The Golden Visa threshold, measured against what you own.
AED 2 million of Dubai property opens a ten-year residency. Values across properties are added together, so owners often clear it without realising.
The property route to a ten-year Golden Visa needs AED 2 million, measured on the Land Department’s valuation rather than what you paid. Several properties can be counted together and there is no cap on how many. Mortgaged and off-plan units qualify, and the old requirement to have paid half the price upfront was removed in February 2026.
Your 2 properties meet the AED 2 million property route for a ten-year Golden Visa.
The property route is assessed on the Land Department’s valuation certificate. Both ready and off-plan properties count where they are bought from an approved developer, and a mortgaged property qualifies with a no objection certificate from your bank. The requirement to have paid half the price upfront was removed in February 2026. Every property has to be registered in your own name.
What counts
| Case | Counts? |
|---|---|
| Ready property, owned outright | Yes |
| Mortgaged property, with a bank NOC | Yes |
| Off-plan from an approved developer | Yes |
| Several properties added together | Yes, no cap |
| Property registered in someone else's name | No |
Position current at June 2026, following the February 2026 removal of the upfront-payment condition for mortgaged property. Confirm your own case with the Land Department or a registered agent.
Checking your own position
Use the Land Department's valuation, not the purchase price.
A unit bought at AED 1.6 million in 2021 may be assessed well above the threshold today. The valuation certificate is what the application is measured against, and it is the number most owners have never looked up.
Add the properties together before assuming you fall short.
Two units at AED 1.1 million and AED 950,000 clear the threshold comfortably, even though neither does alone. Owners with a small portfolio frequently qualify without knowing it.
Ask your bank for the NOC early if anything is financed.
A mortgaged property needs a no objection certificate confirming the position on the loan. Banks are not quick about this, and it is the step that tends to hold up an otherwise straightforward application.
Check how a jointly held property is recorded.
Your share is what counts towards your own application. Where a property is held with a spouse, confirm how the Land Department records the split before you rely on the full value.
Position current at June 2026. Eligibility is determined by the relevant UAE authorities on the documents you submit, and this tool only adds values against the published threshold. General information, not immigration advice.
Questions
- How much property do I need for a Dubai Golden Visa?
- AED 2 million, measured on the Land Department's valuation. Values across several properties can be added together, and there is no cap on how many you combine to reach the figure. Every property has to be registered in your own name.
- Does a mortgaged property count?
- Yes, with a no objection certificate from your bank. The requirement to have paid half the price upfront was removed by a federal policy circular in February 2026, so financed owners can now use this route where they could not before.
- Do off-plan properties count towards the threshold?
- They do where the purchase is from an approved developer and registered with the Land Department. The test is the DLD record and valuation rather than whether you have taken handover.
- Is the threshold based on what I paid or what it is worth now?
- The Land Department's valuation certificate is what gets assessed. A property bought below AED 2 million that has since been valued above it can qualify, which catches out owners who last thought about this when they bought.
- How long does the Golden Visa last?
- Ten years, renewable. Holders are no longer required to enter the UAE every six months to keep it alive, which is the change that made the route useful to owners who live abroad.
- Can I include a property owned jointly with my spouse?
- Your share is what counts towards your own application. A jointly held property is not automatically worth its full value to each owner, so check how the Land Department records the split before assuming the threshold is met.
Mulki values every unit you own, so the total is never a guess.
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