07-07-2025
UAE Golden Visa: Netizens weigh pros, say ‘taxpayers celebrating like they won lottery'
Indians can now get the United Arab Emirates government's Golden Visa for life time. It's based on nomination, not on investments, and costs ₹ 23 lakh.
Sources told news agency PTI that under the 'new nomination-based visa policy,' Indians can now enjoy the UAE's Golden Visa for life by paying a one-time fee of AED 1,00,000 (INR around 23.30 lakh).
They claimed that over 5,000 Indians will apply for this nomination-based visa in three months.
Until now, one of the ways to get Dubai's Golden Visa from India was to invest in property whose value should be at least AED Two Million ( ₹ 4.66 crore), or invest a large amount in business in the country.
The UAE's latest visa policy has created a buzz on the internet.
One X user Suraj Balakrishnan posted said, 'The ₹ 23 lakh UAE Golden Visa seems like a migration ticket, but in reality, it's more of a status flex for Indian elites.'
He claimed that 'for many HNIs [High Net Worth Individual], the Golden Visa isn't about leaving India; it's about a backup option, global mobility, and just something to flaunt at a party.'
However, another social media user believed, 'When a nation values your potential more than your passport, migration becomes clarity not escape.'
Meanwhile, one X user posted, 'If the UAE Golden Visa for ₹ 23 lakhs news is true, it is game over for urban India.' Another mentioned that the quality of life and other basic amenities 'are far superior in UAE.'
One person believed the new visa policy may prove 'Incredible For Indian Professionals and HNIs'. He listed the benefits Indians could get in the UAE: '0 Income Tax; Strict Law and Order; Ease of Doing Business; World Class Infrastructure.'
One user questioned India's 'oppressive tax regime' and said that the UAE Golden Visa Policy 'will be a booster shot for Indian investors sick of India's tax terrorism & bureaucratic harassment.'
Another commented, 'UAE is giving Golden Visa for 23 lakhs and taxpayers are celebrating it as if they won a lottery.' He said, 'It's such a hopeless situation for taxpayers in this country that even after paying so much tax, they don't get anything in return. They're just looking for the first oppertunity to exit from country.'
The user added that other countries are making friendly policies to 'grab Indian talents and HNI while our Govt is busy taxing GST on health insurance even after taking Health and education cess.'
After getting the Golden Visa, one gets the freedom to bring his or her family members to Dubai.
'You can also keep servants and drivers based on this visa. You can do any business or professional work here,' Rayad Kamal Ayub, Managing Director of Rayad Group, said.
He said the property-based Golden Visa ends in case of property sale or division, but the nomination-based visa will remain forever.
The Golden Visa nomination process is an agreement between the UAE and its (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) CEPA signatory/partner countries.
This is a pilot project which has started with India and Bangladesh and will soon include China and other CEPA countries.
RayadGroup and VFS have been chosen to vet the applicants and then forward them to the UAE authorities.
