The Golden Visa through Dubai property, and the AED 2 million rule.
AED 2 million in Dubai property buys a 10-year residency that renews for life and does not care how long you spend abroad. What qualifies, where mortgaged and off-plan fit, and the conditions to keep it.
By the Mulki team · Updated 13 June 2026
Own at least AED 2 million of Dubai property, in one unit or several in your name, and you qualify for the 10-year Golden Visa. It renews indefinitely, covers your spouse, children and parents, and unlike an ordinary residence visa it does not lapse when you spend long stretches outside the country.
The threshold is AED 2 million in property value, held in your name. It survived the April 2026 rule review unchanged.
You can reach it with a single property or a combined portfolio, as long as each is registered to you.
Mortgaged property now qualifies with the bank's no objection certificate. The old 50% paid-upfront rule was dropped in February 2026.
Off-plan from an approved developer counts once it is registered, so you can qualify before the building completes.
The visa lasts 10 years and renews for life, and there is no minimum stay, which is the advantage owners abroad value most.
What actually qualifies
The rule is simpler than the noise around it suggests. One number matters: AED 2 million of property in your name. How you get there is flexible, and the two situations people assume disqualify them, a mortgage and an off-plan purchase, both count.
| Situation | Qualifies? |
|---|---|
| One property worth AED 2M or more | Yes |
| Several properties totalling AED 2M, all in your name | Yes |
| Mortgaged property, total value AED 2M or more | Yes, with the bank's NOC |
| Registered off-plan from an approved developer | Yes |
Current at June 2026, following the April 2026 rule review and the February 2026 removal of the 50% upfront-payment requirement for mortgaged property. Confirm your specific case with a registered agent or the relevant authority.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| JVC studio, owned outright | AED 720,000 |
| Dubai Marina one-bed, mortgaged | AED 1,450,000 |
| Combined value in your name | AED 2,170,000 |
| Clears the AED 2M line? | Yes |
Illustrative. Both properties must be registered in your name, and the mortgaged unit needs the bank's NOC. Values are the DLD-recorded figures, not what you paid.
Joint ownership with a spouse is the one area worth checking carefully, because how each share is counted varies by case. If you and your partner own a single AED 2 million unit between you, do not assume both qualify automatically. Confirm before you apply.
The part that surprises people
Most residency in the UAE is fragile. Leave for six months and a standard visa is void, which keeps a lot of owners tethered to the country whether they want to be or not. The Golden Visa breaks that link. You can run a business in London, raise children in Mumbai, keep your Dubai apartment, and the visa stays live for the full 10 years.
That is the real product here. The AED 2 million property is the entry ticket, but what you are buying is a decade of optional presence: the right to land, bank, and base your family in Dubai without the obligation to actually be there. For an owner who already meets the threshold, it is residency you have effectively paid for without noticing.
How it works
- 01
Confirm the property clears AED 2 million.
Use the current market value of what is registered to you, not the price you paid. If you bought a few years ago, an appreciated unit may already be over the line. If you are close, a registered off-plan purchase can top you up.
- 02
Get the property eligibility confirmed.
The Land Department and the Dubai REST app can confirm a property meets the Golden Visa criteria. If the unit is mortgaged, you will also need a no objection certificate from your bank stating the position.
- 03
Apply through ICP or the Dubai authorities.
The application runs through the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship or the relevant Dubai channel. A registered agent can file it for you, which most owners use to avoid the back and forth.
- 04
Complete the medical and Emirates ID steps.
A standard medical fitness test and the Emirates ID issuance follow approval. Once done, you can sponsor your spouse, children and parents under the same 10-year term.
Immigration rules change. Figures and conditions current at June 2026 and indicative only. This is general guidance, not immigration or legal advice. Confirm your eligibility with a registered agent or the relevant UAE authority before acting.
What it costs to get
The AED 2 million is an asset you keep, not a fee. The government charge to actually issue the visa is separate, and next to the property it is small. For a 10-year property investor Golden Visa the fees come to roughly AED 10,000, broadly as follows.
| Fee | AED |
|---|---|
| Dubai Land Department charges | 4,020 |
| Residency permit confirmation | 2,857 |
| Administrative fees | 1,155 |
| Emirates ID, 10 years | 1,153 |
| Medical examination | 700 |
| Total government fees | About 9,885 |
Indicative figures current at June 2026 for a 10-year property investor route. If you use an agent to file, their service fee sits on top. The AED 2 million property is an asset you keep, not a cost. Confirm the current schedule with ICP or the Dubai authorities.
Set against the roughly AED 130,000 it costs to buy an AED 2 million unit in the first place, the visa fee is a rounding error. For an owner who already holds the property, the residency is close to free: the money is already in the asset, and this is the paperwork that turns it into a decade of UAE residence.
Frequently asked questions
- How much property do you need for a UAE Golden Visa?
- AED 2 million. You can reach it with one property or by combining several, as long as each is registered in your name. Hit the figure and you qualify for the 10-year Golden Visa, which renews indefinitely while you keep a qualifying investment.
- Can you get a Golden Visa with a mortgaged property?
- Yes. As long as the total property value is at least AED 2 million and your bank issues a no objection certificate, a mortgaged property qualifies. The old rule that you had to have paid 50% upfront was removed in February 2026, which quietly opened the route to a lot of financed buyers.
- Does off-plan property count for the Golden Visa?
- Yes, if it is bought from an approved developer and registered with the Land Department. Off-plan and ready units both count toward the AED 2 million, so a registered off-plan purchase can put you over the line before the building is finished.
- Do you have to live in the UAE to keep a Golden Visa?
- No. This is the part most people miss. A standard UAE residence visa lapses if you stay outside the country for more than six months. The Golden Visa does not. You can live abroad, keep the property, and the visa holds, which is why it suits owners who split their time between Dubai and home.
- Who can you sponsor on a property Golden Visa?
- Your spouse, your children, and your parents, subject to the usual UAE regulations. The family's visas are tied to yours and run for the same 10-year term, so one qualifying property covers the household rather than each member needing their own route.
- What happens to the visa if you sell the property?
- The visa depends on you holding a qualifying investment throughout its validity. Sell the property without replacing it with another AED 2 million holding and you put the visa at risk at renewal. If you are planning a sale, line up the replacement first so there is no gap.
- How much does the Golden Visa cost to apply for?
- The AED 2 million property is an asset you keep, not a fee. The government charges to issue a 10-year property investor Golden Visa come to roughly AED 9,900 in 2026, covering the Land Department processing, the residency permit, the Emirates ID, administrative fees and the medical test. If you use an agent to file, their service fee sits on top. Figures move, so confirm the current schedule with ICP before you budget.
- How to value your Dubai propertyCheck whether what you own already clears the AED 2 million line.
- What it costs to buy in DubaiIf you are topping up to AED 2M, the full one-off cost of the purchase.
- Dubai mortgage calculatorMortgaged property qualifies now. See the deposit and monthly on a top-up purchase.
Mulki tracks each unit's value against the AED 2M line, so you know where you stand.
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