When you work for a company, getting a visa feels like the easiest thing in the world — every couple of years you renew it, spend an hour doing a blood test and X-ray, and that is it. But what if your work isn’t tied to a single organisation? What if you move from project to project, and what you are really searching for is stability and the freedom to work, collaborate, and travel? In that case, a standard two-year visa can feel far too limiting. So there is another option — the Talent Visa.

It offers long-term security and flexibility, but it also comes with specific requirements. So what does it actually provide? What do you need to apply? And how long does the whole process take? Everything you need to know is right here.

The UAE Talent Visa is basically a long-term residency — almost like a Golden Visa but specifically for creatives, professionals, and people with strong achievements in their field. It allows you to live and work in the UAE for up to 10 years without needing a company to sponsor you.

Talent Visa holders also receive exclusive benefits, including the freedom to sponsor family members, the ability to stay outside the UAE for extended periods without losing residency, and full business ownership rights.

Although most of these points sit within the formal definition, it is useful to run through them briefly.

In many ways, the Talent Visa is treated as the creative sector’s equivalent of the Golden Visa. This often comes with additional benefits such as discounts on government and healthcare services, educational support, and scholarships for dependants.

Important note: The ongoing requirements for Talent Visa holders are straightforward — essentially the same as for any UAE resident, such as complying with local laws and keeping health insurance up to date. One key point, however, is that you must remain financially solvent and able to support yourself and your family, so as not to create a burden for the country.

Although the specific documents vary depending on your category, the overall application stages are quite similar for everyone. Below is a simple breakdown of each step.

First, you need to understand which category you fall under. The main task is to prove that you genuinely belong to that category.

Next comes the endorsement letter — essentially a recommendation from a UAE authority. The issuing body depends on your category: for instance, Digital Tech & Engineering applicants may be endorsed by the Emirates Council for AI & Digital Transactions, Arts & Culture by the Ministry of Culture, Sports by the relevant Sports Council, and so on.

Important note: The absence of an endorsement letter is often mentioned as a common reason for rejection. However, some people who have shared their experiences online said they were approved without one. Based on what is publicly shared, Dubai seems to be more flexible with this requirement than Abu Dhabi. So if securing an endorsement is challenging, you can still apply — though having one is always the safer option.

Next, you need to collect all the required documentation. If you are unsure what to include, it is always better to provide too much rather than too little: diplomas, certificates of achievement, letters of recognition, and any media coverage of your work.

There are also specific criteria for each field (more on that below).

Once everything is ready, you can submit your application online. If you are applying from Dubai, you do this via ICP Smart Services or GDRFA. If you are applying from Abu Dhabi, you use the TAMM or Abu Dhabi Residents Office platform.

After submission, you pay the relevant fees and complete the required security and medical checks.

Officially, the Talent Visa covers seven core categories (with a few extras on the side), but instead of diving into every technical detail — and risking making this article unreadable — here is a quick look at the key differences: the points that actually matter.

Additional groups: doctors, certain academics and humanitarian pioneers, whose requirements are more specialised but follow the same principle: evidence of exceptional contribution.

It is quite common for people to mix these two up, mainly because they share two big similarities: both offer 10-year residency, and both are linked to individuals with strong professional backgrounds. But the routes themselves are actually very different.

The Skilled Professional Visa is based entirely on your UAE employment. You need a valid labour contract, a job title that appears on the specialised professions list, and a salary of around 30,000 AED or more. Many find this route easier because there is no need for endorsements, portfolios or proof of exceptional achievements.

The Talent Visa, on the other hand, doesn’t look at your salary and doesn’t require an employment contract at all. It focuses instead on your accomplishments, impact and recognition within your field.

Which route you choose simply depends on which criteria you meet more comfortably — but once approved, the visa status and rights are identical.

The good news is — yes, it can. Your spouse and children can be sponsored under your Talent Visa and will receive residency for the same number of years as you do. For your spouse, the only document required is an attested marriage certificate. For children, you will need their attested birth certificates.

Important note: Unlike the regular residency visa, which only allows you to sponsor unmarried daughters of any age and sons up to 18 (or 21 if they are still in university), the Talent Visa lets you sponsor all your children — sons and daughters — with no age limit at all.

Talent Visa holders can also sponsor domestic staff — such as maids, nannies or drivers — without the usual cap on numbers.

Processing times usually range from 2 to 6 weeks, and in some cases can extend to around 2 months. The timeline varies, but two key factors tend to have the biggest impact: the category you apply under and the strength of the achievements you present.

The quickest approvals typically go to skilled professionals, doctors and medical specialists, and top university graduates, as these applications rely on straightforward professional verification rather than extensive portfolios.

More complex — and therefore slower — applications include creatives, scientists and researchers, inventors and athletes, as these categories require expert assessment and a much deeper review of the applicant’s work and achievements. Naturally, this additional scrutiny takes longer.

The total cost of the visa is made up of several separate fees — the visa application and issuance fee, the medical examination, and the Emirates ID (you are essentially paying for the physical card). These costs vary slightly depending on the category, but on average the full amount comes to around 5,000–7,000 AED.

If you are applying from outside the UAE, there is an additional entry permit fee, which usually ranges from 500 to 1,000 AED.