Livida Sport: A Global Guide to Football Transfers - Second Edition - Manual / Resource - Page 90
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Immigration Rules
The most used visas for professional athletes and coaches are the Golden Athlete Visa
(self-sponsored) or the Employment Visa (club-sponsored). The Golden Visa programme
offers residence to highly skilled professionals for a period of five to ten years, whilst the
Employment Visa is issued for periods of two years. There is no formal restriction on
eligibility by nationality, but in practice, certain nationalities will find the process of
securing a visa more challenging than others. Both visas require the applicant to be over
18. The Golden Visas are not capped, but Employment Visas are governed by quotas.
Player Requirements
For the Golden Visa, a recommendation letter from the General Authority of Sports
and/or the UAE Football Association.
For the Employment Visa, an offer letter from the club (which must have an
appropriate sponsor licence) containing a minimum monthly salary of AED 15,000.
Dependents
Dependents can join the player and can study and work without restriction. A spouse can
apply for a work permit. The Golden Visa permits unmarried children of any age. The
Employment Visa permits unmarried daughters of any age and sons up to 21 years old.
Dependents receive a residence permit valid for the same duration as the player.
Applications
Applications can be made inside or outside of the UAE. Certain nationals must apply for
an entry visa in advance. It can take up to five working days for the entry visa and fourfive weeks for a residence permit. The process may be expedited for an additional fee.
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