UAE golden visa through property: the AED 2 million test, and what counts towards it.

Can you get a UAE golden visa by buying property?

Yes. A real estate investor qualifies with one or more properties in the UAE worth at least AED 2,000,000 in total, fully owned and registered in the investor's name. The federal residency authority, ICP, sets the golden residency for real estate investors at 10 years.

The investor and their family need valid health insurance when they apply, and the visa can cover a spouse, children and parents. Dubai Land Department's own golden visa service issues a 10-year permit too.

One inconsistency to know about: the summary table on the government portal u.ae lists 5 years for real estate investors, while ICP's own golden residency guide and Dubai Land Department say 10. The issuing authority's figure is the one on your permit, so confirm it with them when you apply.

What counts towards the AED 2 million?

Several properties can be combined to reach it. Off-plan units count if bought from a real estate company approved by the local authority. A property bought with a loan counts if the loan is from an approved local bank. The detail on mortgages differs by emirate.

Dubai. Dubai Land Department accepts a mortgaged property with a no-objection letter from the bank stating the amount paid and the balance still owed, and its service description says the letter must show AED 2 million paid. Read both lines before you rely on a mortgage, and ask DLD which applies to your file.

Abu Dhabi. Stricter. The AED 2 million must be reached outside the mortgage: your own equity has to be AED 2 million, so on an AED 5 million home the loan can be at most AED 3 million, and only national-bank mortgages count. For off-plan, at least AED 2 million must already be paid to an approved developer.

Agency blogs date a relaxation of the old down-payment rule to January 2024 or to a February 2026 circular. Neither date appears in an official document, so this page relies only on what the authorities' pages say today.

What does Dubai charge to apply, and how long does it take?

Dubai Land Department's fee table for the 10-year investor permit totals AED 9,884.75, and the service takes 7 to 10 business days. Each family member's 10-year permit is AED 5,774.50, plus a one-off AED 318.75 to open the family file and AED 100 per sponsored person.

The investor's total breaks down as AED 700 medical examination, AED 1,153 Emirates ID, AED 2,856.75 permit confirmation, AED 4,020 Land Department fees and AED 1,155 administrative fees. You apply in person at a service centre, from inside the UAE, with your passport, the title deed and a photo.

Federally, ICP's entry permit for the real estate investor residency asks for a letter from the real estate registration department confirming ownership worth at least AED 2,000,000.

Does the AED 2 million test tell you the property is worth it?

No. Dubai's test is the purchase value at the time you bought, so paying more clears the bar faster. Whether the unit is worth what you paid, what it rents for after costs, and how easily it resells are separate questions, and the visa answers none of them.

That is the trap in a value threshold: a price set just above AED 2 million can be set for the visa rather than for the market. Before you sign, check the unit against comparable units in the same building and area. The purchase itself adds the Dubai Land Department transfer fee of 4% of the price: UAE property buying costs. Buying in Dubai step by step: can foreigners buy property in Dubai.

The Custom Report checks that a unit clears the bar on value before you sign: every listing in your budget, ranked against its own building and area on what it rents for after costs and how easily it resells.

Header photo: Robert Bock, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. All credits: image credits.