UAE grants Golden Card visa to international athletes
In 2019, the UAE introduced long-term residency visa – the ‘Golden Card.’ The visa was initially intended to grant a form of permanent residency to doctors, investors, artists, engineers and scientists. However, the UAE cabinet recently awarded international athletes with the UAE Gold Visa too.
ATHLETES AWARDED THE GOLDEN CARD PERMANENT RESIDENCY
Without further ado, let’s look at the international athletes who were given the Gold Visa by the UAE cabinet.
CRISTIANO RONALDO
Topping the list of international athletes with UAE Gold Visa, Cristiano Ronaldo is a known name in the world of football. The Portuguese footballer has 5 Ballon d’Ors, 5 Best FIFA Men’s Player and 5 Champions League titles to his name. Ronaldo visits the UAE frequently and is friends with H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai . The permanent residency was bestowed on Ronaldo in February 2020.
LUÍS FIGO
Another football legend from Portugal, Luis Figo was awarded the UAE Golden Card visa for permanent residency. Winner of Ballon d’Or (2000), Luis Figo has the honour of being a six-time FIFA Footballer of the Year winner for his national team. Although retired, this celebrated player has graced teams like Inter Milan, Barcelona and Real Madrid with his presence.
MIRALEM PJANIC
The next athlete awarded with the UAE Gold Card Visa is also a footballer. Miralem Pjanić is a professional football player from Bosnia who has been bestowed with the “Footballer of the Year” and “Midfielder of the Year” titles. Pjanic also has 3 Italian Championship titles under his belt. Miralem Pjanic plays for Juventus and visited Dubai for the Global Soccer Awards in 2019.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
The UAE Gold Card Visa was presented to Novak Djokovic in February 2020. The global tennis star recently won the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title in Dubai and visits the country regularly with his family. Novak Djokovic is also friends with H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
PAUL POGBA
A force to be reckoned with on the field, French footballer Paul Pogba was also granted the UAE Golden Card visa. Pogba, who plays for Manchester United, often trains at the Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex in Dubai. With the long-term residency visa issued to him, we can count on seeing a lot more of him in the UAE.
ROBERTO CARLOS
Last on our list of UAE Gold Visa athletes is Roberto Carlos. The retired Brazilian footballer and football ambassador has more than 10 titles to his name, including the European Cup, La Liga and the European Super Cup. Roberto Carlos has frequently visited the UAE for several years now, supporting various sport events and tournaments in the country.
That’s all we have for you now. These celebrity sportspersons may have been awarded the UAE Golden Card visa for being outstanding international athletes, but the same visas are open for others too. You can apply for long-term residency in the UAE if you’re a brilliant scientist, doctor, engineer or belong to any of the other specified categories. If you already have one, make sure to determine your UAE visa status in the country.
Businessmen from across the world looking to set up their business in the UAE, can apply for the Business Gold Visa that gives them both long-term residency and ease of starting a business in Dubai or any of the other emirates. Of course, you always have the option to apply for a partner visa in Dubai, which is valid for three years.
If you’re not looking for long-term residency, but would like to visit the UAE frequently, you can opt for the five-year UAE tourist visa.
If you’re in the country on a tourist visa, here’s all you need to know about visit visa renewal UAE price, rules and more.
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