Last updated
To get a golden visa through property in Dubai, you need property worth at least AED 2,000,000 in your own name, either one unit or several together. A mortgage is allowed with a bank no-objection letter. You apply in person at a Dubai Land Department center, where DLD lists total fees of AED 9,884.75, and the 10-year residence is issued in 7 to 10 business days.
Who qualifies as a property investor
Three bodies publish rules for this route: ICP for the whole UAE, GDRFA for Dubai residence, and Dubai Land Department, which runs the counters. Read together, they say:
- Value. At least AED 2,000,000. DLD's page speaks of the purchase value. GDRFA wants the value certified by a DLD property status certificate, or a valuation certificate from an office DLD licences.
- Ownership. The property must be in your name. DLD asks that it be wholly owned by the investor.
- Several units. One property or a group of properties, added together.
- Joint property. Your own share must be worth AED 2,000,000. A couple who own a unit of that value jointly do not each qualify on it.
- Any type. GDRFA says the route includes all types of properties.
- Where you are. DLD requires you to be inside the UAE when you apply.
Off-plan and mortgaged property
Mortgaged. Allowed. DLD asks for a no-objection letter from your bank that states what you have paid and what is still owed. GDRFA places a lien on the property so that ownership continues for the life of the residence, and the property cannot be sold during the 10 years. If you plan to sell, refinance or transfer within that time, talk to the bank and DLD first.
Off-plan. The sources do not agree in detail. ICP's golden residency guide lists off-plan units worth at least AED 2,000,000 bought from an authorised developer. The DLD investor page and the GDRFA real estate page do not mention off-plan, and DLD's document list asks for an e-Certificate of Title or a title deed. If your unit is still under construction, ask a DLD center what they will accept for it before you book the appointment.
Documents for the DLD application
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Passport | Original |
| e-Certificate of Title or title deed | In your name |
| Personal photo | Recent |
| Emirates ID | If you already have one |
| Current residence permit | If you already have one |
| Bank no-objection letter | Only for a mortgaged property |
Source: Dubai Land Department golden visa investor service page, checked .
DLD golden visa fees for property owners
DLD publishes the full bill for the 10-year residence:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Medical examination | AED 700 |
| Emirates ID, 10 years | AED 1,153 |
| Confirmation of residency permit, 10 years | AED 2,856.75 |
| Dubai Land Department fees | AED 4,020 |
| Administrative fees | AED 1,155 |
| Total | AED 9,884.75 |
Source: Dubai Land Department golden visa investor service page, checked .
Health insurance is not in that total. ICP requires investors to hold valid health insurance for themselves and their family, so buy it before the appointment.
Adding your family
| Family item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Family member residence, 10 years | AED 5,774.50 each |
| Family sponsorship file opening | AED 318.75 once |
| Parent residence, 10 years | AED 5,774.50 each |
| Each additional sponsored person | AED 100 |
Source: Dubai Land Department, as above.
For a spouse and children DLD asks for a certified marriage contract, certified birth certificates, health insurance, photos and your IBAN, plus a notarised NOC from the father if the mother is the sponsor and an undertaking that sons or daughters over 18 are unmarried. Parents need a certified dependency certificate from your consulate. Documents from abroad usually need attestation first: see certificate attestation in Dubai.
What people pay beyond DLD
Published price lists and cost guides of Dubai PRO firms, consultancies and free zones, checked , put the property route at about AED 9,685 to AED 10,250 in government fees, with agent or PRO packages adding roughly AED 2,000 to AED 7,000 or more. The golden visa cost page compares the property route with the cheaper salary and investment routes.
How the DLD route works on the day
DLD's procedure has four steps: visit a service center, submit and pay, complete the medical examination at the center, and receive the residence by email. You go yourself. DLD says only the applicant attends, no escorts, and no one can apply for you.
DLD lists these channels:
- Al Manara Center (Cube)
- the Dubai World Trade Centre office, golden visa services only
- Golden Cube
- DLD registration agents named on the service page
GDRFA's own page also sends real estate applications to Land Department accredited centers, so the counter is a DLD one either way.
Why property files get sent back
- Value on the wrong paper. An agent's estimate or your purchase receipt is not the DLD certificate GDRFA relies on.
- Joint ownership. Only your own share counts, and it must reach AED 2,000,000 by itself.
- Owned in someone else's name. The property must be in your own name.
- Bank letter missing the figures. It must show the amount paid and the balance.
- Off-plan without title. Expect questions if there is no title deed yet.
- Applicant abroad. DLD needs you inside the UAE.
Living with a property golden visa
The residence runs 10 years and needs no sponsor. You can stay outside the UAE longer than 180 days without losing it. If it is cancelled or expires, ICP gives golden holders and their families 180 days of grace. The main condition stays with you: you keep the property for the full term. Holders can also sponsor domestic workers, see the maid visa in Dubai page.
If your property is under AED 2,000,000, you are 55 or older and you have at least 15 years of service before retirement, the retirement visa in Dubai accepts property of AED 1,000,000. For every other golden route, from salary to talent, see golden visa UAE.
Can you do it alone?
Yes, and many owners do. The DLD route is in person anyway, and the fee list is published. Where help saves time is the paperwork around it: the bank letter, the family documents and their attestation, and insurance for everyone on the file.
Preparing a property golden visa file
Send your title deed or e-Certificate of Title, your passport and, for a mortgage, the bank's details. The partner team checks value and ownership against the DLD and GDRFA rules and flags the usual gaps: a missing bank letter on a mortgaged unit, or a share below AED 2,000,000 on a jointly owned flat. They prepare the family documents and book your DLD appointment. You attend the center yourself, because DLD requires it, and the team follows the file until your residence and your family's permits are issued. One total price is agreed first, with the DLD and GDRFA fees separate from the service charge.
