UAE Golden Visa Through Property in 2026: AED 2 Million, Mortgages, Off-Plan and Real Costs

Most of the families who come to me for a UAE Golden Visa want to buy property anyway. Here is how the AED 2 million route works in practice, from the threshold to the fees. Sources: the ICP Golden Residency guide, the Dubai Land Department and the BRIDGES UAE page. Checked on 2 November 2026.

The threshold: AED 2,000,000

The ICP guide asks for one or more properties worth at least AED 2,000,000 in total, owned in the investor’s name. That is about $545,000. A few points that families often miss:

• Several units count together. Two apartments of AED 1,000,000 each work.
• A mortgage is allowed if it comes from an approved UAE bank. In Dubai the DLD then wants a no objection letter from the bank showing how much you have paid, and that paid amount must reach AED 2,000,000.
• Off-plan counts if the developer is approved.
• Health insurance must cover you and your family for the whole term.

Term: 10 years, with a caveat

The ICP guide of September 2026 and the DLD service page both give 10 years for property owners. Some u.ae summaries still show 5 years for real estate. I plan with 10 years, but I check the exact term on the day of the application.

What it costs in Dubai

The purchase itself carries a DLD registration fee of 4% of the price. The law splits it between buyer and seller, but in practice the contract decides, so I budget the full 4%. On AED 2,000,000 that is AED 80,000. The DLD Golden Visa service then lists these fees for the investor:

Item	AED
Medical test	700
Emirates ID, 10 years	1,153
Residence permit	2,856.75
DLD fees	4,020
Administrative fee	1,155
Total for the investor	9,884.75

Each family member adds AED 5,774.50 for a 10-year residence permit, a family file costs AED 318.75 to open, and the DLD charges AED 100 per sponsored person. Agent fees and health insurance come on top.

Process and documents

1. Buy the property and get the electronic title deed.
2. If you are outside the UAE, ICP can issue a 6-month multiple-entry visa, which can be extended once by 6 months.
3. Apply through the DLD from inside the UAE with your passport, photo, title deed and, if you have them, your current Emirates ID and permit.
4. Take the medical test and give biometrics for the Emirates ID.

The DLD gives 7 to 10 working days for the service. BRIDGES reports one to two months from purchase to Emirates ID. A real case is in the BRIDGES apartment case.

Family

You can sponsor your spouse, children of any age and your parents, as well as domestic workers. If the holder dies, the family may stay until their own permits expire. More in the family guide.

What I tell clients

The visa does not require you to live in the UAE, and it does not lead to citizenship. Buy a property you would want to own even without the visa. If the price only works because of the visa, the investor routes may suit you better.