As of 2026, the property-based investor visa thresholds in Dubai remain:
- AED 750,000 property value → 2-year renewable investor visa
- AED 2,000,000 property value → 10-year renewable Golden Visa
There has been no official policy change scrubbing these thresholds. What has shifted is the operational rules around how the threshold is counted.
Mortgaged properties
Since April 2022 (and re-confirmed in subsequent ICP guidance), buyers can qualify for the AED 2M Golden Visa with a mortgaged property, provided the property value is at least AED 2M and the buyer has paid at least 50% of the property value to the bank (or AED 1M equity, depending on the channel). Earlier rules requiring full payment have not returned.
Off-plan
Off-plan units count toward both thresholds provided the Sale and Purchase Agreement is registered with DLD and the Oqood is issued. The buyer must have paid the required equity portion. Some channels require the project to be at least 50% complete; ICP issues the final approval.
Joint ownership
For spouses, the AED 2M threshold can be met on a single jointly-owned property if title is held jointly. The visa is issued to the main applicant, with the spouse and children added as dependents.
Multiple properties
The threshold can be met across up to three properties combined, provided each carries a Title Deed in the applicant's name.
What this means for buyers
The 2-year visa at AED 750K remains the lowest-friction route for buyers acquiring sub-AED 2M product. The Golden Visa remains the headline product for buyers above AED 2M and is now genuinely accessible to mortgage buyers. Rumours of an increase in the AED 2M threshold have circulated periodically; as of May 2026 no such change has been gazetted.
For visa-led acquisition structuring, speak with our advisory team.