UAE golden visa for property: the AED 2m threshold

A residence visa in the UAE can come from buying property, and there are two routes: a two-year visa for a homeowner in Dubai and a ten-year golden visa. They differ not only in length but in which properties count.

Here are the thresholds, the paperwork and the situations in which the visa is cancelled.

What visa property gives you in the UAE

The two-year visa is issued by the Dubai Land Department against its own property. The golden visa counts more widely: property in any emirate qualifies, and the application goes through the land department of the emirate where the unit was bought — it also confirms the value.

The golden visa threshold can be assembled from several units. What matters is that at least AED 2 million has been paid across them.

Do you have to pay for the property in full

In full, no — but what you have paid must cover the threshold. The immigration authority looks at the amount actually paid, not at the contract price.

If the unit is mortgaged, the Land Department requires a bank letter stating the amount paid and the outstanding balance. The same no-objection letter is needed for the application.

For an off-plan unit you submit the sale contract and the developer's statement of payments; for a completed one, the title deed.

Documents for an investor visa in the UAE

The set depends on the visa type, but the core is the same:

• a passport valid for at least six months;
• a title deed, or a contract with proof of payments;
• a bank letter if the property was bought with a mortgage;
• a UAE police certificate — for the two-year visa only;
• medical insurance, without which the visa is not issued.

Filing with the Dubai Land Department takes 7 to 10 working days, and the whole process runs from two weeks to a month and a half. Your documents can be reviewed as part of a residence visa through property.

Can the golden visa be arranged remotely

No. The Dubai Land Department requires the applicant to be in the country and does not accept filing through a representative.

You need to be there for the medical test and fingerprints. The Emirates ID itself needs no separate visit — the card is produced from the biometrics already taken.

Is the golden visa five years or ten

There is a discrepancy here worth knowing in advance. The Dubai Land Department issues a renewable ten-year permit to property owners from AED 2 million. The federal identity authority's table for property investors states five years.

The length depends on the filing channel and the emirate, so it is settled before the work starts rather than after the fees are paid.

What happens if you sell the property

The visa is cancelled: it rests on ownership. To keep the status you have 40 days to present another property that meets the requirements.

One more limit concerns work. A golden visa by itself does not grant the right to be employed — a work permit is arranged separately through the labour ministry. How that chain works is covered in the piece on staff visas in the UAE.

Family members follow once the main applicant holds the status: visas for a spouse, children and parents are issued for the same term.

This article is for information only and is not legal advice. Requirements and fees change, so check the current conditions with a lawyer before you file: ask a question in a consultation.