UAE Golden Visa (Real Estate)
United Arab Emirates
Residency
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See if you're a match →The UAE real-estate Golden Visa is for property owners whose UAE property meets the official value and ownership rules. It generally requires land-department proof, a qualifying property structure, medical/ID steps, and emirate-specific confirmation where rules differ.
- Type
- Investment residence
- Investment fit
- Investors making a qualifying investment in the United Arab Emirates
- Core requirements
- Investment amount, source of funds, and required approvals
- What to know
- Approval can depend on official judgment or program space
Summary
The headline threshold is AED 2 million in UAE property. The complicated part is that current official sources do not line up perfectly on the duration of the real-estate Golden Visa. ICP is the UAE's federal identity and residence authority; GDRFA is Dubai's residency authority. ICP currently lists real-estate Golden Residency as 5 years, while Dubai's GDRFA investor service still describes the investor Golden Residence route as 10 years.
The other mismatch is financing. ICP currently describes the real-estate route as property worth AED 2 million without loans, while Dubai's GDRFA service still says mortgaged property can be accepted in some cases. Because of that, this route needs emirate-specific confirmation.
Eligibility
You may qualify if all of these are true:
Property value
- You own one or more UAE properties with a total value of at least AED 2 million.
- The property must already be recognised by the relevant authority for this route.
Proof of ownership
- You can get a land-department or real-estate registration document showing the qualifying value.
- If the property is jointly owned, your own share generally needs to meet the threshold by itself.
Financing warning
- ICP's current Golden Residency summary describes the real-estate route as property valued at AED 2 million "without loans."
- Dubai's GDRFA investor service is more flexible and says mortgaged property can be accepted in some cases.
- Because of that mismatch, financed property should be confirmed with the authority in the emirate where you are applying.
Duration warning
- ICP currently lists real-estate Golden Residency as a 5-year route.
- Dubai's GDRFA investor service still describes the investor Golden Residence permit as 10 years.
- Check the authority handling your file instead of relying on a single blog post or broker summary.
Practical limits
- This pathway is for people who already meet the property test, not for people who only have the money available to buy later.
- If you own UAE property but do not meet the Golden Visa threshold, there is also a separate property-owner residence route. That is a different pathway.
What This Route Allows
This route can allow you to live in the United Arab Emirates through the qualifying investment, business, or self-employment basis described above. The proof package should be concrete before filing: accepted investment or business activity, lawful source-of-funds records, corporate, property, or bank documents where relevant, background checks, and the government forms for this pathway.
What This Route Is Not
This is not a guaranteed approval just because money is available. Investment routes usually require due diligence, source-of-funds proof, and careful review of the exact investment rules.
Next Steps
- Get a current property-status or valuation document from the local land department.
- If the property is financed, check the mortgage rules with the actual visa authority before you assume you qualify.
- Make sure the property is held in the right name and structure for the application.
- Apply through ICP or GDRFA, depending on the emirate.
- Complete the medical fitness and Emirates ID steps after approval.