- Abu Dhabi's Residents Office listed the minimum GPA scores graduates must have to qualify for the 10-year Golden Visa
- The Golden Visa is open to graduates of UAE universities and those from the top 100 universities outside the country
- Foreign graduates applying from outside the UAE must have completed their bachelor's degree no more than two years ago
Abu Dhabi has published the specific academic grades that university graduates need to qualify for its 10-year Golden Visa, with the requirements varying depending on where an applicant studied.
The Abu Dhabi Residents Office published the full criteria on its official website, covering two categories of graduates: those who completed their degrees at UAE institutions and those who studied abroad.
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GPA requirements for UAE-based graduates
Graduates from universities inside the UAE can apply with a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD degree, provided the institution is accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
The minimum GPA is 3.5 for universities classified as "A" and 3.8 for those classified as "B" under the Ministry's official ranking system.
The degree must be attested by the Ministry, and the graduation year must fall within the last two years. Applicants are required to submit official transcripts showing their final grades alongside the attested certificate.
What graduates from outside the UAE must show
For graduates who studied abroad, the Golden Visa is currently available only at the bachelor's degree level. The applicant's university must rank among the top 100 institutions in the world, according to the international classification recognised by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
A minimum GPA of 3.5 applies to this group. Like their UAE-based counterparts, foreign graduates must have completed their degree within the past two years.
They are also required to obtain an equivalency certificate from the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, along with official transcripts and the bachelor's certificate itself.
The 10-year Golden Visa for graduates falls under the broader student category managed by the Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), the Abu Dhabi government body that oversees education from foundation level through to higher and vocational learning.
The visa is designed to attract high-performing graduates in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and entrepreneurship into the emirate's talent pool.
Legit.ng reported that Abu Dhabi had listed two relatives that foreigners can bring over through a residence visa.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Abu Dhabi had shared how much foreigners must earn monthly to qualify for its remote work visa.
Income requirement for Abu Dhabi's Golden Visa
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Abu Dhabi had released the monthly income of skilled foreigners seeking its 10-year Golden Visa.
The eligibility criteria, published on the Abu Dhabi Residents Office's official website, set out the conditions that employed professionals in the UAE must meet before they can apply for the long-term residency programme.
According to the Abu Dhabi Residents Office, applicants must be currently employed in the UAE and hold a role that falls under either Level 1 or Level 2 of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE) occupational classification scheme.
Source: Legit.ng