENCE TYPES - CHANGE STATUS - CHANGE STATUS | Next, you have to apply for the Change Status service. | 558.93 AED |
| 4 | RESIDENCY - GOLDEN RESIDENCY (10 YEARS) - PERSONS WHO ARE TALENTED - ISSUE RESIDENCE | Once you are approved for Changing your status, you can then apply for the Residency Permit. You will also have to get a Medical Test done at one of the MOHRE / DHA health centers. | AED 1,217.80 + AED 345 (medical) |
| 5 | EMIRATES ID SERVICES-EMIRATES ID FOR RESIDENT-EMIRATES ID FOR RESIDENT-RENEW EMIRATES ID | Once your residency is approved, you will then have to apply for the Renewal of your EID, since you already had one before (assuming you are a UAE resident). | AED 1054.20 |
The documents that I submitted for the various services in no particular order:
- Old EID Front / Back
- Attested Degree (I graduated from a UAE university and got it attested from Ministry of Education)
- Letter from Employer stating your position
- Previous month's bank statement
- Father's Passport copy
- Tenancy Contract
- Passport Photo
- Medical Certificate