UAE golden visa through property: AED 2 million, mortgages and off-plan
Updated
Can I get a UAE Golden Visa by buying property?
Yes: property worth at least AED 2,000,000 in total — one or several units, fully owned and registered in your name — qualifies for a 10-year golden residence, and ICP allows the property to be financed by a loan from an approved local bank, or bought off-plan from an approved developer. With a mortgage, the emirate decides how much must already be yours: Dubai asks for a bank letter showing what you have paid and what you still owe (its service description asks for AED 2,000,000 paid), and Abu Dhabi asks that your own share be at least AED 2,000,000 — so on a AED 3,000,000 home the mortgage left may be at most AED 1,000,000.
| Where | Property value | With a mortgage | Off-plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| All emirates (ICP) | AED 2,000,000 in total, one or more properties, fully owned in your name | Allowed — loan from an approved local bank | Allowed — bought from an approved developer, total value at least AED 2,000,000 |
| Dubai (DLD, GDRFA) | Purchase value at the time of purchase; a shared property counts only if your share is worth AED 2,000,000 | Allowed — bank no-objection letter with the amount paid and the balance (DLD's description: AED 2,000,000 paid) | No separate Dubai rule published (GDRFA: all types of property) |
| Abu Dhabi (ADDED) | Value on the registered purchase agreement | Allowed through national banks — your own share at least AED 2,000,000 | At least AED 2,000,000 already paid to the developer |
| Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah | The ICP rules above | No published rule found | No published rule found |
Official rule: Golden residence for a real-estate investor: one or more properties in the UAE with a total value of at least AED 2,000,000, fully owned and registered in the investor's name. (source, checked 2026-10-19)
Not a valid document. Estimate for information only — not financial advice, not an offer of credit and not a bank document. Errors are possible. Only your bank's or finance company's official offer letter, contract and statements are binding.
With a mortgage: how much must be paid?
ICP, the federal authority, only says the loan must come from an approved local bank. The emirates go further. Abu Dhabi says your own capital in the property must be at least AED 2,000,000: a AED 5,000,000 property may carry at most AED 3,000,000 of outstanding mortgage. Dubai's Land Department asks for a no-objection letter from your bank that states the amount paid and the balance, and its service description asks for a letter showing AED 2,000,000 paid. Plan on the same arithmetic in both:
| Home price | Most mortgage left | Yours (paid) | Largest first-home loan for an expat |
|---|---|---|---|
| AED 2,000,000 | none — fully paid | AED 2,000,000 | AED 1,600,000 |
| AED 3,000,000 | AED 1,000,000 | AED 2,000,000 | AED 2,400,000 |
| AED 5,000,000 | AED 3,000,000 | AED 2,000,000 | AED 4,000,000 |
So in Dubai and Abu Dhabi a home bought for exactly AED 2,000,000 qualifies only once the mortgage on it is paid off. A bank lends an expat at most 80% of a first home up to AED 5,000,000 — the last column — so in the first years after buying, a mortgage usually leaves more owing than the golden visa allows. Dubai places a lien on the property for the whole residency, so it cannot be sold during the 10 years.
Off-plan property
ICP counts off-plan units with a total value of at least AED 2,000,000, bought from a real estate company approved by the local authority. Abu Dhabi also asks for proof that at least AED 2,000,000 has already been paid to the developer. Dubai publishes no separate off-plan rule; GDRFA says all types of property count. Banks finance at most 50% of an off-plan property.
Several properties, or a share
The AED 2,000,000 can be one property or several added together. In Dubai, if you own a share of a property, your share must be worth at least AED 2,000,000. No official page says whether a married couple can add their two shares together — ask the land department before you buy.
What the golden visa gives you
- 10 years, renewed while you still meet the conditions.
- Family: your spouse, your children regardless of their age, and your parents.
- Time abroad: the 180-day rule does not apply — the residency ends only if it expires while you are outside the UAE.
- Health insurance for you and your family for the whole residency.
What it costs in Dubai
| AED | |
|---|---|
| Investor, 10-year permit (medical, Emirates ID, residency, DLD and administrative fees) | 9,884.75 |
| Each family member or parent, 10-year permit | 5,774.50 |
Every sponsored person adds AED 100, and a family sponsorship file costs AED 318.75 once. The other emirates' fees are not published in the same way.
Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah
Their land departments publish no golden-visa rule on mortgaged or off-plan property that we could read on 19 October 2026. The federal ICP rules apply — ask the emirate's land department how it checks the value and the amount paid.
Buying first? See the cash you need on the day and how much you can borrow.
Questions people ask
How much property value for a Golden Visa?
At least AED 2,000,000 in total, in one property or several, fully owned and registered in your name. In Dubai the Land Department counts the purchase value at the time you bought; GDRFA certifies it with a Dubai Land Department property status certificate or a valuation from a DLD-licensed office. A shared property counts only if your own share is worth AED 2,000,000.
Can I get a mortgage if I am on a visa?
Yes, as a UAE resident. The Central Bank's limits are the same for every expat resident: up to 80% of a first home up to AED 5,000,000 (70% above it), 60% for a second home or investment, 50% for off-plan, over at most 25 years, and at most 7 times your yearly income. Each bank adds its own conditions.
Can I sell the property while I hold the golden visa?
Not in Dubai: GDRFA places a lien on the property so that you keep owning it for the whole residency, and it may not be disposed of during the 10 years.
Does an off-plan property count for the UAE golden visa?
Yes, if the total value is at least AED 2,000,000 and you bought it from a developer approved by the local authority. Abu Dhabi also asks that at least AED 2,000,000 has been paid to the developer.