The UAE has clarified two separate family-related questions facing residents under its Golden Visa and retirement visa schemes.
The Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) confirmed that when a Golden Visa holder — the 10-year, renewable residence permit for eligible foreign nationals — dies, sponsored family members are not required to leave the UAE immediately. Their existing residence permits remain valid until their individual expiry dates, giving families time to make alternative arrangements rather than facing an abrupt departure. Separately, the UAE has introduced a one-year residence visa extension, renewable once, for foreign women whose husbands die or divorce them and their children, without requiring a new sponsor.
In a related but distinct scheme, Dubai’s government has set out exactly which relatives a retiree can sponsor under its five-year, renewable retirement residence visa. Retirees aged 55 and above who have purchased Dubai property worth at least AED1 million qualify for the permit and may sponsor their husband or wife and children to live with them in the emirate.
References
Legit.ng – UAE Explains What Happens to Family Members When a Golden Visa Holder Dies / Legit.ng – Dubai Names Relatives Who Can Obtain Residence Permits Through Retirees With a 5-year Golden Visa
