The basic rule has been stable since 2022: own property in Dubai worth at least AED 2 million according to the Dubai Land Department's valuation, and you qualify for a 10-year renewable residency. Your spouse and children can be sponsored under it. You do not need an employer, a UAE sponsor or a minimum stay.
Condition one: the valuation is the DLD's, not the price you paid. If you bought at AED 2.1 million and the DLD values the unit at AED 1.95 million, you do not qualify. We check the likely valuation before the purchase, not after.
Condition two: off-plan and mortgaged property. Off-plan units from approved developers can qualify, generally once a defined portion has been paid. Mortgaged property can qualify under DLD and bank conditions. Both routes work in practice but the conditions are set by the authorities and change from time to time, so we verify them at the time of application rather than promising in advance.
Condition three: multiple properties can be combined, and jointly owned property counts per owner's share. Two apartments worth AED 1.1 million each qualify. A 50 percent share in a AED 3 million villa does not, because the share is AED 1.5 million.
The process itself is short: DLD valuation letter, online application through the DLD's Golden Visa channel, medical test and biometrics, Emirates ID. From a complete file to a stamped visa is typically a few weeks. Government fees, medical and ID costs are charged by the authorities.
Should you buy for the visa? Not on its own. The property has to make sense as an investment or a home first. But if you are buying at this level anyway, the visa is a significant benefit: no visa runs, no employer dependency, and residency for the family.
Want this calculated for a specific unit? Send us the listing, we send back the net numbers.
