UAE residence permit for Russians in 2026

Since April 2026 any completed flat in Dubai gives a 2-year visa, and the 10-year golden visa starts at $550,000. Seven routes, first-year costs and the 180-day rule.

The short answer: a Russian citizen gets a residence permit in the UAE (the Emirates) on the same terms as any other foreigner. The most common route is your own company with an owner's visa, from $6,900 for the first year. The longest status is the 10-year golden visa for property or a deposit from $550,000. All investor programmes are on the page UAE residence by investment.

Can a Russian get UAE residence in 2026

Yes. The Emirates have not joined Western sanctions, and Russian citizens need no visa to enter: a free stamp for up to 90 days is given at the border. That is enough to open a company or buy a flat and apply for residence without leaving the country.

There is no separate programme for Russians, which is rather a plus: the rules are general and therefore predictable. A standard residence permit is issued for 2 years and tied to a ground: a job, a company or a home. Lose the ground and you lose the status with it.

How to get UAE residence: 7 ways

Any of these statuses lets you sponsor visas for your spouse and children. The difference is the entry price and how long you need to live in the country. A standard residence permit is cancelled if you spend more than 180 consecutive days outside the UAE; a golden visa is not.

Since 29 April 2026 the threshold for the 2-year Dubai homeowner visa has been removed: any completed flat qualifies if it is registered to one person. If there are several owners who are not relatives, each share must be worth at least 400,000 dirhams, about $110,000.

How much UAE residence costs

The dirham is pegged to the dollar at 3.6725 dirhams per dollar; amounts below are rounded up.

• Remote work visa. State fees are about $100, the full package in Dubai about $290, plus health insurance.
• Your own company. The first year in a Dubai free zone with one visa is about $6,900-8,600: licence, company immigration card, visa, medical test and resident ID.
• A flat. The Land Department fee on purchase is 4% of the price, plus fees for the visa, medical test and resident ID.
• Golden visa. State fees are about $2,700 for the main applicant and about $1,700 for each family member.

The total for the most common route, a Dubai free zone company with an owner's visa, is from $6,900 for the first year. This excludes health insurance, a bank account, bookkeeping and our support. The licence is renewed every year, the residence permit every two years.

Murblz support for a golden visa costs from $2,630. A manager will calculate the cost of support for a company, employment or remote work visa in the chat.

What matters for Russians: taxes, banks and 180 days

The Emirates are generous with visas and stingy with passports: residence here is arranged faster than ordered furniture arrives, while citizenship is almost never granted. So it pays to look at the practical side.

• Income tax. There is no personal income tax in the UAE. A company pays 9% on profit above 375,000 dirhams a year. More on the page taxes in the UAE.
• Tax residence. A UAE residence certificate is issued after 183 days in the country within 12 months, or after 90 days with a residence permit and a permanent home or job. In Russia you lose tax residence if you spend fewer than 183 days there in a calendar year.
• Bank. An account is easiest to open with a residence permit and resident ID: without them the bank asks for more documents and a higher balance. How it works is in the article bank account in the UAE.
• Absences. A standard residence permit is cancelled after 180 consecutive days outside the UAE. If you live between two countries, a golden visa is more convenient.
• Citizenship. UAE residence does not lead to a passport. Why is explained in the article UAE citizenship.

How we help

The law does not stop you applying for UAE residence on your own. But mistakes cost more than the fees: a zone where your activity costs twice as much, a co-owned flat with a share below 400,000 dirhams, a remote work visa without a one-year contract, and an absence of more than 180 days that cancels the status. Murblz specialists choose the ground for your income and plans, register the company, prepare the visa and resident ID documents, help with the bank and track renewal deadlines. We guarantee professional work and a transparent process, and in most cases a result on the first application.

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