Rumors triggered by Indian media outlets on Golden Visa raced through subcontinent and Persian Gulf media this week, but debunked by UAE authorities on Tuesday night, declaring that no “lifetime” residency scheme for select nationalities exists and that anyone promising one is peddling false hope.
State news agency WAM quoted the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) as reports of a nomination-based visa that would grant selected nationalities like Indians and Bangladeshis permanent residence for AED 100,000 “have no legal basis.”
The authority insisted that all legitimate Golden Visa applications pass only through designated official UAE portals and that no external consultancy has been authorized to collect fees or documents on its behalf.
Debunking rumors associated with the Golden visa initiated by Indian media outlets
The clarification followed stories in Indian outlets such as Press Trust of India and The Hindu, claiming that Dubai had opened a pilot window allowing foreigners to buy lifelong status.
Some versions forecast 5,000 Indian applicants in three months; others suggested Bangladeshis could file remotely. None, the ICP stressed, was coordinated with Emirati regulators.
Under rules first codified in 2019, the Golden Visa offers renewable five- or ten-year residence to investors, entrepreneurs, scientists, high achieving students, humanitarian workers and designated “front-line heroes.”
Successful holders enjoy 100 per cent business ownership, permission to sponsor family members and a grace period of up to six months after visa expiry to remain in the country.
Dubai based immigration consultant Iqbal Marconi told Pakistani news outlets he had checked with the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) and found “no such information” on a lifetime plan, adding that the only recent tweak he was aware of excluded purely crypto asset investors from qualifying under the ten-year investor track.
The federal authority’s statement carried a sharper edge than previous clarifications, warning it would pursue legal action against offices “inside or outside” the UAE that collect money while promising shortcuts.
Legal experts note that Article 51 of the UAE Cybercrime Law allows fines up to AED 1 million and prison terms for those spreading false information that causes financial harm.
Pakistan’s embassy in Abu Dhabi quietly welcomed the denial, fearing that expatriate workers might sell property or take high interest loans to chase a phantom benefit. Consular officials said they had fielded multiple calls asking whether the alleged AED 100,000 fee could bypass normal sponsorship hurdles; callers were advised to ignore unverified advertisements and consult only the official portal.
Analysts say periodic “Golden Visa frenzies” erupt whenever the UAE relaxes elements of its talent attraction program. Real reforms in 2023, for instance, Dubai scrapped the AED 1 million minimum down payment for property investors are always published in the federal gazette and echoed on government websites.
The latest rumors, by contrast, appeared to trace back to a single overseas consultancy’s press release lacking any cabinet resolution or ministerial decree.
For now, Emirati regulators are using the incident to sharpen public-awareness campaigns. The ICP has reposted its fee schedule ranging roughly from AED 2,800 to AED 6,000 depending on category and reminded applicants that even legitimate facilitators must link payments to government-issued service numbers, not private bank accounts.
The takeaway, officials say, is simple: The Golden Visa remains alive and well, but it is not, and never has been, for sale at a flat price.
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