Abu Dhabi’s Golden Visa: 100 International University Entries Published for Graduates

The Abu Dhabi Residents Office (ADRO) has published an international university list as part of the eligibility framework for the United Arab Emirates’ Golden Visa programme for outstanding university graduates.

The list includes internationally renowned universities such as Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, Stanford, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Johns Hopkins University and Imperial College London.

A 10-Year Residency Opportunity for Outstanding Graduates

Abu Dhabi’s Golden Visa programme offers qualifying graduates the opportunity to obtain long-term residency in the UAE for ten years.

According to the Abu Dhabi Residents Office, applicants who graduated from universities outside the UAE must meet several academic requirements.

These include:

Holding a bachelor’s degree from an eligible university recognised under the relevant international classification approved by UAE authorities.

Achieving a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5.

Having graduated within the preceding two years.

Obtaining the required degree equivalency certificate from the UAE’s competent higher education authority.

Applications are subject to official assessment and approval.

The Complete International University List

The following universities and institutions appear in the official ADRO document. The numbering follows the published document and does not represent academic ranking positions.

Brown University

California Institute of Technology

Carnegie Mellon University

City University of Hong Kong

Columbia University

Cornell University

Delft University of Technology

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Fudan University

Georgia Institute of Technology

Harvard University

Imperial College London

Institut Polytechnique de Paris

Johns Hopkins University

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

King’s College London

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

Korea University

Kyoto University

Lomonosov Moscow State University

London School of Economics and Political Science

Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich

Lund University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

McGill University

Monash University

Nanyang Technological University

National Taiwan University

National University of Singapore

New York University

Northwestern University

Osaka University

Peking University

Pennsylvania State University

Pohang University of Science and Technology

Princeton University

PSL Research University

Rice University

Royal Institute of Technology

Heidelberg University

Seoul National University

Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Sorbonne University

Stanford University

Sungkyunkwan University

Technical University of Denmark

Australian National University

Chinese University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

University of Auckland

University of Manchester

University of Melbourne

University of New South Wales

University of Queensland

University of Sheffield

University of Sydney

University of Tokyo

University of Warwick

University of Western Australia

Tohoku University

Tokyo Institute of Technology

University of Warwick

Tsinghua University

University of Buenos Aires

Universiti Malaya

University College London

University of Amsterdam

University of Birmingham

University of Bristol

University of British Columbia

University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Los Angeles

University of California, San Diego

University of Cambridge

University of Chicago

University of Copenhagen

University of Edinburgh

University of Glasgow

University of Hong Kong

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

University of Leeds

Durham University

University of Washington

University of Michigan

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

University of Oxford

University of Pennsylvania

University of Science and Technology of China

University of Southampton

University of St Andrews

University of Texas at Austin

University of Toronto

University of Washington

University of Wisconsin–Madison

University of Zurich

Yale University

Yonsei University

Zhejiang University

ETH Zurich

Important Clarification About the Published List

Although the official document contains 100 numbered entries, two universities appear twice: the University of Warwick and the University of Washington.

Consequently, the document contains 98 distinct university names across its 100 numbered positions.

The order of institutions should not be interpreted as an academic ranking.

Is This a Global University Ranking?

The ADRO document is an eligibility-related university list associated with the Golden Visa programme, rather than an independent assessment of global academic performance.

It differs from international university rankings such as QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU).

These ranking systems assess universities using different indicators, including academic reputation, research performance, citations, internationalisation and other measures.

The ADRO list instead serves an administrative purpose related to graduate eligibility under the residency programme.

Abu Dhabi’s Strategy to Attract Global Talent

The Golden Visa initiative forms part of Abu Dhabi’s broader efforts to attract internationally qualified professionals, researchers, entrepreneurs and academically successful graduates.

By providing a longer-term residency pathway, the programme seeks to support professional development, scientific innovation and investment in human capital.

The initiative is particularly relevant to sectors associated with knowledge-based economic development, including healthcare, medicine, biotechnology, engineering, artificial intelligence and advanced scientific research.

Applicants Should Confirm the Latest University Eligibility Rules

The university list is available through an official Abu Dhabi government website. However, the publication should not automatically be treated as a newly issued or permanently valid list.

University classifications, eligibility requirements and administrative procedures may change over time.

Prospective applicants should therefore verify the latest officially recognised institutions, degree requirements and application procedures before applying.