United Arab Emirates · Residency by investment
Golden Residence — Real Estate Investor
The AED 2m threshold has stayed unchanged since the 2022 restructure. The minimum down-payment rule was removed in January 2024, so mortgaged and off-plan property now qualify on full value. One note of caution: the ICP summary web page still describes the property route as 5 years, while GDRFA-Dubai and Dubai Land Department both specify and issue 10 years. In practice, 10 years is what is actually granted.
Unlike the deposit route, the AED 2m here sits in an asset that can appreciate and yield 5–7% gross. That is why most families choose it. But it is also the route most exposed to a Dubai property correction, and the visa dies with the asset.
Qualifying routes
One or more properties with combined value of at least AED 2m in a designated freehold area. Value is assessed on the title deed or DLD valuation certificate.
Permitted since January 2024 with no minimum down payment, subject to a no-objection letter from the UAE-licensed financing bank stating the amount paid and the outstanding balance.
This qualifies if the property is purchased from an approved developer. A lien is registered against the property for as long as the permit lasts.
The facts
- Minimum investment
- 2M AED
- Total landed cost
- Budget AED 2m for the property, plus a 4% DLD transfer fee (AED 80k), plus roughly AED 10k in visa fees for the principal applicant and about AED 6k per dependant. DLD itself quotes AED 9,884.75 in total government fees for a 10-year investor permit.
- Route type
- Residency by investment
- Timeline
- 1–3 months (DLD quotes 7–10 working days for the visa decision, once the title deed and valuation are in hand.)
- Physical presence
- None. There is no minimum stay requirement, and the permit does not lapse even if you are absent for more than 6 months.
- Family
- SpouseChildren of any ageParentsDomestic workers
- Permanent residency
- None. This is a 10-year renewable permit, and renewal depends on continuing to hold the property.
- Citizenship
- There is no automatic path. Citizenship is by nomination only.
- Language test
- Not applicable
- Dual citizenship
- Permitted
- Requirements
- A title deed or DLD valuation certificate showing at least AED 2mProperty in a designated freehold areaBank NOC if the property is mortgagedA clean criminal recordA medical test and health insuranceWhere ownership is joint, each individual's share must itself reach AED 2m
- The permit is tied to continued ownership. Sell the property, or let its value fall below AED 2m at renewal, and the visa goes with it. So do your dependants' visas.
- Dubai residential prices ran up very hard from 2021. Buying AED 2m of property you would not otherwise want, purely for a visa, is how people end up losing more than the visa is worth. The deposit route exists for a reason.
- Leasehold does not qualify. The property must sit in a designated freehold area, so verify the zone before signing.
- Off-plan purchases carry developer completion risk. A stalled project can leave you with neither the asset nor the visa.
- The 4% DLD transfer fee, plus agency commission, comes to roughly 6% of the property's value in dead costs on entry, and again on exit.
- Widely circulated 2026 blog posts claim the down-payment rule changed in February 2026 or April 2026. It did not. The change took place in January 2024. Treat property-portal content on visa rules as marketing, not law.