Path to Permanent Residency and/or Citizenship

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The UAE does not currently offer an automatic path from golden visa residency to citizenship. Citizenship by naturalization is governed by Federal Law No. 17 of 1972 and its recent amendment in 2021, which for the first time opened citizenship to select foreigners based on merit and government nomination.

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Permanent Residency

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• Golden Visa Validity: 5 or 10 years, renewable indefinitely
  
• Residency Continuity: Maintained through investment; no expiry if conditions are met
  
  

Citizenship (Merit-Based)

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• Eligibility: Investors, scientists, doctors, creatives, and their families may be invited for citizenship
  
• Requirements: Arabic proficiency, legal income, UAE residency, security clearance, and oath of allegiance
  
• Dual Citizenship: Permitted since 2021 reform, but only under federal nomination
  
• Strategic Insight: Citizenship remains exceptional and not guaranteed; long-term golden visa is the most realistic permanent status.
  
  

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