Professionals seeking Abu Dhabi’s 10-year Golden Visa must already be employed in the UAE and work in a Level 1 or Level 2 occupation. The categories come from the MOHRE occupational framework. Meeting the job classification is only part of the test.
Level 1 covers managers and senior business executives. Level 2 reaches a wider range of professional fields.
That broader band includes sciences, engineering, health and education. It also covers business and management, information technology, law, sociology and culture.
Applicants must satisfy additional education and income requirements. Professionals in regulated occupations also need a local practising licence.
Professionals must meet three conditions beyond the job classification
The occupational category does not replace the other eligibility tests. The education and salary thresholds apply alongside it, while the licence condition applies to regulated fields.
| Condition | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Education | At least a bachelor’s degree or a recognised equivalent qualification |
| Salary | Minimum monthly pay of AED 30,000 |
| Licence | A valid practising licence issued within the UAE for regulated fields |
Physicians, pharmacists and teachers are among the professionals covered by the licensing requirement. The licence must be valid and issued within the UAE.
The conditions therefore combine a person’s current occupation with their qualifications and pay. Applicants cannot rely on a qualifying job title alone if they do not meet the separate education and salary thresholds.
The distinction between the two occupational levels is also broad. Level 1 is limited to managers and senior business executives in the description provided, while Level 2 spans professional work across technical, public-service, business and cultural fields.
An applicant’s field must fit one of those classifications. The listed Level 2 areas include both technical work, such as engineering and information technology, and professions in education, health and law. Sociology and culture also appear in the classification.
For regulated professionals, the licensing test sits alongside those categories. A physician, pharmacist or teacher must meet the relevant occupational, education and salary conditions as well as hold the UAE-issued practising licence.
The visa allows longer residence without a local sponsor
The UAE Golden Visa is available for 5 or 10 years and is renewable. It allows holders to live, work or study in the country without a local sponsor.
That arrangement differs from conventional work permits tied to an employer. The 10-year residency option does not require continuous employer sponsorship, giving holders a residence basis that is independent of that ongoing tie.
The professional eligibility criteria sit within a wider programme intended to attract and retain highly skilled talent. The UAE established the scheme to serve sectors it considers critical to the country’s development.
