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Golden Visa · Property investors

UAE Golden Visa for property investors

What the official ICP and UAE Government pages say about the real-estate investor Golden Visa: the AED 2 million property threshold, the 'without loans' condition, duration, documents, fees and how the application runs.

Last reviewed
Checked against official UAE sources · re-reviewed every 30 days

The short answer

You can apply for a Golden Visa as a real-estate investor if you own one or more UAE properties valued at AED 2 million or more, evidenced by a letter from the relevant land registration department, and the ICP guide states the property must be held without loans. The official ICP guide and the UAE Government portal, as checked on 4 September 2026, list the real-estate investor category with a 5-year residency, renewable, with no sponsor required and the right to sponsor your spouse and children.

Key facts

Minimum property value
AED 2,000,000 or more, one or more properties (ICP guide)
Loan condition
ICP guide states the property must be held without loans; whether mortgaged or off-plan property is accepted is not stated on the official pages we checked
Duration stated officially
5 years for real-estate investments (ICP guide, u.ae table); 10 years applies to public investments
Sponsor
None required; holders can sponsor spouse and children
Stay outside the UAE
Golden Visa holders may re-enter at any time while the residency is valid, without the 6-month rule
Where to apply
ICP smart services (all emirates except Dubai residence files) or GDRFA Dubai

Who this route is for

The real-estate investor category is one of the investor routes inside the UAE Golden Visa programme. It is designed for people who already own, or are about to complete on, UAE property with a combined value of at least AED 2 million. It is not a visa you obtain by promising to buy; the application rests on a registration-department letter that confirms ownership and value.

It suits owner-occupiers who want to live in the UAE without an employer or family sponsor, overseas owners who want the freedom to come and go without a residence lapsing after six months abroad, and families who want the principal applicant to sponsor a spouse and children under one long-term residency.

Eligibility as the official pages state it

The ICP Golden Residency Guide (updated 20 August 2026) and the UAE Government portal (updated 28 July 2026) describe the category as Investors in public investments or real estate. For real estate, the ICP document list requires:

  • A letter from the Land Registration Department confirming ownership of one or more properties valued at AED 2 million or more, without loans.
  • Proof of residence in the UAE, which the guide says may be property ownership or a tenancy contract.
On duration: both official pages list 5 years (real-estate investments) and 10 years (public investments). Many private websites state 10 years for property investors. We publish what the official pages state on the review date and re-check every 30 days; confirm the duration shown by the ICP eligibility tool for your own case before you plan around it.

Documents and who issues them

The list below combines the category-specific documents in the ICP guide with the general residence-issuance requirements on the ICP service card. Your emirate's authority may ask for additional items at the verification stage.

Documents named on the official ICP pages as checked on 4 September 2026.
DocumentIssued byNotes
Property ownership letter confirming value of AED 2 million or moreLand registration department of the emirate where the property is registered (for Dubai, the Dubai Land Department)The ICP guide specifies 'without loans'.
Proof of UAE residenceProperty title or a registered tenancy contractListed by the ICP guide for this category.
Passport copyYour passport authorityStandard requirement on the ICP residence-issuance card.
Personal photographYouStandard requirement.
Proof of eligibility for the categoryThe documents aboveThe ICP card phrases this as 'proof of eligibility for the Golden Residence according to the category'.
Medical fitness certificate and Emirates ID applicationUAE approved medical centres; ICPPart of every residence issuance; fees are separate from the Golden Visa fees.

How the application runs

  1. Confirm the category. Use the ICP eligibility check (or GDRFA Dubai if your residence file is in Dubai) to confirm you are treated as a real-estate investor rather than a public investor.
  2. Obtain the ownership letter. Request the registration-department letter that states ownership and value; this is the core evidence.
  3. Submit the nomination or application. Through ICP smart services with UAE Pass, or through GDRFA Dubai for Dubai files. ICP also lists a 'nomination request for Golden Residence' service.
  4. If you are outside the UAE. The ICP service cards describe a six-month multiple-entry permit 'to finalise the procedures of the Golden Residency', extendable once. The official pages do not describe the outside-UAE route step by step, so treat this as the mechanism rather than a published procedure.
  5. Complete residence formalities. Medical fitness, Emirates ID biometrics and residence issuance. The ICP card requires that your stay in the UAE does not exceed 60 days from entry for the purpose of completing the residence procedures.
  6. Sponsor your family once your own residency is issued.

Official fees the pages state

The ICP residence-issuance service card lists the following Golden Residence fees. It does not publish a total, and medical, Emirates ID and typing-centre charges are separate.

Source: ICP 'Issuing residency permit' service card, checked 4 September 2026. GDRFA Dubai fees differ; confirm on the Dubai service card.
Item (ICP service card wording)Amount
Application feesAED 100
New Golden Residence issuance for a 10-year duration, per yearAED 100
Smart service feesAED 100
Financial guarantee for the investor's family residency, applied per family member (maximum AED 15,000)AED 3,000

Processing time

The official Golden Visa pages do not state an end-to-end processing time. The ICP residence-issuance card lists a 'service completion duration' of 2 days for the residence-permit issuance step only. Verification appointments, medical results and Emirates ID printing add time that the pages do not quantify.

What you get

  • Long-term residency with automatic renewal and no sponsor (ICP guide).
  • The ability to sponsor your spouse and children (u.ae; ICP guide).
  • Freedom to stay outside the UAE for more than six months without losing residency; Golden holders are exempt from the permit that other residents need (u.ae general provisions; ICP exempt-categories card).
  • Employers can obtain a two-year 'Golden visa holder work permit' from MOHRE if you take a job (u.ae work permits page).

Check before you apply

  • Is the property registered in your own name, and does the registration letter show a value of AED 2 million or more?
  • Is there a mortgage? The guide says 'without loans'. If your property is financed, get a written answer from the authority before relying on this route.
  • Is the value based on purchase price or a current valuation? Ask the registration department which figure its letter will carry.
  • Do you already hold a UAE residence visa? The switch from an employer-sponsored residency to a Golden Visa involves cancellation and re-issuance; plan the sequence so your family's residencies are not left without a sponsor.
  • Which office holds your file? Dubai files go through GDRFA Dubai; other emirates through ICP.

Next step

Run the Golden Visa eligibility checker to see whether the investor route or another category fits your profile, then ask for a document review. We will tell you plainly which items are missing and which need the authority's confirmation.

Any "starting from" figure is an indicative price for our service and excludes government and third-party fees, which vary by activity, visa count and jurisdiction. Government fees shown are official charges from the cited pages at the review date. Your exact, itemised quote is confirmed free of charge in a consultation, with nothing hidden.

Frequently asked questions

Does the property have to be in Dubai?

No. The ICP guide refers to a letter from 'the Land Registration Department' without naming an emirate. The registration authority depends on where the property is located; for Dubai that is the Dubai Land Department.

Can I combine two properties to reach AED 2 million?

The ICP guide says 'one or more properties valued at AED 2 million or more', so combined holdings are contemplated. Confirm with the registration department that a single letter can cover multiple titles.

Is off-plan property accepted?

The official pages we checked do not say. Private websites make claims either way; we do not repeat them. Ask the registration department and the visa authority in writing before you rely on an off-plan purchase.

Do I need to live in the UAE to keep the visa?

Golden Visa holders are exempt from the six-month rule that applies to other residents; the ICP card lists Golden, Green and Blue residence holders as exempt categories that may enter at any time while the residency is valid.

Can I work with a property-investor Golden Visa?

The u.ae work-permits page lists a 'Golden visa holder work permit' that an employer can obtain from MOHRE, valid for two years. Your right to work still depends on the employer obtaining that permit.

What happens if I sell the property?

The official pages we checked do not address disposal after issuance. Treat continued ownership as the safe assumption and take advice before selling.

Official sources and review

The rules on this page were checked against the official pages below. We re-check every 30 days and after any announced change.

Last reviewed

Government fees, thresholds and processing times change without notice. Where an official page does not state a figure, we say so rather than estimate. Nothing here is legal advice or a decision of any UAE authority.

Immigration UAE is a brand of Cosmos Immigration, a private immigration and business-services consultancy. It is not affiliated with the Government of the UAE, ICP, GDRFA, MOHRE or any UAE government authority.

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