Ten years in Dubai, for your whole family.
Buy AED 2 million of property in your name and you can live in Dubai for ten years, renewable, with your spouse, your children and your parents. Here is how it works in 2026, in plain words.
- AED 2M
- Property value, one or more units
- 10 years
- Renewable residence
- 7-10 days
- Business days at DLD
- No minimum
- Stay in the UAE
AED 2 million, in your own name.
The Dubai Land Department looks at the purchase value on your title deed or Oqood. You can reach it with one property or several, ready or off-plan, with or without a mortgage.
About one in four Dubai apartment sales registered in 2026 so far was priced at AED 2 million or more, so the threshold sits well inside the Dubai market.
M&M analysis of DLD open data, 1 January to 6 October 2026.
- One or more properties with a total purchase value of AED 2 million or more
- Title in your own name, on the title deed or the Oqood
- Ready, or off-plan from a developer approved in Dubai
- Mortgaged property, with a letter from your bank showing what is paid and what is left
- Apartments, villas, townhouses and offices
- Property held by a company or an SPV
- Two co-owners each getting their own visa from one property below AED 4 million
A later valuation above your purchase price: DLD's page uses the purchase value, and some DLD-listed centres accept a DLD valuation certificate. We confirm for your file.
Off-plan and mortgages, both count.
An off-plan unit counts when you buy from a developer approved in Dubai and the sale is registered with DLD on an Oqood. Developers such as Nakheel and Meraas now help buyers with the file at their sales centres.
A mortgaged property counts in Dubai. Your bank gives you a no-objection letter that shows the amount paid and the balance. The loan has to come from an approved UAE bank.
Since 2024, DLD practice reported in the press no longer applies the old AED 1 million or 50% minimum. DLD still asks for the bank's paid-and-balance letter, so we check the position for your file before you reserve.
One visa, everyone you love.
The Golden Visa lets you sponsor your spouse, your children and your parents on 10-year permits, and your domestic staff. You need no employer or local sponsor, and Golden Visa holders can stay abroad for more than six months.
- Spouse, 10 years
- Children (sons over 18: term confirmed per file)
- Parents, 10 years
- Domestic staff
- UAE bank accounts
- School enrolment and a UAE driving licence
Health insurance is required for every family member. Banks and schools still make their own decisions.
From title deed to residence.
- 01Own it in your name
Your title deed (ready) or Oqood (off-plan) is registered with the Dubai Land Department. If there is a mortgage, ask your bank for a no-objection letter.
- 02Be in the UAE
You apply in person. If your passport needs a visa to enter, there is a six-month entry permit for Golden Visa applicants.
- 03Apply at a DLD channel
The Cube centre at Al Manara, the Golden Cube at the World Trade Centre, or a DLD-listed registration agent.
- 04Documents and fees
Passport, title deed or Oqood, photo, and for your family: marriage and birth certificates and health insurance.
- 05Medical test and Emirates ID
A blood test and chest X-ray, then biometrics for your Emirates ID.
- 06Your residence, by email
DLD quotes 7 to 10 business days once the property is registered.
In April 2026 Dubai announced that Golden residency services will move into the GDRFA system. Until that switch, DLD's published channels and fees apply; we check the current route for each client.
About AED 9,900 for you.
These are the fees DLD publishes for the 10-year permits. For a couple with two children, the official fees come to AED 27,527 to 27,827, before health insurance for the four of you.
Source: DLD Golden Visa service page, October 2026. Service centres and agents may add their own fees. Your title deed costs belong to the purchase and sit outside the visa budget.
The rule, off-plan and mortgages, your family, every fee and the documents checklist, in one PDF you can keep.
The 2-year property visa still gets you here.
- Minimum
- AED 2M in your name
- Term
- 10 years
- Investor fee (DLD)
- AED 9,884.75
- Time abroad
- Beyond six months
- Family
- Spouse, children, parents, 10 years
- Minimum
- No minimum for a sole owner; AED 400K share if joint
- Term
- 2 years
- Investor fee (DLD)
- AED 10,212.50
- Time abroad
- Usual six-month rule
- Family
- Shorter permits for adult sons and parents
Two different things, worth knowing early.
The Golden Visa gives you the right to live in the UAE. UAE tax residency is a separate test: 183 days in the UAE in a year, or 90 days with a UAE residence permit and a home or job here. The home has to stay available to you, so in our reading a flat you let to a tenant does not count.
Your home country applies its own rules, whatever visa you hold, so take advice there before you change where you live.
Six myths, and the actual rule.
Fact: Ten years since October 2022. An older government page still says five.
Fact: Since 2024, DLD practice reported in the press no longer applies that minimum. DLD still asks for the bank letter, so we check each file.
Fact: There is no minimum stay. Golden Visa holders can be away longer than six months.
Fact: Not on its own. That needs 183 days a year, or 90 days with a UAE home that stays available to you.
Fact: Each applicant needs AED 2 million in their own name.
Fact: Abu Dhabi asks for AED 2 million of equity on a mortgage and AED 2 million paid on off-plan.
Projects where one unit reaches the threshold.
What investors ask us most.
How much do I need to invest in Dubai property for a Golden Visa?
AED 2 million in total, in one or more properties registered in your own name. DLD looks at the purchase value at the time you bought.
Is the Golden Visa through property 5 or 10 years?
10 years, renewable. That has been the rule since October 2022. One older government page still says 5 years.
Can I get a Golden Visa with a mortgage?
Yes, in Dubai. You need a no-objection letter from your bank showing the amount paid and the balance, and the loan has to be from an approved UAE bank.
Do I need to have paid 50% or AED 1 million first?
Since 2024, DLD practice reported in the press no longer applies the old AED 1 million or 50% minimum. DLD still asks for the bank's paid and balance letter, so we check the position for your file before you rely on a small deposit.
Does off-plan property qualify?
Yes, when you buy from an approved developer and the unit is registered with DLD on an Oqood. We confirm the paid-amount question for your file.
Can I combine several properties to reach AED 2 million?
Yes. One or more properties can be added together, as long as each is in your own name.
Can my spouse and I buy together?
Each person who wants their own Golden Visa needs AED 2 million in their own name. A couple sharing one property is usually processed as one main applicant with a sponsored spouse. Confirm with DLD before you sign in joint names.
Can I buy through a company?
Not for this route. The title deed has to be in your own name.
Do I need to live in Dubai to keep it?
No. Golden Visa holders can stay outside the UAE for more than six months.
Can I sponsor my family?
Yes: your spouse, your children and your parents, on 10-year permits, and domestic staff. The term for sons over 18 is confirmed per file.
How long does it take?
DLD quotes 7 to 10 business days once your title deed or Oqood is registered. You apply in person in the UAE.
How much does it cost?
DLD lists AED 9,884.75 for the investor, AED 5,774.50 for each family member, AED 318.75 to open the family file and AED 100 per sponsored person. Health insurance for everyone is required on top.
Does the Golden Visa make me tax resident in the UAE?
Not by itself. UAE tax residency needs 183 days in a year, or 90 days with a UAE residence permit and a home or job in the UAE. Your home country applies its own rules.
What happens if I sell the property?
The visa rests on owning qualifying property. No official grace period is published, so buy the replacement first and confirm the timing with GDRFA.
Is there a visa for property under AED 2 million?
Yes, the 2-year property visa. Since April 2026 a sole owner needs no minimum value and each joint owner needs a share of at least AED 400,000.
Do offices count?
GDRFA's investor page says the property route covers all property types, offices included, when the title is in your name. We confirm for your unit.
Find the property that gets your family here.
Tell us your budget and who is moving with you. We show you the projects that reach AED 2 million, check the open points with DLD before you sign, and explain each visa step after the purchase.
Sources: Dubai Land Department Golden Visa and Investor Residence service pages; Cabinet Resolution 65 of 2022 as published by the Ministry of Economy; u.ae; Cabinet Decision 85 of 2022 and the FTA tax residency guide; ADRO Abu Dhabi. Checked 8 October 2026. Rules and fees change, so we check them for every client before purchase. This page is general information, not legal, immigration or tax advice. Visa decisions rest with the UAE authorities. M&M Real Estate is a RERA-licensed broker and earns commission on property it sells.