Dubai Golden Visa through property: requirements & process

What the Golden Visa is – and isn't

The Golden Visa is a long-term UAE residence permit introduced in 2019 and expanded several times since. Unlike an ordinary residence visa, it isn't tied to an employer and doesn't need renewing every two years. It allows you to live in the UAE, open a bank account, obtain an Emirates ID and sponsor family members.

The Golden Visa is not citizenship and doesn't, on its own, establish UAE tax residency. If you actually want to move your centre of life, further steps are needed – covered in the section on residency and taxes.

Requirements for property investors

Under current rules you must own one or more properties in Dubai with a combined value of at least AED 2 million. Depending on the case, the purchase price or a valuation by a Dubai Land Department-approved valuer may be decisive. The property must be registered in your name; with joint ownership your share generally counts.

Off-plan property

Following changes in recent years, off-plan purchases from developers approved by the emirate can also qualify. In practice the authorities usually require a certain share of the price to have been paid and review the project documents. We clarify which proof is sufficient in your case before purchase – so you don't discover after signing that you're not yet eligible.

Mortgaged property

If the property is mortgaged, the Dubai Land Department requires a letter from the lending bank stating the amount already paid and its no-objection to the application. Under current practice the loan must be from a bank operating in the UAE.

Including family members

A major benefit of the Golden Visa is the option to sponsor spouses, children and parents. They receive their own residence permits with Emirates ID. Required documents include attested marriage and birth certificates – for European documents usually with legalisation and Arabic translation – plus health insurance.

Attesting foreign documents is, in our experience, the most time-consuming step. Start as soon as the purchase is certain.

Application process and timing

• Prove ownership: title deed or Oqood certificate, valuation and bank letter if needed.
• Apply: via a DLD-approved service centre, where fees are paid.
• Medical check: health examination in the UAE.
• Biometrics & Emirates ID: fingerprints and photo.
• Issue: the visa is granted electronically.

According to the Dubai Land Department, processing currently takes about 7 to 10 working days, and the applicant must be in the UAE when applying. Allow for a stay of about a week for the whole process including medical check and biometrics.

Golden Visa costs

The Dubai Land Department currently lists total fees of around AED 9,900 for the main applicant (as of 2026). Each family member adds further fees; costs for attestations, translations and health insurance aren't included.

Everyday benefits of the visa

• Emirates ID: the key ID for authorities, contracts and many digital services.
• Bank account: much easier to open with a visa and Emirates ID.
• No minimum presence: under current rules the Golden Visa doesn't lapse through longer absences.
• Family: partner and children receive their own permits; children can attend local schools.
• Independence: no employer or company sponsor needed.

Golden Visa, residency and taxes

A common misconception: the Golden Visa alone doesn't change your tax obligations at home. As long as you keep a residence or habitual abode there, you generally remain fully taxable. Anyone planning a real move should plan deregistration, exit-tax rules and the actual relocation of their centre of life early with a tax adviser.

Golden Visa with Popolari

Record which services are outside the agreed scope as well. Distinguishing document coordination from legal advice and personal relocation arrangements prevents misunderstandings and makes collaboration with your other advisers more effective.

Keep property and residency records distinct

Maintain separate working files for the property, the applicant and accompanying family members. The property file should contain available ownership and payment evidence plus unresolved questions about the asset. The applicant file should hold requested identity records and note any name inconsistencies. Raise differences in spelling early. Good record keeping reduces avoidable queries but does not guarantee that the authority will accept the file without additions. Share sensitive records through an agreed secure channel and define who may access them.

Avoid organising an entire move around an assumed issue date. Separate tasks that can be prepared now from those requiring a specific response or personal appointment. Families benefit from a shared overview of travel, document availability and responsible contacts. Do not cancel housing or insurance arrangements solely because a salesperson has mentioned visa eligibility. Your individually confirmed application status matters more than another buyer’s experience with a similarly priced home.

Agree who will maintain the records after completion. Retain decisions, submitted versions and relevant correspondence in an organised file. Discuss a change of plans, a future sale or additional family applications with the appropriate specialist before acting. Maximilian Popolari combines property advice with personal coordination of next steps, while specialist assessment and official decisions remain separate. A consultation can establish whether you primarily need to find a suitable property or require support with an existing ownership position.

For our clients we coordinate the application: checking eligibility as early as property selection, compiling documents, booking service-centre appointments and accompanying you on site. Maximilian Popolari and his team have walked this path with many buyers – including the hurdles of attesting European documents. More under services.

Projects reaching the AED 2 million threshold are marked “+ Golden Visa” in our portfolio. How off-plan payment plans interact with the visa is explained in our guide to off-plan property in Dubai.

The exact list is set by the authorities and can change. In practice you typically need a valid passport, proof of ownership (title deed or Oqood confirmation for off-plan), valuation evidence, passport photos, health insurance and, where relevant, documents for family members such as marriage or birth certificates.

• Passport with sufficient remaining validity.
• Proof of ownership and valuation evidence for the property.
• If financed: bank confirmation that the property is mortgaged and, where applicable, proof of your own share.
• Medical test and Emirates ID as part of the residence permit.
• Attested and translated documents for spouse and children.

The Golden Visa should not be the only reason to buy. The property also has to convince as a property: location, developer, lettability and resale. Anyone buying just above the value threshold risks that value fluctuations or fee deductions endanger the requirement. We therefore plan with a buffer and check early whether recognition and valuation match the threshold.

For off-plan the common question is whether the deposit alone is enough. That depends on the project, the authority and the status of payments, and is checked case by case; there is no entitlement to a particular rule. Basics on buying new-build are in our guide to off-plan property in Dubai.

If you want to move to Dubai with the visa, practical advice is in our guide to moving to Dubai. On the fees around the purchase, read Dubai property purchase costs; on the tax side taxes on Dubai property. The overall picture is in our guide to buying property in Dubai.

The visa is designed for the long term and can usually be renewed while ownership continues; the authorities set the details. Unlike some other residence permits there is currently no strict minimum stay to keep the visa, but rules can change. Check the current position before deciding.

The property can usually be let. That makes the Golden Visa interesting even for investors who do not live there permanently. How to find tenants and which income is realistic is described in renting out Dubai property. How to structure your investment overall is covered in Dubai property as an investment.