The rule, as the Dubai Land Department states it
The DLD's 'Golden Visa Application – Investor' service lets a real estate investor who owns property with a purchase value of AED 2 million or more, at the time of purchase, apply for a 10-year renewable residence permit. The property must be wholly owned by the applicant, and it can be one property or several that together reach AED 2 million.
The property may be mortgaged. In that case the bank has to give a no-objection letter saying it does not object to the residence permit and stating the amount paid and the balance outstanding. The applicant must be inside the UAE when applying, and a spouse, children and parents can be sponsored.
The documents the DLD lists are a passport, the e-Certificate of Title or title deed, a personal photo, and an Emirates ID and current residence permit where the applicant has them. The DLD quotes a total of AED 9,884.75 for the main applicant's 10-year permit, covering the medical test, Emirates ID, residency and DLD fees, plus AED 5,774.50 for each family member. It gives a processing time of 7 to 10 working days.
Source: Dubai Land Department service page 'Golden Visa Application – Investor', last updated 8 September 2026. Rules change; confirm with the DLD or ICP before you buy for a visa.
What changed for mortgaged property
Earlier guidance was widely read as requiring the buyer to have paid at least half the price, or AED 1 million, before a mortgaged property counted. The DLD page as updated on 8 September 2026 sets no such minimum. It asks only that the purchase value is AED 2 million or more and that the bank's letter states the paid amount and the balance. Press reports in September 2026 describe this as a mortgaged property qualifying under the AED 2 million rule. Because banks and the ICP can still apply their own checks, ask your bank for the no-objection letter before you commit, not after.
The off-plan catch: the title deed
Off-plan purchases are registered in the DLD's Oqood system, and the buyer receives an Oqood certificate, not a title deed. The title deed is issued at handover. The DLD's Golden Visa page lists the title deed as a required document and does not mention Oqood or off-plan property at all.
In practice that means an off-plan unit bought today will most likely support a Golden Visa only once the project is handed over and the title deed is issued in your name. Some advisers describe off-plan routes through specific developers or a minimum amount paid. We could not find those on the DLD's current page, so treat them as unconfirmed and get the answer in writing from the DLD or ICP before relying on them.
The handover dates in the table below are the dates filed with the DLD. Most fall between 2028 and 2031, which is when a visa based on these units would realistically become possible. If you need the visa sooner, a completed property with a title deed is the direct route.
Off-plan projects where the typical 2026 sale clears AED 2 million
These are the projects on this site where the median price in 2026 DLD-recorded sales was AED 2 million or more, ranked by the number of recorded sales. The median is the middle sale, so roughly half of the units sold in each project went for more and half for less. The 'lowest 10%' column is the price below which the cheapest tenth of sales fell. Where it is also above AED 2 million, almost every unit in the project clears the threshold; this is true for 18 of the 31 projects. Where it is below, check that your specific unit's price is AED 2 million or more. Projects registered as several clusters show their medians as a range.
Data: Dubai Land Department open data, off-plan sales recorded from 1 January to 2026-09-18. Projects with fewer than 20 recorded sales are excluded. The table shows the 20 projects with the most sales.
| Project | Area | 2026 sales | Median price paid | Lowest 10% below | Handover (DLD filing) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAMAC Islands 2 | Al Yelayiss 1 | 3,412 | AED 2.82M–AED 3.33M | AED 2.54M | 30 June 2030 for most clusters |
| Sobha Central | Jabal Ali First | 935 | AED 2.09M–AED 2.69M | AED 1.51M | 31 December 2031 |
| Creek Bay | Dubai Creek Harbour | 681 | AED 3.30M | AED 1.85M | Q2 2030 |
| Hado by Beyond | Siora | 622 | AED 3.04M | AED 2.47M | Q3 2029 |
| Shahrukhz by Danube | Barsha Heights | 535 | AED 2.31M | AED 1.90M | 30 June 2029 |
| Skyvue | Bukadra | 474 | AED 2.21M | AED 1.65M | Confirm with developer |
| The Meriva Collection | Palm Deira | 473 | AED 4.02M | AED 2.78M | 31 December 2031 |
| Lunaya | Saih Shuaib 1 | 391 | AED 6.58M | AED 4.97M | 31 March 2029 |
| Palm Central Private Residences - Frond N | Palm Jebel Ali | 322 | AED 4.36M–AED 4.51M | AED 2.55M | 13 December 2030 |
| Kanyon by Beyond | Dubai Maritime City | 307 | AED 2.72M | AED 2.43M | 30 September 2028 |
| The Edit at d3 | Dubai Design District | 305 | AED 4.24M | AED 2.34M | 31 January 2030 |
| Boulevard Park 2 | Jabal Ali First | 279 | AED 2.00M | AED 1.40M | 30 November 2029 |
| Terra Gardens | Expo City Dubai | 185 | AED 2.29M | AED 1.56M | 2029 |
| City Walk Crestlane 4 | City Walk | 184 | AED 3.78M | AED 2.71M | 25 April 2030 |
| Boulevard Park 1 | Jabal Ali First | 175 | AED 2.14M | AED 1.46M | 30 April 2030 |
| Vista Ridge | Emaar South | 159 | AED 2.00M | AED 1.29M | 30 September 2029 |
| Avarra by Palace | Business Bay | 155 | AED 3.22M | AED 2.77M | 2031 |
| City Walk Crestlane 5 | City Walk | 150 | AED 3.74M | AED 2.79M | 25 April 2030 |
| Lyvia by Palace | Dubai Creek Harbour | 144 | AED 2.97M | AED 2.02M | 2029 |
| Nad Al Sheba Gardens Phase 11 | Nad Al Sheba Gardens | 101 | AED 6.37M | AED 6.15M | June 2029 |
How to check a specific unit
First, the purchase value on your sale agreement and the DLD record must be AED 2 million or more. Several smaller properties can be combined, but each must be wholly in your name. Second, if you finance the purchase, ask the bank now whether it will issue the no-objection letter for a residence permit. Third, if the unit is off-plan, note the handover date filed with the DLD rather than the marketed one. The title deed, and therefore the visa, follows the real handover.
Finally, budget the costs. On an AED 2 million purchase the 4% DLD transfer fee alone is AED 80,000, before trustee and registration fees. The visa itself costs AED 9,884.75 for the main applicant under the DLD's published fee list.