An investor or golden visa for Indians costs from OMR 250,000 in Oman and AED 2 million in the UAE to USD 800,000 for the US EB-5, buys 5 to 10 years of residence in the Gulf with no minimum stay, and is issued in 2 to 8 weeks in the UAE, 30 to 90 days in Saudi Arabia and 2 to 6 weeks in Oman, against 6 to 18 months in Europe and several years in the United States. Capital is the entry ticket; the source-of-funds file is the work.
This guide is the long version of the investor and golden visa hub. The three Gulf programmes have verified route pages with the fee table, the category list, the document checklist and the refusal reasons; the European and North American figures come from the programme pages cited below and are re-checked when the authorities publish changes.
Golden visa for Indians: the Gulf programmes side by side
| Programme | Minimum investment | Residence granted | Government fee | Published decision | Minimum stay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAE Golden Visa | AED 2 million in property or approved investment; also talent and professional categories | 10 years, renewable | AED 1,920 residence permit | 2 to 8 weeks; GDRFA 5 working days | None |
| Saudi Premium Residency | SAR 100,000 a year (renewable) or SAR 800,000 once; investor, entrepreneur, property, talent categories | Renewable yearly or permanent | Included in the SAR 100,000 / 800,000 | 30 to 90 days | None |
| Oman Investor Residency | OMR 250,000 (5 years) or OMR 500,000 (10 years) in property, company or bonds | 5 or 10 years, renewable | No visa fee | 2 to 6 weeks after verification | None |
The UAE Golden Visa is the most-filed because Dubai property at AED 2 million is a familiar asset to Indian buyers and the permit covers spouse, children and domestic staff without a salary test. Saudi Premium Residency is the only Gulf programme with a talent category (SAR 35,000 a month, with SAR 14,000 for health and science professions) that needs no capital at all. Oman's programme is the cheapest capital route and the only one with no permit fee, and it accepts government development bonds as well as property.
How do the European and North American routes compare?
Europe trades a longer process for a path to citizenship. Greece grants a 5-year renewable permit for EUR 250,000 in property outside the high-demand zones (EUR 400,000 to 800,000 inside them) with no stay rule for the permit itself; Portugal moved its golden visa to EUR 500,000 in approved investment funds in 2023 and asks for an average of 7 days a year, leading to naturalisation after 5 years; Italy's investor visa runs from EUR 250,000 in an innovative start-up to EUR 2 million in government bonds; Spain closed its property golden visa in April 2025. Founder routes assess the business, not the balance: the UK Innovator Founder visa needs an endorsement for an innovative, viable and scalable plan and leads to settlement after 3 years; Canada's Start-up Visa needs a letter of support from a designated organisation; the Netherlands' start-up visa a facilitator; France's Talent Passport an investment of EUR 300,000 or a recognised project.
The United States' EB-5 needs USD 800,000 in a targeted employment area or USD 1.05 million elsewhere and 10 full-time jobs, and Indian nationals face a priority-date queue measured in years. For most Indian investors the choice is therefore Gulf residence now, Europe for a second home with a passport later, and the United States only as a multi-year plan.
What does the source-of-funds file look like?
Every programme asks the same question in a different form: where did the money come from, and can each step be documented? Expect tax returns for 3 to 5 years, sale deeds or share transfer records for the asset that produced the capital, company accounts and dividend resolutions for business income, bank trails from the Indian account to the destination account and, for the Gulf, a police clearance and a medical. India's Liberalised Remittance Scheme caps outward remittance at USD 250,000 per person per financial year, so a AED 2 million purchase is usually funded over two financial years or by several family members, each with their own trail, and the file must show that structure openly.
Fees beyond the headline matter: Dubai Land Department charges 4 percent of the property price plus registration; Saudi Arabia's talent and property categories carry their own professional-licence costs; European routes add legal, due-diligence and transfer taxes of 3 to 10 percent; fund routes add management fees for the holding period.
Who is covered, and what does it cost each year?
All three Gulf programmes cover the family on the principal's investment. The UAE Golden Visa extends to the spouse, sons up to 25, unmarried daughters without an age limit and domestic staff, each on their own 10-year permit with their own Emirates ID, medical test and health insurance, and the principal's permit is not cancelled by staying outside the UAE for more than 6 months. Saudi Premium Residency covers the spouse, children under 25 and parents; holders may own property, run a business, change employer without a sponsor and leave and return freely, and the renewable category means a SAR 100,000 bill every year until you switch to the permanent SAR 800,000 grant. Oman's programme covers the spouse and children on the same 5- or 10-year card, renewed on proof that the OMR 250,000 or OMR 500,000 investment is still held.
Budget the running costs as well as the capital: annual building service charges and insurance on a Dubai property, the professional-licence costs behind Saudi Arabia's talent and property categories, and the opportunity cost of capital that must stay invested for the card's term. None of the three currently taxes personal income (Oman has legislated a 5 percent tax on high incomes from 2028), which is the running-cost argument for the Gulf against Portugal and Greece, where tax residence follows 183 days a year.
Why investor visas get refused, and the fix
The four recurring reasons across the route pages are: a source of funds that cannot be traced to a lawful origin; an investment made in a vehicle that no longer qualifies after a rule change (off-plan property below the completion threshold, a fund removed from the approved list); a business plan without a credible endorsement or market test; and the minimum holding period or residence days not kept at renewal. The fixes are to document the trail before buying, confirm the asset's eligibility with the authority on the date of purchase, and diarise the holding period. The investor visa refusal page lists every reason with the evidence that answers it.
Which investor route fits an Indian family?
Decide what the residence is for. A second base for business and schooling with India as home: the UAE, with no stay rule and a 10-year horizon. A low-cost residence card with Gulf access: Oman. A talent-based card without capital: Saudi Arabia. A path to an EU passport: Portugal or Greece, accepting the 5-to-7-year residence clock and the surrender of the Indian passport on naturalisation, after which the OCI card restores lifelong visa-free travel to India. The permanent residence guide covers the points-based alternatives for professionals who would rather earn residence than buy it, and the free eligibility check shows which routes your profile already qualifies for.
