Property routes to UAE residency, explained plainly

Property ownership is one of the most straightforward routes to long-term UAE residency, and the headline threshold is widely quoted: AED 2 million in property value secures a ten-year renewable Golden Visa. What is less widely understood is how that figure is assessed.

How value is determined

The assessment uses the Dubai Land Department's valuation of the property, not your purchase price. In most cases these align closely, but on off-plan purchases with a discount, or resale purchases below market, the DLD figure governs.

The threshold can be met across multiple properties, and mortgaged properties qualify provided the required equity has been paid and the lender is a UAE-approved institution.

Off-plan eligibility

Off-plan properties qualify, but the visa is generally issued once the required value has been paid to the developer and an Oqood (interim registration) certificate is issued. Buyers on extended payment plans should not assume the visa arrives at booking.

What the visa provides

• Ten-year renewable residency, not tied to an employer
• Sponsorship of spouse, children and domestic staff
• No requirement to enter the UAE every six months to maintain status
• Ability to open and maintain UAE bank accounts and hold local investments

What it does not provide

It is a residency permit, not citizenship, and it does not by itself determine your tax residency. Where you are tax resident depends on the rules of your home jurisdiction and the day-count and ties tests that apply there. Take advice in your own country before restructuring anything on the assumption that a UAE visa changes your position.

A residency visa answers where you may live. It does not automatically answer where you are taxed.

We work alongside immigration counsel on every acquisition where residency is part of the objective, so the structure of the purchase supports the application rather than complicating it.