UAE Golden Visa Through Property: AED 2M Rule 2026
The UAE Golden Visa needs property worth AED 2M by DLD valuation. Since Feb 2026 payment method no longer matters, so off-plan and mortgaged units qualify.
By Dune Estates Editorial · Updated August 23, 2026 · 12 min read
What the property route to the Golden Visa requires
The UAE Golden Visa through real estate is a 10-year residence visa granted on property worth at least AED 2 million by DLD valuation.
Three conditions define it:
- Value. The property must be worth AED 2 million or more, assessed by DLD valuation rather than by what the sales contract says.
- Location. It must be in an approved freehold area.
- Combination. Up to three properties may be combined to reach the AED 2 million threshold.
At the Central Bank of the UAE’s fixed peg of 1 USD to AED 3.6725, in place since 1997, AED 2 million is approximately USD 545,000.
The word “valuation” carries weight here. If you buy at AED 2 million and the DLD valuation comes in below that, the threshold is not met. Buying with a margin above the line rather than exactly on it is the practical response.
What changed in February 2026
Since the federal circular of 20 February 2026 the payment method no longer matters. What must reach AED 2 million is total property value, not the equity you have paid.
Before this, buyers regularly hit a wall: an off-plan purchase on a payment plan, or a mortgaged apartment, would not qualify because only paid-up value counted. The February 2026 simplification removed that.
| Aspect | Position since 20 February 2026 |
|---|---|
| Payment method | Irrelevant. Mortgage and off-plan instalments both acceptable |
| What must reach AED 2M | Total property value, not paid equity |
| Number of properties | Up to 3 may be combined |
| Location | Approved freehold areas |
| Visa term | 10 years |
The practical effect: a buyer on a 60/40 or 1% monthly plan, who has paid perhaps 20% of an AED 2.2 million unit, is now on the same footing as a cash buyer for this purpose. That is a genuine shift in who can access the route, and it lines up with a market where off-plan made up 76% of Dubai residential transactions in Q2 2026.
Off-plan and the Golden Visa
Off-plan property counts toward the Golden Visa. It does not count toward the separate 2-year property investor visa, which requires a completed property.
This is the single most confused point in the whole subject, and getting it wrong sends buyers to the wrong product.
| Feature | Golden Visa (10 years) | Property investor visa (2 years) |
|---|---|---|
| Value threshold | AED 2 million by DLD valuation | No minimum for sole owners since April 2026; co-owners need at least AED 400,000 share each |
| Off-plan accepted | Yes | No, property must be completed |
| Payment method | Irrelevant since 20 Feb 2026, mortgage and instalments fine | Mortgage or instalment purchase allowed |
| Location | Approved freehold areas | Freehold area |
| Government fees | Not verified in our registry, confirm with the authority | From approximately AED 10,765 |
| Properties combined | Up to 3 | Not stated in our registry |
Note what happened to the old rule. The AED 750,000 minimum for the 2-year investor visa was scrapped in April 2026 for sole owners, meaning there is no minimum value on that route now. Any content still quoting “AED 750,000 for a 2-year investor visa” is describing a rule that no longer exists. Co-owners still need a share of at least AED 400,000 each.
So the decision is straightforward. If you want the 10-year visa and you are buying off-plan, the Golden Visa is your route and AED 2 million is your number. If you want a shorter visa and are buying a completed unit, the 2-year route now has no minimum value for a sole owner.
Family inclusion
The Golden Visa is a family route, not an individual one. Confirm the current list of eligible dependants and their fees with the authority or your broker before budgeting, since specific dependant categories are not detailed in our verified source registry.
What is worth planning around is the timing. Dependant applications generally follow the principal’s approval rather than running in parallel, so if school enrolment or a spouse’s employment depends on the residency, build that sequence into your timeline rather than assuming a single date.
For comparison, Oman’s investor residency route explicitly includes spouse and children, with property of OMR 250,000 or more granting a renewable 5-year visa and OMR 500,000 or more granting a renewable 10-year visa. Our UAE versus Oman comparison sets the two systems side by side.
The process, step by step
The sequence is: buy in an approved freehold area, register the purchase with DLD, obtain a DLD valuation confirming AED 2 million or more, then apply for the Golden Visa and add dependants.
Step 1: Confirm the area is approved freehold. Dubai has more than 60 designated freehold areas, including Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, Business Bay, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Jumeirah Village Circle, Dubai Hills Estate, Dubai Creek Harbour, Arabian Ranches, Emirates Hills and Dubai South. The full legal list is longer, so confirm the specific plot with DLD before you commit. Abu Dhabi operates a parallel system of roughly 30 designated investment zones where any nationality can hold freehold, including Yas Island, Saadiyat Island, Al Reem Island and Al Maryah Island.
Step 2: Buy with a margin above AED 2 million. Because the test is DLD valuation, not contract price, buying at exactly AED 2 million leaves no room. If you are combining up to three properties, the same logic applies to the combined figure.
Step 3: Register the purchase. For off-plan in Dubai this means Oqood registration in the interim registry, where the 4% DLD transfer fee is paid alongside an Oqood admin fee of roughly AED 1,000 to 5,000 and a trustee office fee of about AED 4,000 to 5,000. Total closing costs run approximately 4% to 6% of the price.
Step 4: Obtain the DLD valuation. This is the document the visa application depends on.
Step 5: Apply. Submit the application with the valuation and title or Oqood documentation.
Step 6: Add dependants. Follow the principal approval with family applications.
The wider purchase process, from developer due diligence through escrow to handover, is covered in our Dubai off-plan buying guide.
Budgeting the AED 2 million purchase
The visa threshold is the property value. The cash you need is higher, because closing costs and the payment plan sit on top.
| Item | On an AED 2,000,000 off-plan purchase in Dubai |
|---|---|
| Property value for visa purposes | AED 2,000,000 (meets threshold if DLD valuation agrees) |
| DLD transfer fee, 4% | AED 80,000 |
| Oqood admin fee | AED 1,000 to 5,000 |
| Trustee office fee | ~AED 4,000 to 5,000 |
| Total closing costs | ~4% to 6% of price, roughly AED 80,000 to 120,000 |
| Paid to developer before keys | Per plan, for example 60% on a 60/40 |
| Approx. USD equivalent of property | ~USD 545,000 at the 3.6725 peg |
Two points buyers routinely miss. First, the closing costs are due at Oqood registration, in cash, not spread across the payment plan. Second, the 4% is paid once: at handover the Oqood converts to a title deed without a second 4% charge.
If you are combining up to three properties to reach AED 2 million, each purchase carries its own fee stack, so three smaller units cost more in total transaction fees than one larger one. Our Dubai fees and taxes guide works through the full cost picture.
What the visa is worth beyond the residency
The Golden Visa attaches to an asset in a market with no annual property tax and no capital gains tax on residential property for individuals.
Rental income of individuals from personally owned residential property is not subject to personal or corporate income tax in the UAE. On VAT, the first supply of new residential property is zero-rated at 0%, resales and long-term residential rent are exempt, and short-term or serviced apartment lets carry 5% VAT as a hospitality supply, with registration relevant above AED 375,000 of taxable turnover per year.
So the asset behind the visa can produce income. Dubai apartment gross yields run around 6% to 8%, with mid-market ahead of premium: JVC at roughly 7.7% to 8.5%, Dubai Marina at 5.5% to 7.2%, Business Bay at 5.1% to 6.7%, and Downtown Dubai at 4% to 6% where high prices and service charges compress the return. On Yas Island in Abu Dhabi typical yields run about 6% to 8%, with waterfront and compact units up to roughly 7% to 9%.
Running cost to net off: service charges of about AED 10 to 30 per square foot per year for Dubai apartments, with premium towers exceeding AED 60, budgets approved annually through the RERA and DLD Mollak system.
Your home country’s tax treatment of the income and any gain is a separate question that depends on your own residency and treaty position. Consult your tax adviser.
Choosing the property: a practical filter
At the AED 2 million level you are choosing between one larger unit in a premium community and up to three smaller units in higher-yielding ones.
| Approach | Advantages | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|
| One unit at AED 2M+ | One fee stack, one service charge account, simpler valuation | Concentrated in one community; premium areas yield 4% to 6% |
| Two or three units combining to AED 2M | Higher blended yield in mid-market areas; spread across communities | Three fee stacks, three service charge accounts, more admin |
| Off-plan on a payment plan | Lower cash out early; qualifies since Feb 2026 | Value must hold at DLD valuation; handover risk |
| Completed unit | Income from day one; also opens the 2-year route | No payment plan leverage; usually higher price per sqft |
Market context for the choice: JVC 12-month medians show off-plan at AED 1,555 per sqft against ready at AED 1,316 per sqft, with the area average at approximately AED 1,508 per sqft in June 2026, up 1.7% over 12 months. That premium for off-plan is the price of the payment plan and the delivery timeline.
Two area guides worth reading before deciding: JVC for the highest-volume, highest-yield large community, and Dubai Creek Harbour for the large Emaar masterplan positioned as a growth play.
Risks and things to verify
| Risk | Why it matters | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| DLD valuation below AED 2M | Contract price is not the test | Buy with a margin above the threshold |
| Plot not in an approved freehold area | Disqualifies the application | Confirm with DLD before paying |
| Relying on outdated visa rules | The AED 750,000 investor visa minimum was scrapped in April 2026 | Check the date on any source you read |
| Off-plan used for the wrong visa | Off-plan does not qualify for the 2-year investor visa | Match the property type to the route |
| Price movement before valuation | Q2 2026 saw price per sqft on agreed deals down about 7% | Margin above threshold, and hold horizon |
| Unverified fee quotes | Golden Visa government fees are not in our verified registry | Confirm with the authority or your broker |
Where this guide does not state a number, it is because the figure is not verified in our source registry. Do not fill the gap with a sales desk estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Property worth at least AED 2 million by DLD valuation, which is approximately USD 545,000 at the Central Bank of the UAE's fixed peg of 3.6725. The property must be in an approved freehold area, and up to three properties may be combined to reach the threshold. The test is the DLD valuation, not the contract price.
Yes. Since the federal circular of 20 February 2026 the payment method no longer matters, so off-plan instalment purchases and mortgaged properties both qualify. What must reach AED 2 million is total property value, not the equity you have paid so far. Off-plan does not qualify for the separate 2-year property investor visa, which requires a completed property.
No. Since 20 February 2026 the payment method is irrelevant. A mortgage or a developer payment plan is acceptable, because the threshold applies to total property value rather than paid equity. This was the key change that opened the route to buyers on off-plan payment plans.
Yes, up to three properties may be combined to reach the AED 2 million threshold, and all must be in approved freehold areas. Bear in mind that each purchase carries its own transaction costs, so three smaller units cost more in total fees than one larger one.
The AED 750,000 minimum for the 2-year property investor visa was scrapped in April 2026 for sole owners, so there is now no minimum property value on that route for a sole owner. Co-owners still need a share of at least AED 400,000 each. The property must be completed rather than off-plan, in a freehold area, and mortgage or instalment purchase is allowed. Government fees start from approximately AED 10,765. Any source still quoting AED 750,000 as a current requirement is out of date.
The property route grants a 10-year residence visa. The separate property investor visa is a 2-year visa with different conditions, including the requirement that the property is completed.
The AED 2 million threshold is federal, and Abu Dhabi operates roughly 30 designated investment zones where any nationality can hold freehold title, including Yas Island, Saadiyat Island, Al Reem Island and Al Maryah Island. Abu Dhabi's transfer and registration fee is 2% of transaction value, half Dubai's 4%, administered through ADREC and the DARI platform. Confirm that the specific plot is in a zone open to foreign freehold before committing.
In the UAE there is no annual property tax and no capital gains tax on residential property for individuals, and rental income of individuals from personally owned residential property is not subject to personal or corporate income tax. On VAT, the first supply of new residential property is zero-rated, resales and long-term residential rent are exempt, and short-term or serviced apartment lets carry 5% VAT. Your own country of tax residence may still tax the income or gain, so check with your tax adviser.
Next steps
Decide the route first. Off-plan on a payment plan means the Golden Visa at AED 2 million. A completed unit gives you both options, including the 2-year investor visa which now has no minimum value for sole owners.
Then confirm three things in writing before any payment: that the plot is in an approved freehold area, that the expected DLD valuation clears AED 2 million with margin, and what the developer’s payment schedule looks like in full including any milestone bumps.
Budget the closing costs separately from the plan. On an AED 2 million purchase that is roughly AED 80,000 to 120,000 in cash at Oqood registration, on top of the booking payment.
For the purchase mechanics read the Dubai off-plan buying guide, for structuring the instalments read Dubai payment plans explained, and if the capital is also on your shortlist see the Abu Dhabi buying guide.
Visa rules change. Everything above reflects the position as recorded in our fact registry on 23 August 2026, including the April 2026 abolition of the AED 750,000 minimum and the 20 February 2026 payment-method simplification. Verify current requirements with the relevant authority or your broker before you rely on them.
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