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What the Golden Visa is
The Golden Visa is a long-term UAE residence permit introduced under federal Cabinet decisions on the entry and residence of foreigners. For real estate investors it is issued for 10 years and is renewable for as long as the qualifying conditions continue to be met. It is not tied to an employer, and holders may remain outside the UAE for extended periods without the visa lapsing, a distinction from ordinary residence visas.
Holders can sponsor family members, obtain an Emirates ID, open bank accounts, register vehicles and access services on the same footing as any resident. The visa does not confer citizenship and does not, on its own, change your tax residence; that depends on the tax rules of the countries concerned and on where you actually spend your time.
Dubai property purchases are processed for Golden Visa purposes through the DLD, which verifies ownership and value, before the residence permit itself is issued by the ICP or, in Dubai, the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA).
Eligibility: the AED 2 million threshold
The core condition is ownership of real estate in the UAE with a value of at least AED 2,000,000. The main points as applied by the DLD in Dubai:
- Value is assessed by the DLD against the purchase value on the title deed or the DLD's own valuation, not against an asking price or a broker's estimate.
- Ready property with a title deed qualifies.
- Off-plan property qualifies where it is bought from an approved developer and registered with the DLD (Oqood); the DLD maintains the list of approved developers and projects.
- Multiple properties may be combined to reach the threshold provided they are all in the applicant's name.
- Mortgaged property is accepted subject to conditions: the bank must issue a no-objection letter to the residence application. Historically the DLD required a minimum paid-up portion of the price; as of 2026 that requirement has been relaxed under DLD circulars, but practice can change, so confirm with the DLD at the time of application.
- Joint ownership between spouses is accepted where the combined value meets the threshold; joint owners who are not married are generally each assessed on their own share. Where a couple holds jointly, one spouse applies as the investor and sponsors the other.
Property held through a company is treated differently from property held personally and may not qualify in the same way; a buyer intending to use a corporate structure should check this with the DLD before choosing how to hold title.
Sponsoring your family
A Golden Visa holder may sponsor a spouse and children under the same programme, with the family members receiving residence for the same period as the principal. Age limits for children are set by the ICP's current rules.
Each family member's application requires the usual documents: passport, photographs, proof of relationship (attested marriage and birth certificates, translated into Arabic), medical fitness tests for adults and Emirates ID enrolment. Family members do not need to hold any share in the property.
The process step by step
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Buy and register | Complete the purchase and obtain the title deed (ready) or Oqood registration (off-plan). See How to buy property in Dubai as a foreigner. |
| 2. DLD application | Apply through the DLD's real-estate visa service, delivered at its Cube centre and via the Dubai REST app under the Taskeen programme. The DLD checks ownership, value and, where relevant, the bank's letter. |
| 3. Entry permit / status change | The ICP issues an entry permit or changes your status if you are already in the UAE on another visa. |
| 4. Medical and biometrics | Medical fitness test at an approved centre and Emirates ID biometrics. |
| 5. Visa issued | The 10-year residence is stamped electronically and the Emirates ID issued. Family applications follow the same steps. |
The DLD's service is designed as a single-window process and, in practice, applicants with complete documents receive the visa within a period measured in weeks rather than months. Delays usually come from missing attestations, bank letters or medical appointments rather than from the DLD itself.
Documents, fees and timing
The typical document list for the principal applicant:
- Passport with adequate validity, and a copy of the current UAE visa if any.
- Title deed(s) or Oqood registration in the applicant's name.
- Bank no-objection letter for mortgaged property, stating the amount paid and outstanding.
- Passport-format photograph to ICP specifications.
- Health insurance valid in the UAE.
- Emirates ID application and medical fitness certificate, obtained during the process.
Fees are set by the DLD and the ICP and are quoted at the point of application; they include the DLD's service fee, the entry permit, the residence stamping, the medical test and the Emirates ID. We do not publish figures here because they are revised periodically; your broker or the DLD will confirm the current amounts before you apply.
Timing: allow for the purchase itself first (see Dubai property purchase costs for the transaction fees), then typically a few weeks for the visa once the title deed is in hand.
Keeping the visa and renewal
The Golden Visa is granted on the basis of continued ownership. If the qualifying property is sold before the visa expires, the holder is expected to replace it with another qualifying property or the visa may be cancelled; check the current DLD position on grace periods before selling. On renewal after 10 years, the applicant must again show ownership of property meeting the threshold in force at that time.
Points to plan around:
- Off-plan purchases: the visa is normally granted against the Oqood registration, but a cancelled or heavily delayed project can affect the underlying qualification.
- Joint ownership: if the property is transferred between spouses, or a co-owner leaves the title, the remaining owner's share must still meet the threshold.
Bonum Realty's transactions on Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Bay Island and Emirates Hills all exceed the threshold by a wide margin; we coordinate the DLD application with the transfer so that the visa process starts as soon as the title deed is issued. Contact the office through the enquiry form or by email at info@bonumrealty.com.