By Bill Anderson, FCCA, Chief Executive Officer, Assetica — 2026-07-02
Applying for the UAE Golden Visa through a DIFC-registered company involves documentation most guides never mention: DIFC Registrar of Companies records, the share register under DIFC Companies Law, and report formats the GDRFA accepts. A specific guide for DIFC shareholders.
DIFC operates as a common law jurisdiction with its own Companies Law and Registrar of Companies. Instead of a mainland MOA, ownership is evidenced by the company's share register, which DIFC law requires to be maintained accurately, together with the Certificate of Incorporation and commercial licence issued by the Registrar. Most DIFC entities must also file audited financial statements prepared under IFRS. For a valuer this is an advantage: the ownership trail and the accounts are usually cleaner and more verifiable than in typical SME structures.
The evidence set for a DIFC Golden Visa valuation typically comprises the Certificate of Incorporation and current DIFC licence; an extract of the share register confirming the applicant's exact shareholding and share class; the audited IFRS financial statements for the last two to three years; management accounts for the current period; and bank statements supporting reported performance. Where the DIFC entity is a holding company, the valuation must look through to the underlying operating businesses and value the applicant's effective interest in them.
The AED 2 million threshold applies to the applicant's own equity, net of debt, not the whole company. This is where applications fail: a company worth AED 6 million does not qualify a 25 percent shareholder. DIFC share registers make the ownership percentage unambiguous, but the valuation must still apply it correctly, deal with any preference shares or share classes with different rights, and state the applicant's equity value as a single defensible figure the GDRFA can read without interpretation.
Can I get a Golden Visa through my DIFC company?
Yes. The business route requires your shareholding in the company to be worth at least AED 2 million net of debt, evidenced by an independent valuation accepted by the GDRFA or ICP. DIFC registration does not change the threshold, only the documentation: the share register, DIFC licence and audited IFRS accounts form the evidence base.
What replaces the MOA for a DIFC company valuation?
Ownership of a DIFC company is evidenced by the share register maintained under the DIFC Companies Law, together with the Certificate of Incorporation and licence from the DIFC Registrar of Companies. The valuation cites these rather than a mainland-style Memorandum of Association.
Does a DIFC holding company qualify?
It can. The valuation looks through the holding structure to the underlying businesses and values the applicant's effective interest. What matters is that the applicant's ultimate equity value, net of debt, meets the AED 2 million threshold and is documented through the ownership chain.