The UAE Golden Visa gives you 10 years of renewable residence, the right to sponsor your spouse, children and parents, and no need for an employer or sponsor. One of the most popular ways to qualify is through property: own real estate in the UAE worth at least AED 2 million.
For years the catch was the mortgage. Buyers had to show they had paid a substantial share of the property themselves — commonly cited as 50% of the value, or at least AED 1 million — before a financed home would count. A policy circular dated 20 February 2026 removed that test. What now matters is the value of the property, not how much of it you have paid off.
That changes the economics of the visa considerably, and it makes the mortgage — not the cash — the centre of the plan.
Since February 2025, UAE banks cannot add the DLD fee, agency commission or other purchase costs to a mortgage, so the fees in these figures are always cash — see the DLD fee financing ban. Each fee is set out in the cost of buying property in Dubai.
Which loan-to-value you get depends on your residence status and whether the home is your first in the UAE. The rules are in UAE mortgage LTV rules; for buyers living abroad, which banks lend and how much is compared in which UAE banks lend to non-residents.
For an investor with a spouse and two children, visa fees come to about AED 27,500, before health insurance and any document attestation. Marriage and birth certificates issued abroad need to be attested for use in the UAE.
The rules in brief
| Requirement | What applies |
| Property value | At least AED 2 million, in one property or several combined |
| How value is measured | The DLD purchase value or a DLD-recognised valuation — check which figure your application will use |
| Mortgaged property | Accepted, with a no-objection letter from the UAE lending bank |
| Where the loan is from | A local UAE bank; financing from abroad is not recognised |
| Off-plan property | Accepted when bought from an approved developer and registered with the DLD |
| Minimum paid amount | Removed by the February 2026 circular, as reported; see below |
| Visa length | 10 years, renewable |
| Family | Spouse, children of any age and parents can be sponsored |
| Health insurance | Required for the investor and every sponsored family member |
| Where you apply | In person, inside the UAE |
What changed in February 2026
Before the change, a mortgaged property only counted towards the Golden Visa once the owner had paid down a large share of it. The threshold most often cited was 50% of the property’s value, or a minimum of AED 1 million, shown in a letter from the lending bank. In practice that meant a buyer needed close to AED 1 million of their own money in the property — which defeated much of the point of a mortgage. A policy circular dated 20 February 2026, reported widely in the industry and attributed to the Dubai Land Department and the GDRFA, dropped that test. Under the revised approach, the property’s DLD-certified value needs to reach AED 2 million — regardless of how much of it is mortgaged or still to be paid under a developer’s plan. Mortgaged, off-plan and combined portfolios all count on value. Two things have not changed:- The bank’s no-objection letter is still required for mortgaged property. It confirms the bank does not object to a residence visa being issued on the property and states the amount paid and the balance outstanding.
- The finance must come from a UAE bank. The federal conditions for the real estate Golden Visa allow a loan “provided that the loan is from a local bank”. A property financed by a bank abroad, or one you have borrowed against overseas, will not qualify on the strength of a foreign mortgage.
What it costs to qualify now
With the paid-amount test gone, the cash you need is simply the cash needed to buy a AED 2 million home with whatever finance you can get. For a resident expat buying a first home, that is the standard 20% deposit plus fees:| How you buy a AED 2 million property | Mortgage | Cash needed | Share of the price |
| Resident, first home, 80% mortgage | AED 1,600,000 | AED 544,640 | 27.2% |
| Resident, second or investment home, 60% | AED 1,200,000 | AED 943,640 | 47.2% |
| Non-resident, about 60% | AED 1,200,000 | AED 943,640 | 47.2% |
| Non-resident, 50% | AED 1,000,000 | AED 1,143,140 | 57.2% |
| Off-plan, 20% paid under a developer plan, plus 4% DLD fee | — | about AED 480,000 initially | 24% |
| Cash purchase | — | AED 2,126,720 | 106.3% |
Off-plan: the lowest entry cost, with conditions
Off-plan property bought from an approved developer can count towards the Golden Visa once it is registered with the DLD on Oqood, the interim register. With a typical developer payment plan of 10% to 20% at booking, plus the 4% DLD fee, that can mean qualifying on a AED 2 million unit with under a quarter of the price paid. Three things to weigh:- You still owe the rest. Instalments during construction and a large balance at handover — often refinanced with a mortgage then — have to be planned for. Off-plan mortgages are capped at 50% of the value.
- The developer’s statement of account is typically needed in place of, or alongside, a bank letter.
- The value must hold. Your application rests on a DLD-recognised value of at least AED 2 million. Buying at exactly AED 2 million leaves no margin.
Valuation: why AED 2 million exactly is risky
The Golden Visa threshold is measured against an official value, not just the price you agreed. Depending on the channel, that is the purchase value registered at the DLD or a DLD property status statement or licensed valuation. Two practical consequences:- Leave headroom. A home bought at AED 2.0 million that is later valued at AED 1.95 million may not support a renewal. Buying at AED 2.1 million or more gives you room.
- Your mortgage valuation matters too. The bank lends on the lower of the price and its own valuation. A low bank valuation means more cash on day one, and may hint at how the DLD will see the property. How valuations work is covered in property valuation for a Dubai mortgage.
Combining properties and joint ownership
Several properties can be combined. The AED 2 million can be made up of more than one property, as long as each is registered in your name. Reported examples include investors combining several smaller apartments. Joint ownership is stricter. For co-owners who are not married, each person’s own share must be worth at least AED 2 million; you cannot combine a co-owner’s share with yours. Arrangements for spouses owning jointly have been reported more flexibly — a combined value of AED 2 million with equal shares, with one spouse applying as the investor — but confirm the current position for your case before structuring a purchase around it.The process and the fees
You apply in person, inside the UAE, at a Golden Visa service centre. According to the Dubai Land Department’s service page, you need your passport, title deed or e-Certificate of Title, a photograph, your Emirates ID and current residence permit if you have them, and — for mortgaged property — the bank’s no-objection letter. Processing takes around 7 to 10 business days, including a medical examination at the centre.| Fee | Amount (AED) |
| Medical examination | 700 |
| Emirates ID, 10 years | 1,153 |
| Residence permit | 2,856.75 |
| Dubai Land Department fees | 4,020 |
| Administrative fees | 1,155 |
| Investor total | 9,884.75 |
| Family sponsorship file | 318.75 |
| Each family member’s 10-year permit | 5,774.50 |
Keeping the visa
- A lien is placed on the property to ensure you keep ownership for the life of the visa. Selling without replacing it with qualifying property can lead to the visa being cancelled or not renewed.
- Keep the mortgage in good order. A default that leads to enforcement puts the property — and the visa — at risk.
- Refinancing needs care. Moving the mortgage to another bank means a new no-objection letter from the new lender. Plan it with the visa in mind — the switching process is covered in mortgage buyouts in Dubai.
- Renewal depends on still qualifying, including the property’s value.
