UAE Golden Visa Application for Executives: Key Requirements and Essential Documents

If you are an executive working in the UAE and wish to apply for the Golden Visa, there are certain requirements you need to consider before starting the application process.

In addition to meeting the category requirements for the Golden Visa in terms of salary, you must also validate your academic qualifications by having your degree attested.

When applying for a Golden Visa under the ‘Chief Executive’ designation, the applicant’s bachelor’s or master’s degree must be attested by the UAE embassy in their home country and the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Additionally, the Equivalency Certificate issued by the Ministry of Education (MoE) must be submitted.

The demand for the Executive Golden Visa in Dubai has been consistently high, and individuals need to obtain the MoE Equivalency Certificate to ensure their application meets the necessary criteria.

This step in the application process requires advance planning, as the equivalency process can take between two to three months, depending on the applicant's university requirements and MOE standards. Once you have the certificate, the Golden Visa application process is significantly quicker.

If you have the MoE Equalised University degree and meet the rest of the requirements for the Golden Visa, it will take approximately five to seven working days to complete the process.

Golden Visa Requirements

According to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs Dubai (GDRFAD) website, business and management specialists can apply for the Golden Visa under the ‘specialised talents’ category, provided they submit the following documents:

* A copy of the passport.

* A valid employment contract in the UAE.

* Salary certificate with a monthly salary of no less than Dh30,000.

* Licence to practise the profession (for professions that require it).

* Certificate of academic achievement, not less than a bachelor’s degree (the applicant should provide a report on the recognition of academic qualifications from the Ministry of Education).

* Bank statement showing salary transfers for the last six months.

How to Obtain the Equivalency Certificate

The UAE’s Ministry of Education (MOE) provides an online service for recognising university certificates issued outside the UAE. This certificate confirms that your higher education degree from an accredited university abroad complies with MoE’s guidelines and international academic standards.

The equivalency certificate process comprises two main stages:

Degree Verification from a Trusted Partner: You can use one of the verification and equivalency service providers in the UAE. For more details on completing this process, refer to our detailed guide here.

Once your verification document is issued by one of these trusted partners, you will also receive a reference number to apply for the Certificate of Recognition service on the MoE website.

Certificate of Recognition from MoE: The second step is to apply for the equivalency certificate from the MoE.

MoE Recognition

* To obtain the Certificate of Recognition from the MOE, follow these steps:

* Visit the MOE website and click on ‘Complete Application’.

* Log in using your UAE Pass account.

* Enter the reference number received from QuadraBay or DataFlow and your date of birth.

* Your personal and educational information will be automatically populated.
Confirm your details.

* Pay for your application.

* You will receive the Certificate with a Recognition decision (Recognised/Not Recognised) via email. You can also download your result directly from your account on the MOE website.

Cost

* Bachelor’s degree equivalency – Dh100

* Master’s degree equivalency – Dh150

* PhD degree equivalency – Dh200

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