UAE Golden Visa by property investment: the AED 2 million rules, costs and process in 2026

You can apply for the UAE's 10-year Golden Visa if you own property worth AED 2 million or more (about £410,000 at £1 = AED 4.88 on 12 November 2026). One property or several can make up the total, the property can be mortgaged, and off-plan homes are reported to count on their contract value since a federal circular in February 2026 removed the old upfront payment condition. The published fee in Dubai is about AED 10,000 for the main applicant. This guide explains the rules, where official sources still disagree, the costs and the process. It is general information as of 12 November 2026, not immigration or legal advice.

What are the Golden Visa requirements for property investors?

Three bodies are involved in Dubai. The Dubai Land Department (DLD) verifies the property and takes the application through its Cube service centre. The General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) issues the residence permit. Outside Dubai, the federal ICP (Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security) handles residence.

One inconsistency to be aware of: the federal portal u.ae, updated 28 July 2026, lists five years for real estate investors in its summary table. The DLD and GDRFA pages for the Dubai service both state 10 years. We treat the authorities that issue the permit as authoritative.

Does off-plan property qualify, and what changed in February 2026?

This is the question on which sources conflict most, so here is the sequence.

Oqood is the DLD's register of off-plan sale contracts, so "Oqood contracts" means homes still under construction.

We have not been able to read the February 2026 circular itself and have not found a published copy. The position on 12 November 2026 is therefore:

• Reputable press and portals say the upfront payment condition has gone and off-plan counts on contract value.
• The DLD Cube page asks financed buyers only for a developer statement of account or a bank no-objection letter, with no minimum paid amount.
• The DLD's main service page still says in its description that for a mortgaged property a bank letter indicating AED 2 million paid is to be provided, and does not mention off-plan at all.

What to do about it: the Cube runs an online eligibility check that it describes as designed for clients who hold off-plan properties or are outside the UAE. Submit your contract and statement of account, and keep the emailed result. If a visa matters to your decision, do this before you pay a non-refundable deposit, and do not rely on a salesperson's assurance. Our guide to buying off-plan covers the other checks to make.

Can you combine properties or own jointly?

Combining. Yes. The DLD and GDRFA both refer to one or more properties with a total of at least AED 2 million. Two apartments at AED 1.1 million each qualify one owner.

Joint owners who are not married. Each applicant's own share must reach AED 2 million. Two friends owning a AED 3 million villa equally hold AED 1.5 million each and neither qualifies.

Spouses. The DLD Cube's rules are specific:

• Husband and wife can hold one property together, with a marriage certificate attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and legally translated into Arabic.
• If the joint property is worth less than AED 4 million, only one spouse applies as the main holder and sponsors the other.
• Shares should be equal. If they are not, the spouse with the larger share is the main applicant.

Which value counts. The DLD's test is the purchase value at the time of purchase, as shown on the title deed. If you paid less than AED 2 million but the home is now worth more, the Cube accepts an official valuation certificate, and GDRFA refers to a DLD property status statement or a valuation from a DLD-licensed office. A price negotiated down to AED 1.95 million does not qualify on the deed alone, which is worth remembering when you agree a discount.

How much does the Golden Visa cost?

Dubai's published fees, checked 12 November 2026:

The two official totals differ by AED 100; budget the higher. Health insurance from a UAE insurer is compulsory for every applicant and is not included.

Worked example. A couple with two children, reading the family fee as per person: AED 9,884.75 for the main applicant, three family permits at AED 5,774.50, the AED 318.75 file fee and AED 300 in per-person charges comes to about AED 27,800 (£5,700), before insurance and document attestation. Confirm the family total with the Cube before paying.

Outside Dubai fees differ. Abu Dhabi developer Modon puts government processing there at roughly AED 4,000 to AED 5,000 per person.

How do you apply? The process step by step

For a Dubai property:

1. Complete the purchase and registration. You need the title deed, or for off-plan the registered Oqood contract and the developer's statement of account.
2. Check eligibility. Use the Cube's online check if the property is off-plan or mortgaged, or if you are still abroad.
3. Gather documents. Passport, title deed, photo to ICP specification, Emirates ID and current visa if you have them, bank letter if mortgaged, health insurance. For family: attested marriage and birth certificates.
4. Travel to the UAE. The DLD and the Cube both state the applicant must be inside the country. Agents and holders of a power of attorney are not accepted; the applicant deals with the centre personally.
5. Apply and pay. Online through the Cube, or at the service centres the DLD lists.
6. Medical test and biometrics for the Emirates ID.
7. Permit issued. The DLD gives 7 to 10 business days. The residence permit arrives by email and the Emirates ID follows.

If you already hold a UAE residence visa, the ICP's guide notes that it is cancelled after initial approval and your status is then adjusted. The ICP also issues a six-month multiple-entry visa to complete the process where one is needed.

What about Abu Dhabi and the other emirates?

The AED 2 million threshold is federal, but each emirate runs its own property verification.

• Dubai applications go through the DLD Cube and GDRFA, and only Dubai title deeds count there.
• Abu Dhabi. Modon, the Abu Dhabi master developer, describes the route in its September 2026 guide: a letter confirming ownership from the Department of Municipalities and Transport, or for off-plan a registered purchase agreement and a developer statement, plus a bank or developer no-objection certificate if the property is financed. See buying property in Abu Dhabi.
• Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and the rest. Residence is issued by the ICP. Ask the developer which authority certifies the property value for the application and what it requires for off-plan, and get that in writing.

We have not found an official statement on combining properties in different emirates. The Dubai Cube will not count a deed from another emirate, so assume each application rests on property in one emirate unless the ICP confirms otherwise.

What does the Golden Visa give you, and what does it not?

What it gives

• A 10-year residence permit with no employer or sponsor, renewable if you still meet the conditions.
• Freedom to stay outside the UAE for more than six months without the permit lapsing. GDRFA states holders are exempt from the usual 180-day rule.
• The right to sponsor your spouse, children and parents for the same period.
• The right to sponsor domestic workers, although sources differ on how many. The ICP's Golden Residency guide says holders may sponsor them in accordance with the applicable regulations and sets no number; the DLD Cube's Golden Visa page says up to three. Confirm the limit with the ICP before you rely on it.
• Your family may stay until their permits expire if the main holder dies, according to the ICP's guide.

What it does not give

• Citizenship or a passport. It is long-term residence only.
• Permanence independent of the property. GDRFA states the property should not be disposed of during the 10 years. Selling means buying another qualifying property or changing visa category.
• A change in your tax position at home. Holding a UAE visa does not end tax residence in the UK or elsewhere. See the UAE property tax guide.
• A remote process. You must be in the UAE to apply.
• A reason to overpay. Property Finder noted in June 2026 that a visible share of recorded Dubai sales cluster between AED 2 million and AED 2.6 million. Homes priced just over the threshold are not automatically good value. Judge the property first and treat the visa as a benefit, not as the investment case.

How does it compare with the 2-year investor visa?

Per year of residence the Golden Visa is far cheaper. The two-year route is for buyers below AED 2 million. Details are in our Dubai property investor visa guide, and the Golden Visa checker tests a purchase against both.

What is the 5-year retirement visa?

Buyers aged 55 or over have a third option. In Dubai the DLD offers a five-year renewable residence permit to a retiree who owns property worth AED 1 million or more.

• Dubai conditions (DLD). Over 55; investment value of AED 1 million paid in full and unmortgaged, or, if mortgaged, AED 1 million paid and evidenced by a bank letter. One or more properties in the applicant's name. Spouses can share a property.
• Fees. AED 6,984.75 on the DLD's page and AED 7,084.75 on the Cube's; a five-year family permit is AED 4,968.50.
• Federal conditions (u.ae, updated 28 July 2026). At least 55, with 15 years of work inside or outside the UAE, and either property of at least AED 1 million together with savings of at least AED 1 million, or an annual income of at least AED 180,000. For applications in Dubai the income figure is AED 240,000.

The Dubai service page asks only about the property; the federal page pairs property with savings. If you are relying on the property route, confirm with the Cube which test will be applied.

Who you can bring with you, the documents each family member needs and what happens to their permits on a sale are covered in our guide to sponsoring your family on a property visa.

Before you buy for a visa

1. Decide whether the home is worth buying without the visa.
2. Check that the price on the contract, in your name, reaches AED 2 million, or that a joint purchase with your spouse is structured as the Cube requires.
3. For off-plan or mortgaged purchases, get the Cube's eligibility result by email.
4. Budget for fees, insurance, attestation of family documents and a trip to the UAE.
5. Remember the visa lasts only as long as the property does.

For help matching a purchase to the visa rules, contact us.