Answers · Golden visa and residency

How much property do you need for a Dubai golden visa?

You need property worth AED 2 million to get a golden visa through property in Dubai, measured on the purchase value. It can be one unit or several, it must be registered in your own name, and it can carry a mortgage as long as the bank issues a no-objection letter. The visa runs ten years.

Updated September 2026 · By Ahmed Kandil

Yes, and this is the rule where sources disagree most, so I checked the Land Department’s own page rather than what circulates. It says the property may be mortgaged and that you submit a no-objection letter from the bank confirming it does not object to a residence permit being issued. GDRFA says the same in its wording, that a mortgaged property is acceptable, and it adds that a lien is placed on the property so it cannot be sold out from under the visa. The older condition that a fixed amount had to be paid off first is not on the current page. What people don’t realise is that the AED 2 million is still tested on the purchase value in your name, not on the equity you have put in, which means a AED 2.2 million apartment bought with a bank loan qualifies, and how you finance it is a separate decision I go through in non-resident mortgages in Dubai.

Through the Land Department the main applicant pays AED 9,884.75 in total: AED 700 medical, AED 1,153 Emirates ID, AED 2,856.75 residency confirmation, AED 4,020 in DLD fees and AED 1,155 administration. Each family member is AED 5,774.50, plus a AED 318.75 sponsorship file and AED 100 a person. The DLD quotes 7 to 10 business days and needs you inside the country, so plan the trip around it. Also worth knowing: in April 2026 GDRFA and the Land Department signed an agreement to move property residency onto GDRFA’s platform, so the counter you deal with may change, but the AED 2 million rule has not. Add the visa cost to the purchase costs in what it really costs to buy in Dubai and you have the real entry price.

You can still get residency, just not the ten-year one. The Land Department’s Taskeen investor residence is a two-year visa linked to a Dubai property of any value, since the old AED 750,000 floor was dropped in 2026, and a co-owner qualifies with a share of AED 400,000 or more. It costs AED 10,212.50 for the investor, so it is not cheaper than the golden visa, it is simply available at a lower property value. If the visa is the main reason you are buying, I would look at whether AED 2 million buys something you would want anyway, because a 1-bed in Dubai Creek Harbour or a 2-bed in Business Bay sits right around that line, and the current listings show a few of them.

Can my spouse and I combine two AED 1 million shares?

Not on the current rules. GDRFA says a share in a jointly owned property must itself be worth at least AED 2 million, and no official page says spouses can add their shares together.

Does off-plan property qualify?

The Land Department’s page does not mention off-plan. In practice it has accepted interim-registered purchases since 2022, so check with the DLD centre before you rely on it for a specific project.

Do I have to live in the UAE to keep it?

No. Golden visa holders are exempt from the rule that cancels an ordinary residence visa after 180 days outside the country. If you do want to live here, foreigners can buy freely and the visa follows the deed.