UK Investment Visa 2026: What Replaced the Investor Visa, and Your Options from the UAE

Information reviewed November 2026.

Many investors in Dubai and across the UAE still search for a UK investment visa: a visa you could get by placing capital in the UK. That route existed for years as the Tier 1 (Investor) visa, often called the UK “golden visa”. It closed to new applicants in February 2022, and the UK has not replaced it with another passive-investment visa.

That does not mean capital no longer matters. It means the UK now asks investors to build or expand a real business, not just hold investments. This guide explains what happened to the old route, which routes investors use in 2026, how the earned settlement reforms announced on 2 November 2026 affect them, and when a European residence route may suit you better. It draws on GOV.UK, the Home Office and the UK Immigration Rules.

What happened to the UK investor visa?

The Tier 1 (Investor) visa let high-net-worth applicants live in the UK by investing in UK companies. For most applicants after November 2014, the minimum investment was £2 million, and larger amounts shortened the time to settlement.

On 17 February 2022 the Home Office closed the route “to all new applicants from all nationalities with immediate effect”, citing security concerns and the risk of illicitly obtained wealth entering the UK. The Explanatory Memorandum to the rule change adds that the government considered the route’s economic benefit to the UK to be small. In the same announcement, the Home Office said settlement should be linked to genuine job creation, and that passively holding UK investments would no longer be enough.

Today GOV.UK says plainly: “You can no longer apply for a new Tier 1 (Investor) visa.” Only people who already held the visa (or held it within the last 12 months) can apply to settle or bring family members. Under the Home Office caseworker guidance, the last date for extensions was 17 February 2026, and settlement applications must be made before 17 February 2028.

So if a website offers you a “UK investor visa” or “UK golden visa” for a passive investment in 2026, treat it with caution. No such route is open.

The UK investment visa options in 2026 at a glance

Your situation	Route to look at	Leads to settlement?
You want to start a new, innovative business in the UK and run it yourself	Innovator Founder visa	Yes, after 3 years if you meet the requirements
Your existing company outside the UK wants to open its first UK branch	UK Expansion Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)	No, not on its own (maximum 2 years)
Your company is already trading in the UK and needs to move a senior person	Senior or Specialist Worker visa (Global Business Mobility)	No, not on its own
You want residence in Europe through investment, without running a business	Portugal Golden Visa (fund, company or research routes)	Permanent residence or citizenship after the required years in Portugal

The Innovator Founder visa: the investor’s route in 2026

The Innovator Founder visa is the closest thing the UK has to an investment visa today, and it is the route the Home Office pointed to when it closed Tier 1. It replaced the Innovator visa in April 2023. It is built for founders who will create and run a business, not for passive investors.

According to GOV.UK, your business idea must be:

• new: you cannot join a business that is already trading;
• innovative: an original idea, different from anything else on the market;
• viable, with potential for growth; and
• scalable, with planning that includes creating jobs and growing into national and international markets.

An approved endorsing body must assess your plan and issue an endorsement letter before you apply. Our guide UK Innovator Founder endorsement 2026: what endorsing bodies look for explains that step in detail.

Is there a minimum investment?

There is no fixed minimum investment in the Immigration Rules for this route. Instead, you must prove to your endorsing body that you have enough funding for your plan and where it comes from. GOV.UK adds that you do not need investment funds if your business is already established and was endorsed for an earlier visa. For an investor, this is the key difference from the old Tier 1 route: the money must serve a credible business plan, and the source of funds must be clear.

Other requirements

• You must be at least 18.
• You must meet the English language requirement.
• You need personal savings to support yourself: at least £1,270 held for 28 consecutive days before you apply. You cannot count your investment funds for this.

How long you can stay and settle

The visa lasts three years, and you can extend it for further three-year periods with a new endorsement. You meet your endorsing body after 12 and 24 months to show progress. GOV.UK states you may be able to apply for settlement (indefinite leave to remain) once you have lived in the UK for three years on this route, with a new endorsement showing your business has met the growth requirements. Your partner and children can join you as dependants if they are eligible.

Decisions on applications from outside the UK usually take about three weeks once you have applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, according to GOV.UK. Official costs for the visa, the endorsement and the healthcare surcharge are listed on GOV.UK.

For the full requirements from a UAE perspective, see UK Innovator Founder visa requirements for UAE applicants and our UK Innovator Founder visa service page.

Expanding your UAE company into the UK

If you already own or run a company outside the UK and want to open a UK presence, the UK Expansion Worker visa may fit better than starting a new venture. GOV.UK explains that it lets a senior manager or specialist employee come to the UK to set up a branch of an overseas business that has not started trading in the UK yet.

The main conditions are:

• a valid certificate of sponsorship from your employer (so the business needs a sponsor licence);
• previous work for the business outside the UK;
• a job on the list of eligible occupations; and
• the minimum salary for that job.

The visa is granted for up to 12 months and can be extended, up to a maximum of two years. It does not lead to settlement on its own. Once the UK branch is trading, staff usually move to other sponsored routes. Our guide UK Expansion Worker visa for UAE companies covers the process, and our UK Global Business Mobility page explains how we help.

How the 2026 earned settlement reforms affect investors

On 2 November 2026, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood set out the government’s “earned settlement” policy in Parliament. Settlement will no longer come almost automatically after five years. Instead:

• the default qualifying period becomes 10 years;
• people earning more than £50,271, and some public service workers, can settle after 5 years;
• the highest earners, who pay the top rate of income tax, can settle after 3 years, “as will those who arrive on our highest talent schemes”; and
• every applicant must meet four conditions: a clean criminal record, English to a high standard, no debt to the taxpayer and a record of National Insurance contributions.

Commentary on the policy expects the highest-talent group to include the Global Talent and Innovator Founder routes. For investors who build a successful UK company, the three-year path should therefore remain. The government says the changes will be introduced in stages, starting with the December 2026 Immigration Rules and continuing through 2027, and that the rules in force when you apply for settlement will generally apply. Check the latest rules before you plan your timeline.

When a European residence route fits better

The UK now rewards active business building. If what you want is a second residence base for your family, secured mainly through investment, a UK visa may not be the right tool.

Portugal’s Golden Visa (residence permit for investment) still offers routes that do not require you to run a business day to day. According to AIMA, they include €500,000 in qualifying Portuguese investment funds, €500,000 to set up or grow a Portuguese company with job creation, and research or cultural contributions. The stay rules are light: at least 7 days in the first year and 14 days in each following two-year period. Real estate no longer qualifies.

Our guide Portugal Golden Visa 2026: who qualifies explains each route, and the Portugal visas hub compares the Golden Visa with the D7 and D2 for families based in the UAE. Read more on our Portugal Golden Visa page.

A practical path for UAE-based investors

1. Decide what you want the visa to do. Living and building a company in the UK points to Innovator Founder. Opening a UK branch of your UAE company points to the Expansion Worker route. A family residence base with light stay rules points to Portugal.
2. Check the source of your funds early. Endorsing bodies, banks and immigration authorities will all ask where your capital comes from. Gather company accounts, bank statements and sale or dividend records from the UAE before you start.
3. Write a plan you could defend in a meeting. For Innovator Founder, the plan must show innovation, viability and scalability, with jobs and international growth. Endorsing bodies look for evidence, not generic claims.
4. Plan your timeline around settlement. Keep track of time outside the UK. GOV.UK currently allows no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12 months for Innovator Founder settlement.
5. Keep your UAE residence in mind. If you will spend long periods abroad, check how that affects your UAE residence visa before you move.

Common mistakes we see

• Looking for a “UK golden visa”. It closed in 2022. Offers promising UK residence for a passive investment should be treated with caution.
• Treating Innovator Founder as an investment product. The endorsing body assesses you as a founder: your skills, your plan and your active role in the business.
• Joining an existing UK business. The Innovator Founder route needs a new business; joining a company that is already trading does not qualify.
• Using the Expansion Worker visa when the UK company is already trading. In that case GOV.UK points to the Senior or Specialist Worker visa instead.
• Ignoring the settlement reforms. Plans built on a five-year settlement path may need a second look under the new earned settlement rules.

How Baker & Co helps

Baker & Co is a management and immigration consultancy with offices in Dubai (Office 102, Dubai Supreme Court Complex) and Lisbon. We help UAE-based investors and business owners choose between the UK and Portugal routes, prepare Innovator Founder business plans for endorsement, plan UK expansions for UAE companies, and handle the Portugal Golden Visa from the first call to the residence permit. Where a matter must be handled by a regulated adviser or lawyer, an independent professional takes it on.

When you’re ready, book your complimentary assessment, or browse all UK business visas.

Frequently asked questions

Is there still a UK investment visa in 2026?

No passive investment visa is open. The Tier 1 (Investor) visa closed to new applicants on 17 February 2022. Investors now usually apply as founders on the Innovator Founder visa, or expand an existing company through the UK Expansion Worker visa.

What replaced the UK Tier 1 Investor visa?

No direct replacement was created. When it closed the route, the Home Office said it would reform the Innovator route instead, and the Innovator Founder visa launched in April 2023. It requires an endorsed, new, innovative, viable and scalable business.

How much do I need to invest for the Innovator Founder visa?

There is no fixed minimum in the rules. You must show your endorsing body that you have enough funding for your business plan and where it comes from. Separately, you need at least £1,270 in personal savings held for 28 consecutive days.

Can I get UK settlement through investment?

Not through a passive investment any more. Innovator Founder holders may apply for settlement after three years if their business meets the endorsement requirements. Existing Tier 1 Investor holders must apply for settlement before 17 February 2028.

Do the 2026 earned settlement changes affect Innovator Founder?

The 2 November 2026 policy keeps a three-year path for the highest earners and the highest-talent routes, which are expected to include Innovator Founder. The detailed rules are being phased in from December 2026 and through 2027, so check the rules in force when you apply.

Can I apply for a UK investment visa from Dubai?

Yes. You apply online from the UAE and then prove your identity, which may mean an appointment at a visa application centre. GOV.UK says decisions from outside the UK usually take about three weeks once your identity and documents have been provided.

Is the Portugal Golden Visa an alternative to a UK investor visa?

For many families it is. Portugal still grants residence for qualifying investments, such as €500,000 in eligible investment funds, with stay rules of 7 days in the first year and 14 days in each following two-year period.

Information reviewed November 2026. This guide is general information based on GOV.UK, the Home Office, the UK Immigration Rules and AIMA. It is not legal or tax advice. Final decisions rest with UK Visas and Immigration, the endorsing bodies and, for Portugal, AIMA.

Sources

• GOV.UK, Investor visa (Tier 1): https://www.gov.uk/tier-1-investor
• Home Office, Tier 1 Investor Visa route closes over security concerns (17 February 2022): https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tier-1-investor-visa-route-closes-over-security-concerns
• Home Office, Tier 1 (Investor) caseworker guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tier-1-investor-caseworker-guidance/tier-1-investor-caseworker-guidance-accessible
• Explanatory Memorandum to the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules CP 632 (17 February 2022): https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/620f6c3dd3bf7f4f0d9e7f7f/E02722027_-CP_632–EXPLANATORY_MEMORANDUM__Web_Accessible.pdf
• GOV.UK, Innovator Founder visa: https://www.gov.uk/innovator-founder-visa
• GOV.UK, Innovator Founder visa eligibility: https://www.gov.uk/innovator-founder-visa/eligibility
• Immigration Rules, Appendix Innovator Founder: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-innovator-founder
• GOV.UK, Indefinite leave to remain for Innovator Founder visa holders: https://www.gov.uk/indefinite-leave-to-remain-innovator-founder-visa
• GOV.UK, UK Expansion Worker visa: https://www.gov.uk/uk-expansion-worker-visa
• Home Office, Earned settlement statement (2 November 2026): https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/home-secretary-earned-settlement-statement
• Home Office, Home Secretary unveils new rules for migrants settling in the UK (2 November 2026): https://www.gov.uk/government/news/home-secretary-unveils-new-rules-for-migrants-settling-in-the-uk
• AIMA, Residence permit for investment (ARI): https://aima.gov.pt/pt/viver/autorizacao-de-residencia-para-investimento-art-90-o-a