Property investment and the UAE Golden Visa: the actual rules
The UAE publishes a property route to the 10-year Golden Visa at a threshold of AED 2 million in property value. Applications are made to the ICP or, in Dubai, through the GDRFA — not through a broker or developer. We can tell you whether a purchase meets the published threshold; only the authority decides eligibility.
Note, 4 October 2026
This guide was last reviewed in August 2026. For the property route, the Dubai Land Department now publishes the conditions, the fees and where to apply on its own page: Golden Visa application – Investor. Read that page before you rely on anything here. On it today: the applicant must be inside the UAE, and applying through a representative is not permitted. We are updating this guide.
The published threshold
The property route to the 10-year Golden Visa is published at AED 2 million in property value. That figure, and the conditions attached to it, are set by the federal authority and can change — always check the current rule on the official channel before you rely on it.
Off-plan and mortgaged property
Whether an off-plan or mortgaged purchase counts, and on what basis, is decided by the authority against its current criteria — commonly involving the registered value and, where a mortgage exists, a letter from the lender. This is exactly the kind of detail that changes, so verify it for your case rather than adopting a general answer.
Where you actually apply
Through the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICP), or in Dubai via the GDRFA. Brokers and developers cannot issue, approve or expedite a Golden Visa. Anyone telling you otherwise is selling something.
What we do and do not do
We help you understand whether a purchase meets the published threshold, prepare the property documentation an application needs, and connect you with the right channel at no charge. We do not assess eligibility and we never promise an outcome — that decision belongs to the authority.
| Question | Answer | Who decides |
|---|---|---|
| Published property threshold | AED 2 million in property value | Federal authority (ICP) |
| Visa term | 10 years, renewable | Federal authority (ICP) |
| Where to apply | ICP, or GDRFA in Dubai | The authority |
| Can a broker approve it | No | The authority only |
What people get wrong
- No one can guarantee you a Golden Visa. Not a broker, not a developer, not an agent. Meeting a published threshold is a condition, not an approval. Treat any guarantee as a reason to walk away.
- Thresholds and conditions change. This page describes the rules as published at the date shown below. Check the authority's current guidance before you make a purchase decision that depends on it.
On our book from AED 2 million
30 of the 58 projects we hold start at AED 2 million or more; these six start closest to it. A starting price qualifies nothing on its own: the authorities decide on the file.
- Address Residences — Dubai Creek Harbour — From AED 2.0M
- Dubai Design District (d3) Residences — From AED 2.1M
- Sea Cliff — From AED 2.10M
- Chelsea Residences by DAMAC — From AED 2.17M
- Fior 1 — Rashid Yachts & Marina — From AED 2.2M
- Sunset Bay Grand — From AED 2.34M
Common questions
The authority decides that against its current criteria, typically by reference to the registered property value. Because the treatment of off-plan has changed before, confirm it for your specific purchase rather than relying on a general statement.
Whether values can be aggregated is a matter for the authority's current rules. Ask them, or ask us to point you at the right channel — we will not guess on your behalf.
The Golden Visa framework provides for sponsoring dependants, with conditions set by the authority. The specifics — who qualifies as a dependant and what documentation is needed — come from the authority, not from us.
No. Where a client's purchase meets the published threshold we prepare the property paperwork and point them to the right channel at no cost. We are not an immigration consultancy and we do not act as one.
Still have a question about this?
A guide can only answer the general case. Send us yours and a licensed broker answers it with your numbers in front of them.