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Residency · 1 Sep 2026 · 5 min read

The UAE golden visa through property: a 2026 checklist

The AED 2 million threshold is well known. The details that trip buyers up are less so: mortgaged units, off-plan, joint ownership and what counts as “completed”.

Omar Haddad
Omar Haddad
Head of UAE
Dubai skyline from the Palm

What qualifies

One or more properties with a combined value of AED 2 million or more, per the title deed or DLD valuation. Mortgaged properties qualify as long as the paid-down portion meets the threshold, and off-plan qualifies if the developer is on the approved list and payments are in escrow.

Joint owners can each apply if their individual share meets AED 2 million. Spouses can combine shares under a single application.

The documents

Title deed or Oqood certificate, passport, a UAE health insurance policy, a photo and, for mortgaged property, a bank letter stating the amount paid. Abu Dhabi applications go through TAMM; Dubai through the GDRFA or a typing centre.

Allow three weeks from submission to Emirates ID. Family members apply once the primary holder’s visa is issued.

Common mistakes

Buying two units of AED 1 million each from different developers and assuming they combine: they do, but only once both have title deeds. Buying off-plan from a developer not on the approved list. Assuming the visa carries rental or work rights it does not.

We check eligibility on every listing before you view, and our conveyancer files the application the day the title transfers.

Golden visaDubaiAbu Dhabi
Omar Haddad
Omar Haddad
Head of UAE, Rover Estate. Advises on golden-visa purchases across Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Property in UAE

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