The Abu Dhabi Residents Office quietly posted a major update to its Golden Visa microsite in the early hours of 13 October 2026, widening the eligibility net for business founders and confirming a fully online nomination workflow. Under the refreshed criteria, entrepreneurs can now qualify in three ways: (1) by holding an approved concept letter from a UAE business incubator, the Ministry of Economy or the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP); (2) by owning at least 10 % of an SME that records annual revenue of AED 1 million or more; or (3) by having previously sold a start-up for at least AED 7 million. The revenue threshold aligns the capital with the federal definition of an SME and lowers the bar from the AED 2 million minimum some incubators previously required. A second, practical change is that **all nominations submitted through the ADRO web portal are now routed automatically to the relevant incubator for sign-off**, eliminating the need for founders to shuttle documents between multiple authorities. Non-residents may still file by e-mail via the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, but ADRO says the portal will open to them “in a later release”. The page reiterates that successful applicants receive a ten-year residency with the right to sponsor family and up to three executives—benefits that have made the Golden Visa a cornerstone of corporate-mobility planning in the UAE. For HR and mobility teams the update offers a clearer checklist and faster processing, making it easier to move senior founders or key shareholders to Abu Dhabi without the need for a traditional employment visa. Companies should, however, prepare detailed audited accounts and LinkedIn profiles, which the new checklist lists as mandatory uploads.
