The Golden Visa through property in Dubai

If you buy a home in Dubai worth AED 2 million or more, you can apply for a 10-year Golden Visa. It lets you live in the UAE without an employer or a sponsor, and you can bring your family. This article covers the rules as the official pages state them on 5 November 2026. Rules for this visa have changed several times since 2019, and some details still differ between official pages, so check them again before you buy.

This is general information, not legal or financial advice.

Who qualifies

• You own property in Dubai worth at least AED 2 million. It can be one property or several that add up to that amount (GDRFA Dubai, ICP).
• If you own it with someone else, your own share must be worth AED 2 million (GDRFA Dubai). A couple who own a home 50/50 needs a home worth AED 4 million for each of them to qualify. The Dubai Land Department (DLD) page says the property must be "wholly owned by the investor".
• You apply from inside the UAE. If you live abroad, ICP has a 6-month entry permit for real estate investors (ICP).

The DLD counts the purchase value at the time you bought (DLD). GDRFA Dubai may also accept a valuation from a DLD-licensed valuer.

To see how common this price point is: in the 12 months to 19 October 2026, 53,508 of the 157,743 homes sold in Dubai (about one in three) sold for AED 2 million or more, by our count of DLD sales records. You can search projects from AED 2 million.

Off-plan homes

ICP's guide says off-plan homes worth AED 2 million or more count when you buy from an approved developer, licensed by the local authority (ICP, updated 10 September 2026). It does not state a minimum amount you must have paid. The DLD service page does not mention off-plan at all.

Earlier rules asked for part of the price to be paid, or the building to be partly finished (The National, January 2025). Gulf News reported in April 2026 that an upfront payment rule was removed (Gulf News). We could not find that change on an official page. Before you book an off-plan home for the visa, ask the developer for a written letter that the project qualifies, and confirm with the DLD.

Mortgaged homes

A home with a mortgage can count, if the loan is from a bank approved in the UAE (ICP). You need a no-objection letter from the bank that shows the amount paid and the balance (DLD). GDRFA Dubai puts a note on the title deed while the visa is valid.

One point is unclear. The DLD page also says the bank letter must show AED 2 million paid. News reports since 2024 say there is no minimum payment. Until this is settled, plan on the stricter reading: if you use a mortgage, you may need to have paid AED 2 million of your own money.

How long it lasts

The visa is valid for 10 years and you can renew it if you still meet the same conditions, so you need to keep the property (DLD, ICP). Golden Visa holders can stay outside the UAE for more than six months without losing the visa (u.ae). Some pages on u.ae still say 5 years for property, which is the older rule.

Family

You can sponsor your husband or wife, your children whatever their age, and your parents (ICP). You can also sponsor domestic workers, under the usual rules. If the visa holder dies, the family can stay until their own permits end.

For family members, the DLD asks for attested marriage and birth certificates, and health insurance. Parents also need an attested certificate that they depend on you (DLD).

The steps

1. Get the title deed (or the Oqood certificate for off-plan) in your name, and the bank letter if you have a mortgage.
2. Go to a DLD service centre in person with your passport, photo, title deed, and Emirates ID if you already have one. Someone else cannot apply for you.
3. Pay the fees and do the medical test at the centre.
4. Do the Emirates ID biometrics. The DLD says the permit comes by email in 7 to 10 working days.

What it costs

The DLD lists these fees for the 10-year visa (DLD, updated 3 November 2026):

Item	AED
Medical test	700
Emirates ID (10 years)	1,153
Residence permit	2,856.75
DLD fee	4,020
Admin fee	1,155
Total for you	9,884.75
Each family member or parent	5,774.50
Opening a family sponsorship file	318.75

Add health insurance for each person. These fees come on top of the costs of buying the home itself, such as the 4% DLD fee (see the costs on top of the price).

The 2-year investor visa

If your home costs less than AED 2 million, the DLD also has a 2-year property investor visa. Since April 2026, a sole owner can apply whatever the property's value. A joint owner's share must be worth at least AED 400,000 (DLD, The National, 30 April 2026). The old minimum was AED 750,000. You need a Dubai title deed and a Dubai police good-conduct certificate.

The DLD fee for this visa is AED 10,212.50 for 2 years. A husband or wife costs AED 7,382.25 and a child under 18 costs AED 6,482.25. The visa renews every 2 years, and the DLD page does not say whether off-plan homes count.

Before you buy for the visa

• Confirm the rule for your exact case (off-plan, mortgage or joint ownership) with the DLD before you pay a booking amount.
• Get the developer's or the bank's letter in writing.
• Buy a home you would want anyway. The visa is a reason to pick a price, not a reason to buy.

Thinking about the market itself? Read why buying in Dubai can still make sense in late 2026, and the risks.

Sources

• Dubai Land Department, Golden Visa (investor) service, updated 3 November 2026: dubailand.gov.ae
• Dubai Land Department, investor residence (2 years) service, updated 3 November 2026: dubailand.gov.ae
• GDRFA Dubai, golden residence for real estate investors, checked 5 November 2026: gdrfad.gov.ae
• ICP, UAE Golden Residency guide, updated 10 September 2026: icp.gov.ae
• ICP, entry permit for real estate investors, checked 5 November 2026: icp.gov.ae
• u.ae, Golden visa, updated 28 July 2026: u.ae
• The National, golden visa rule changes, 1 January 2025: thenationalnews.com
• Gulf News, investor visa changes, 29 April 2026: gulfnews.com
• The National, updated property visa rules, 30 April 2026: thenationalnews.com
• Our count of DLD residential sales, 20 October 2025 to 19 October 2026 (DLD open data, published on this site 26 October 2026)