UAE Golden Visa — eligibility, application & renewals for property buyers
The UAE Golden Visa is a 10-year, renewable, sponsorless residence permit for qualifying property buyers, investors, entrepreneurs and specialists. For most international buyers, the property route is the cleanest — buy freehold at AED 2 million or above and the visa is yours. Here's how it works.
The headline numbers
- Minimum investment: AED 2,000,000 in freehold property (single unit or multiple units totalling AED 2M).
- Visa duration: 10 years, renewable.
- Sponsor required: no. The Golden Visa is sponsorless — you don't need an employer or family member.
- Family inclusion: spouse + children (any age) + parents + domestic staff.
- Time outside the UAE: unlimited. Unlike the standard 2-year residence visa, Golden Visa holders can spend more than 6 months outside the UAE without it expiring.
- Processing time: typically 30 days end-to-end via ICP (Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship).
- Cost: approx AED 3,800 government fee + AED 1,000 medical + Emirates ID. Many buyers use a typing centre or law firm for an extra AED 2,000–5,000 to handle the paperwork.
Who qualifies via property
Ready property — a single unit (or multiple totalling AED 2M) on a registered title deed in your name. Mortgaged purchases qualify provided you've paid down at least AED 2M of principal (or your equity in the property is at least AED 2M).
Off-plan property — qualifies once 50% of the contract value has been paid, even before handover. So if you bought a AED 4M off-plan unit and have paid AED 2M on the staged payment plan, you can apply for the Golden Visa today.
Restrictions: the property must be in a freehold zone (most of Dubai, Saadiyat / Yas / Al Reem in Abu Dhabi, designated zones in Sharjah / Ajman / RAK). Leasehold properties don't qualify. Properties held in a company name need the company to be UAE-registered and you to be a verified shareholder.
Documents you'll need
- Passport + 6 months validity, plus a clear digital scan
- Title deed (Ejari for off-plan in payment-plan phase: Initial Sale Contract + payment receipts ≥ AED 2M)
- Letter from the developer confirming the percentage paid (off-plan only)
- Recent valuation report (some applications)
- Passport-style photo on white background
- Medical fitness certificate (booked via ICP — typical wait 5–7 days)
- Health insurance — UAE-compliant policy covering at least 1 year
- Police clearance from your country of origin (not always asked — depends on nationality)
For family inclusion: marriage certificate (attested + translated into Arabic if necessary), birth certificates for children, parents' passports.
The application process
1. Verify eligibility online — ICP's smart-services portal has a Golden Visa pre-screening tool. Plug in your property details; you'll get a yes/no in under 5 minutes.
2. Submit the application — through the ICP portal or in person at an ICP service centre. A typing centre or law firm can do this for you.
3. Medical + Emirates ID biometrics — usually scheduled within a week. Both take ~30 minutes each.
4. Visa stamping — once approved, your visa is digital (no physical sticker since 2022). It's linked to your Emirates ID.
5. Family applications — your dependents can apply once your visa is issued. Each family member needs their own medical + biometrics step.
Total elapsed time: 30–45 days from application submission to all-family visas issued.
Renewal + how to keep it
The Golden Visa renews automatically at the 10-year mark, provided you still own the qualifying property. If you sell the property partway through, the visa is cancelled on transfer of title.
You can sell and re-buy at the AED 2M threshold without losing residence — just renew within the grace period. Holding multiple properties is the safest way to maintain it.
Unlike the standard residence visa, the Golden Visa has no minimum stay requirement. You can live abroad for years and the visa remains valid. This is the single biggest difference and why most international investors choose this route.
Common gotchas
- Joint ownership — only individual share counts. If you and a partner buy a AED 3M property 50/50, each of you has AED 1.5M — neither qualifies unless you buy more.
- Company-held property — the company must be UAE-registered and you must have a verified ≥ 51% shareholding for the property value to count.
- Off-plan delivery delays — the 50% threshold is based on payment milestones, not handover. If your developer slips construction, you still qualify the moment you've paid 50%.
- Property cancellation — if a developer cancels an off-plan project and refunds you, the visa is cancelled too. Verify the project's RERA escrow account exists before signing.
- Selling within 10 years — your visa is cancelled at transfer. Buy the replacement property before completing the sale to keep continuous residence.
Resident or non-resident, ready or off-plan: every step from making an offer to picking up your keys, plus the real DLD + agency fees stack.
What to verify before signing an off-plan SPA, how escrow accounts protect you, and the red flags that make a good payment plan turn ugly.
The UAE's freehold / leasehold split decides who can buy what — and resale value. Here's the zone map and the legal restrictions for every emirate.