UAE RESIDENCY · PROPERTY
The property route to a ten-year UAE residency
One threshold, four conditions that decide most applications, and a lien that people discover after they have signed.
THE THRESHOLD
AED 2,000,000, unchanged since October 2022.
The threshold is AED 2,000,000, unchanged since October 2022 under Cabinet Decision 65 of 2022, having been AED 10 million when the route launched in 2019. The legal architecture sits in Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021.
How that AED 2 million is measured is not uniform. Dubai assesses the DLD-certified value regardless of mortgage. Abu Dhabi requires your own equity to reach AED 2 million independently. Ras Al Khaimah applies the federal rule through ICP. The pillar page sets the three tests side by side.
Last updated 13 August 2026 Next review Q4 2026
WHAT QUALIFIES
The conditions that decide the file.
Off-plan
Off-plan qualifies, from RERA-registered or approved developers. Payment progress matters, so confirm the required paid amount for your emirate before signing.
Mortgaged property
Mortgaged property qualifies, with treatment differing by emirate as set out on the pillar page. In Dubai a lender No Objection Certificate is required. In Abu Dhabi the financed portion does not count toward the threshold.
Multiple properties
Several properties can be combined to reach AED 2 million, each registered individually in the applicant's name.
Joint and spousal ownership
In Dubai a share in a jointly owned property must itself be worth at least AED 2 million. Spouses may share a single property with an attested and translated marriage certificate.
Residential rather than commercial
The property investor category is built for residential real estate. Commercial units are generally routed to the entrepreneur or company investor tracks.
The lien
GDRFA places a lien on the property to ensure continuity of ownership across the ten years. The property may not be disposed of during that period.
HONESTLY
If the value falls, if you sell, if you upgrade.
If the value falls
A valuation below AED 2 million at renewal is a problem at renewal, not the day it happens. Buy with headroom above the threshold rather than exactly at it, particularly in a building with thin comparable evidence.
If you sell
The residency is tied to the qualifying holding, and the lien restricts disposal during the term. Falling below AED 2 million means acquiring replacement property or changing category before renewal.
If you upgrade
Substituting the qualifying asset is a sequenced process with the land department and the visa authority, not a private decision. Plan the exit before you buy, and speak to us before you list.
Does off-plan property qualify for the Golden Visa?
Yes, from RERA-registered or approved developers, subject to payment progress. Settle the developer's approval status and the required paid amount before you sign, not after.
Can I combine several properties to reach AED 2 million?
Yes. Multiple properties can be combined to reach AED 2 million, each registered individually in the applicant's name.
What about joint or spousal ownership?
In Dubai a share in a jointly owned property must itself be worth at least AED 2 million. Spouses may share a single property with an attested and translated marriage certificate.
Can I use a commercial unit?
The property investor category is built for residential real estate. Commercial units are generally routed to the entrepreneur or company investor tracks.
Can I sell the property during the ten years?
GDRFA places a lien on the property to ensure continuity of ownership across the ten years, and the property may not be disposed of during that period. If you need to change the qualifying asset, do it as a planned substitution, not as a sale followed by a search.
Will this specific purchase qualify?
Send the emirate, the price, the mortgage amount and the ownership structure. We will tell you where it stands.
WhatsAppBuying to reach the threshold?
We will show you which buildings clear AED 2 million and are worth owning on their own merits, and which only do the first.
WhatsAppSources
- Cabinet Decision No. 65 of 2022
- Federal Decree-Law No. 29 of 2021
- GDRFA Dubai, Golden Residence property investor service
- Dubai Land Department property status and valuation certificate guidance
SEND A MESSAGE
Rather write than read on?
THE CLUSTER
Where to go next.
What it actually costs
Itemised and dated, with worked examples for a single applicant and for a family of four.
OpenRequirements by emirate
Documents and process for Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah, separated properly.
OpenGolden Visa in Abu Dhabi
The equity rule that decides mortgaged applications in the capital.
OpenThe 2-year investor visa
A separate, lower tier. It does not carry the absence exemption.
OpenResidency and tax
A residence visa is not tax residency. The page most likely to save you money.
OpenEligibility check
Six questions, an indication of which tier you fit, and the test that applies to you.
Open