UAE residence permit by investment

Legal grounds for the residence permit

To get a UAE residence permit through investment, the applicant has to buy one or several properties with a total value from $550,000. A loan from a number of approved local banks is possible.

If you need the passport of an Arab country that can be obtained through investment, see Egyptian citizenship and its visa-free countries: entry from $250,000.

What the UAE golden visa gives you

Residence through property in the UAE means the 10-year golden visa. It is self-sponsored: no employer or local partner is needed. The key difference from an ordinary residence visa is that there is no presence requirement. An ordinary residence visa lapses if the holder stays outside the UAE for more than six months in a row, while the golden visa remains valid even if you live abroad for the whole term. It is renewed for another 10 years as long as you keep property of the required value.

With a golden visa you can live and work in the UAE, open a local bank account on standard terms, register a company and become a UAE tax resident. It does not lead to citizenship: naturalisation in the UAE is possible only in exceptional cases by decision of the authorities, and there is no citizenship-by-investment programme.

Property requirements

• Value of at least $550,000. What counts is the Land Department valuation on the application date, not the purchase price.
• Several properties can be combined - apartments, houses, commercial units, as long as their total valuation meets the threshold.
• Off-plan property qualifies if the developer is approved by the Land Department and the contract is registered in the interim register.
• Mortgaged property is accepted: the property's value counts, not the amount paid, but you need the bank's no-objection letter.
• Freehold zone - a foreigner can buy freehold only in zones designated by the emirate's authorities.

Two-year investor residence for a smaller budget

The Dubai Land Department removed the former threshold of about $210,000 for the two-year investor residence visa: a sole owner of a completed freehold home needs no minimum value. With several owners who are not relatives, each share must be worth at least $110,000. This visa is renewed every two years and requires presence in the country, but it gives a bank account and tax residence just like the golden visa.

What it costs in 2026

• Property - from $550,000.
• Land Department fee - 4% of the price; on a $550,000 property that is about $22,000. By market practice, the buyer pays it.
• Registration trustee fee - about $1,200 including VAT.
• Mortgage registration - 0.25% of the loan, if you buy with a mortgage.
• Golden visa processing - government fees, medical test, Emirates ID and service centre charges together come to about $2,900 per person.
• Health insurance - mandatory for residents of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

We calculate the total for your family in the chat: it depends on the property price, mortgage and number of applicants.

Steps and timeline

1. Selecting and checking the property - 1-3 weeks: the seller's title, project registration, valuation of at least $550,000.
2. Purchase and registration - contract, payment, Land Department registration, title deed or off-plan contract registration.
3. Golden visa application - via the Dubai Land Department or the federal identity and citizenship authority, with the valuation.
4. Entry permit - issued for processing if you are outside the UAE.
5. Medical test and biometrics - in the UAE at an accredited centre.
6. Visa and Emirates ID - no passport sticker is needed; status is linked to the ID.
7. Family - spouse, children and parents apply after the main applicant.

From buying a completed property to the visa takes 1-2 months; for off-plan, the count starts from contract registration.

Documents

• Passport valid for at least six months and a colour photo.
• Title deed or off-plan contract registration, Land Department valuation.
• Bank no-objection letter if the property is mortgaged.
• Health insurance valid in the UAE.
• Marriage and children's birth certificates for the family. The UAE is not party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so foreign documents are legalised: certified by the foreign ministry of the issuing country, then the UAE embassy, then the UAE foreign ministry, and translated into Arabic.

Requirements and how to get approved

• Valuation below $550,000 - the purchase price was higher, but the Land Department valuation on the application date is below the threshold.
• Developer not approved - the off-plan unit does not count.
• No bank letter for a mortgaged property.
• Family documents not legalised - marriage and birth certificates are not accepted without the chain of certifications.
• Security screening - the authorities may refuse without giving reasons.
• Property sold - if holdings fall below the threshold, the visa is not renewed.

Where to buy: Dubai or Abu Dhabi

Golden visas for property are issued in every emirate, but foreigners can buy only in designated zones. In Dubai these are set by the 2006 property registration law and the Ruler's decisions, covering most new waterfront and business-district housing. In Abu Dhabi foreigners have owned freehold in investment zones since 2019. Neither has an annual property tax, but service charges paid to the developer or management company vary noticeably by building.

Dubai is easier for resale and letting: the market is larger, deals are faster and the golden visa procedure through the Land Department is well established. Abu Dhabi suits those who value the capital's status and a calmer market. In both emirates off-plan property qualifies only from an approved developer.

Emirates ID and life in the UAE

• Emirates ID replaces the passport visa and is needed almost everywhere: bank, rental, mobile plans, utilities, driving licence.
• Bank - with residence an account is opened on standard terms; without it, much harder. See personal account in the UAE.
• Company - a visa holder can register a company in a free zone or on the mainland: company registration in the UAE.
• Dirham is pegged to the US dollar at 3.6725, so there is no currency risk in dollar terms.
• Driving licence - citizens of some countries exchange their licence without tests; others need training and an exam.

Taxes for golden visa holders

• No personal income tax, including on income from letting your own property.
• Corporate tax - 9% on profits above $110,000.
• VAT - 5%.
• Tax residence - under a 2022 Cabinet decision an individual becomes resident after 183 days in the UAE within 12 months, or 90 days with a residence visa and a permanent home or job in the country. A residence certificate is needed to use double tax treaties.

More on the UAE taxes page. A residence visa alone does not free you from tax in your home country: what matters is where you actually spend your time.

What changes in 2026

• From 29 April 2026 Dubai removed the threshold of about $210,000 for the two-year investor residence visa.
• For the golden visa what counts is the Land Department valuation on the application date, not the payment scheme: mortgaged and developer-instalment properties qualify at a valuation of $550,000 or more.
• The authorities keep expanding golden visa categories, but for property investors the $550,000 threshold and 10-year term have not changed.

Alternatives to compare

• UAE remote work visa - for one year, with no property purchase, if you earn from a foreign employer.
• Property in Bahrain - Bahrain's golden residency for buying a home, with a lower threshold than the UAE.
• Mauritius residence - residence for buying in approved projects, a different time zone and tax system.
• Investment property in the UAE - purchase rules, costs and property choice in detail.

How we work

1. We work out the budget: property, fees, mortgage, processing for the whole family.
2. We find a property valued above the threshold and check the seller, developer and project.
3. We support the deal and Land Department registration.
4. We legalise family documents and apply for the golden visa with locally licensed partners.
5. We open a UAE bank account and, if needed, register a company.

Six months before expiry we remind you about renewal and prepare documents in advance. We fix our fee in writing before starting.

Advantages of a UAE residence permit

How to get a UAE residence permit: step by step

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