United Arab Emirates
Asia
Key facts
- Capital
- Abu Dhabi
- Population
- 11,513,149
- 2025
- Area
- 98,648 km²
- Official language
- Arabic
- Currency
- United Arab Emirates Dirham
- AED
- GDP per capita
- US$50,274
- 2024
- Dual citizenship
- Allowed with conditions
- The UAE generally bars dual nationality: Emiratis who naturalise abroad lose citizenship, but since 2021 nominated investors and talents may keep their original nationality.
United Arab Emirates (Asia) has data on 11/14 Prosperous Intelligence indices. Strongest relative position: Retirement Destination Index — #6/198 (77.0/100). Lowest relative position: Cost of Living Index — #119/200 (64.3/100). The passport ranks #16/198 and reaches 186 destinations without a consular visa in advance. Global Citizenship Score 81.7/100 (#18/199). On the entry side, 89/197 passports can enter United Arab Emirates without a consular visa in advance. The dataset records 4 active citizenship and residence programmes in United Arab Emirates.
Scores on 11 indices
- Health & Longevity72.5
- Safety & Stability86.3
- Economy & Income87.5
- Education73.0
- Environment & Clean Water30.1
- Infrastructure98.7
- Digital Connectivity95.1
- Equality75.2
- Learning Quality60.7
- Educational Attainment95.8
- Expected Years of Schooling75.8
- Education Spending52.7
- Basic Access82.3
- Violent Crime99.0
- Stability & Absence of Terrorism83.7
- Law Enforcement & Order65.3
- Road Safety79.8
- Absence of Armed Conflict99.5
- Health Outcomes97.3
- Coverage & Access95.7
- Health Workforce & Facilities38.2
- Spending & Investment26.8
- Financial Protection90.2
- Personal Income Tax100.0
- Capital Gains & Dividends100.0
- System & Incentives90.0
- Net Wealth Tax100.0
- Inheritance & Gift Tax100.0
- Corporate & Social Security84.6
- Rule of Law & Property Rights71.5
- Political Stability83.7
- Institutions & Regulation82.8
- Financial Soundness72.1
- Monetary Stability100.0
- Freedom of Capital Movement95.0
- Education73.0
- Healthcare72.5
- Safety86.3
- Quality of Life74.9
- Cost of living64.3
- Passport87.8
- Passport87.8
- Quality of Life74.9
- Safety86.3
- Healthcare72.5
- Purchasing power & price stability82.3
- Education73.0
- Wealth Protection82.2
- Tax96.6
- Cost of living64.3
- Healthcare72.5
- Safety86.3
- Quality of Life74.9
- Tax96.6
- Wealth Protection82.2
- Affordable Prices49.0
- Price Stability100.0
- Purchasing power77.9
Monthly living costs
- Total incl. rentUS$1,857Rank 11 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Total excl. rentUS$498Rank 12 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Housing & utilitiesUS$1,391Rank 11 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Core food basketUS$107Rank 15 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- A fixed basket of 15 everyday items at online retail prices; not a household’s full food spending.
- Eating outUS$115Rank 7 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- TransportUS$95Rank 15 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Internet & mobileUS$148Rank 24 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- 2 adults, 2 primary-school children
- Total incl. rentUS$3,554Rank 16 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Total excl. rentUS$1,155Rank 13 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Housing & utilitiesUS$2,492Rank 15 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Core food basketUS$343Rank 15 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- A fixed basket of 15 everyday items at online retail prices; not a household’s full food spending.
- Eating outUS$231Rank 7 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- TransportUS$286Rank 19 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- Internet & mobileUS$202Rank 24 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- International school (reference)US$1,591Rank 13 of 24 countries researched; #1 is the cheapest
- 3 schools, US$1,477–US$1,768 a month; not included in the totals
At a glance
Entering United Arab Emirates
- Visa-free: 89 passports
- Visa on arrival: 0 passports
- eTA: 0 passports
- e-Visa: 0 passports
- Consular visa required: 108 passports
Regional position and data sources
- First in Asia on 0/11 indices
- Above the regional median on 10/11 indices
- Each index lists its source and data date on the Data sources page
Citizenship and residence programmes in the dataset
- Virtual Working Programme
- UAE Golden Visa (Golden Residency)
- Golden Residence for Entrepreneurs (entrepreneur category)
- and 1 more programmes
Frequently asked questions about the United Arab Emirates
What is the capital of the United Arab Emirates?
The capital of the United Arab Emirates is Abu Dhabi.
What is the population of the United Arab Emirates?
According to the World Bank, the United Arab Emirates had a population of 11,513,149 in 2025.
What is the official language of the United Arab Emirates?
The official language of the United Arab Emirates is Arabic.
What currency does the United Arab Emirates use?
The United Arab Emirates uses the United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED).
Does the United Arab Emirates allow dual citizenship?
The UAE generally bars dual nationality: Emiratis who naturalise abroad lose citizenship, but since 2021 nominated investors and talents may keep their original nationality.
How strong is the United Arab Emirates passport?
The United Arab Emirates passport ranks #16 of 198 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Passport Index and reaches 186 destinations without applying for a consular visa in advance (visa-free, visa on arrival or eTA).
How many destinations require a visa for United Arab Emirates passport holders?
Holders of the United Arab Emirates passport must apply for a consular visa before travelling to 27 destinations and need an e-Visa for 34. Full list: United Arab Emirates passport page.
How many passports can enter the United Arab Emirates without applying for a visa in advance?
89 of 197 passports can enter the United Arab Emirates without applying for a consular visa in advance: 89 visa-free. 108 must apply for a consular visa.
What citizenship and residency programmes does the United Arab Emirates offer?
The Prosperous Intelligence dataset records 4 active citizenship and residency programmes in the United Arab Emirates: Virtual Working Programme, UAE Golden Visa (Golden Residency), Golden Residence for Entrepreneurs (entrepreneur category) and 1 more. Details: Opportunity Map.
What is the minimum investment for residency or citizenship in the United Arab Emirates?
In the United Arab Emirates, Golden Residence for Entrepreneurs (entrepreneur category) requires a minimum investment starting from US$136,000 and UAE Golden Visa (Golden Residency) requires starting from US$545,000 (reference USD conversion).
How long does an application take in the United Arab Emirates?
In the United Arab Emirates, an application under Virtual Working Programme takes about 0–1 months, UAE Golden Visa (Golden Residency) about 1–2 months and Golden Residence for Entrepreneurs (entrepreneur category) about 1–3 months (reference processing time).
How many days a year do you need to spend in the United Arab Emirates?
In the United Arab Emirates, Virtual Working Programme requires 365 days of physical presence a year, UAE Golden Visa (Golden Residency) 0 days and Green Residency (Freelancer/Entrepreneur) 0 days (reference figure).
Can family members join programmes in the United Arab Emirates?
Family members included: Virtual Working Programme: spouse and children under 18; UAE Golden Visa (Golden Residency): spouse, children of any age and parents; Golden Residence for Entrepreneurs (entrepreneur category): spouse.
Where is the United Arab Emirates strongest and weakest in Prosperous Intelligence’s indices?
Relative to other countries, the United Arab Emirates is strongest on the Retirement Destination Index (#6 of 198) and weakest on the Cost of Living Index (#119 of 200).
How does the United Arab Emirates rank for quality of life?
The United Arab Emirates scores 74.9/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Quality of Life Index, ranking #54 of 211.
Is the United Arab Emirates expensive to live in?
The United Arab Emirates scores 64.3/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Cost of Living Index, ranking #119 of 200. This is the affordability-of-living-costs score: a higher score means lower prices.
How safe is the United Arab Emirates?
The United Arab Emirates scores 86.3/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Global Safety Index, ranking #48 of 203.
How does the United Arab Emirates rank for healthcare?
The United Arab Emirates scores 72.5/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Healthcare Index, ranking #37 of 192.
How does the United Arab Emirates rank for education?
The United Arab Emirates scores 73.0/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Education Index, ranking #52 of 191.
How does the United Arab Emirates rank on taxes?
The United Arab Emirates scores 96.6/100 on Prosperous Intelligence’s Tax Freedom Index, ranking #6 of 145. Detailed tax rates: Tax Freedom Index.
What the profile contains
- Key facts from government and international sources
- Scores and global ranks on 11 Prosperous Intelligence indices
- Entry rules, passport strength and residency programmes
Why the profile matters
- Compare one country across many criteria on a single page
- Not a substitute for legal, tax or investment advice
Method
- How each index is scored and weighted
- The limits of the data and how to check official sources
