Who qualifies: AED 2 million in Dubai property
You qualify for the 10-year Golden Visa if you own property in Dubai worth at least AED 2 million, in one unit or several combined. The rule comes from Cabinet Resolution No. 65 of 2022, and in Dubai the application goes through the Dubai Land Department (DLD), with the visa issued by the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA).
- The property must be registered with DLD: a title deed for ready property, an Oqood certificate for off-plan.
- DLD checks the registered value. Some owners whose purchase price was lower have used a DLD-certified valuation of current market value; confirm this route with DLD before relying on it.
- The 4% DLD fee and other purchase costs do not count toward the AED 2 million.
- Any nationality, no age limit, no local sponsor or employer.
Interest has not stopped in 2026. Dubai issued about 66,000 golden visas in the first half of the year, despite the regional conflict that began on 28 February.
Mortgaged and off-plan property
Both can qualify. A mortgaged property is assessed on its full value if your bank issues a no-objection letter for the Golden Visa showing the amount paid and the amount outstanding. Older rules required a minimum share of the price to be paid off, and some advisers still quote them; current DLD practice, as reported in 2026, uses the full value. This point has changed before, so check it at the moment you apply.
Off-plan property counts once it is registered in Oqood with a developer approved by DLD. You submit the Oqood certificate and a recent statement of account from the developer. DLD can look more closely at projects at a very early stage, so a unit in a project well under construction is a safer basis than a launch signed last week.
If you plan to finance the purchase, mortgage approval and the bank letter add one to two weeks. My guide to Dubai mortgages for expats and non-residents covers down payments and rates.
Joint ownership and spouses
With joint ownership, your own share usually has to be worth AED 2 million. Two friends who buy a AED 2 million apartment 50/50 each hold AED 1 million, and neither qualifies for the 10-year visa on that unit.
Married couples are a special case. Some co-owning couples have been accepted on the combined value with an attested marriage certificate, but published guidance and practice differ. The simple route is to register the property in one spouse's name, or make sure each spouse's share reaches AED 2 million, and let the visa holder sponsor the other. I advise confirming the ownership structure with DLD before you sign the SPA, not after.
Family sponsorship
A Golden Visa holder can sponsor a spouse and children on the same long-term residence, and under the current rules children are covered regardless of age. Parents can be sponsored under specific conditions, and domestic staff can be added. Each family member pays their own visa, medical test and Emirates ID fees and needs health insurance.
Family visas are applied for after the main visa is issued. Have attested marriage and birth certificates ready, because legalising documents from abroad often takes longer than the visa itself.
Steps, documents and costs
You apply through the Dubai REST app or a DLD Cube centre. Once the file is complete, DLD quotes 7 to 10 working days; allow several weeks for the whole process including medical test and Emirates ID.
- Check eligibility in the Dubai REST app with your title deed or Oqood.
- Submit passport, photo, title deed or Oqood, the bank letter if mortgaged and the statement of account if off-plan.
- Pay the DLD Golden Visa fees.
- If you are outside the UAE, you receive an entry permit to come in and finish the process.
- Take the medical fitness test at an approved centre.
- Give Emirates ID biometrics; the visa is issued electronically.
- Apply for family members.
| Item | Typical amount (2026) |
|---|---|
| DLD Golden Visa package for the main applicant | About AED 9,900 to 10,000 |
| Medical test and Emirates ID, if charged separately by the channel | About AED 700 to 1,900 |
| Health insurance | About AED 500 to 2,000 a year and up |
| Typing and service fees | About AED 300 to 500 |
| Each family member | Own visa, medical and ID fees |
These are figures from published 2026 guides, and they change; the DLD system shows the exact amount at payment. On top come the purchase costs themselves, 4% DLD on AED 2 million is AED 80,000. All buying costs are in the guide to the costs of buying property in Dubai.
The 2-year property visa and other options
If your property is below AED 2 million, Dubai offers a renewable 2-year residence visa for property owners. Since late April 2026, a sole owner of a registered Dubai property qualifies regardless of its value; before that the floor was AED 750,000. With joint ownership, each co-owner's share must be worth at least AED 400,000, even in an equal split.
Plan carefully here. The change appeared on the DLD Cube Centre service page rather than in a formal announcement, and details such as completed versus off-plan property, mortgages and the treatment of spouses are confirmed at application. Most guides say the 2-year visa needs a completed property. It renews as long as you keep the property.
For people aged 55 and over there is also a 5-year retirement visa, available with property worth at least AED 1 million, among other routes.
Living abroad and keeping the visa
You do not need to live in the UAE to hold a Golden Visa. The usual rule that a residence visa lapses after more than six months outside the country does not apply to Golden Visa holders, so you can keep your main home elsewhere.
What keeps the visa valid is the property. If you sell and do not own other qualifying property worth AED 2 million, the visa can be cancelled. Renewal after 10 years works the same way: you still need to own qualifying property, and health insurance must stay valid.
A Golden Visa gives residence. It does not by itself make you a UAE tax resident; that has separate tests, and your home country's rules still apply. This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
To choose a property that fits the AED 2 million rule and your budget, start with how to buy property in Dubai as a foreigner and the buying page with the cost calculator, or tell me your budget in the form below. Deals go through FOR YOU Real Estate, a licensed Dubai agency.
