Short answer. If you own — or are buying — Dubai property worth at least AED 2 million, you can apply for a 10-year renewable Golden Visa through the Dubai Land Department (DLD). The visa can be issued on a single property or a combination of properties in your name, and it can be based on a mortgaged property as long as your bank confirms in writing that it has no objection to a residence permit being issued on the asset. Processing typically takes 7–10 business days once your file is complete.
Who is eligible
The DLD Golden Visa for real estate investors is one of the routes to the 10-year residence permit created under the UAE's Golden Visa framework. According to DLD's official service description, applicants must:
- Own real estate in Dubai worth at least AED 2 million. This can be one property or the combined value of several properties in the same applicant's name.
- Be inside the UAE at the time of application and attend the medical fitness and Emirates ID steps in person.
- Provide a valid passport, an e-Certificate of Title (title deed) issued by DLD, a personal photo, and a UAE ID / current residence permit if the applicant already has one.
- Provide, for mortgaged properties, a no-objection letter from the mortgage bank confirming that the bank does not object to a residence permit being issued on the property.
Off-plan property from approved developers has been accepted since the 2022 rule change, but eligibility still depends on the specific developer and project — please always confirm the property qualifies with DLD (and with your developer) before you apply.
Fees you will pay
DLD publishes the full service fee schedule for the investor Golden Visa. The total for the applicant comes to AED 9,884.75, made up of:
- Medical examination — AED 700
- Emirates ID (10 years) — AED 1,153
- Residency confirmation — AED 2,856.75
- DLD fees — AED 4,020
- Administrative fees — AED 1,155
These are the fees for the primary applicant. Dependants (spouse, children, parents) are sponsored separately and their fees are added on top.
Documents to prepare
- Passport (bio page).
- Personal photograph on white background.
- e-Certificate of Title (electronic title deed) — download from the Dubai REST app.
- Emirates ID and current residence permit if you already live in the UAE.
- For mortgaged property: bank NOC confirming no objection to the Golden Visa.
- Marriage and birth certificates (attested and translated) if you will sponsor family.
The step-by-step process
- Register your file on DLD's Golden Visa e-service (or the Dubai REST app).
- Upload documents. If your property is mortgaged, upload the bank NOC.
- Pay the DLD portion of the fees online.
- Complete the medical fitness test and biometric capture for the Emirates ID.
- Receive the residency stamp / entry permit and the physical Emirates ID.
- Once issued, use the same file to sponsor dependants.
The whole cycle usually takes 7–10 business days once the file is complete, though this depends on medical/EID appointment availability.
Jointly-owned property
When a property is registered in more than one name, the rules on how each owner's share is treated toward the AED 2 million threshold do apply — but the exact treatment depends on how the title deed is drafted (joint owners with equal shares, spouses, LLC ownership, etc.). Do not assume a specific split — check with DLD or a licensed lawyer for your specific title deed.
How we help
At Eylül Estate we combine property advisory with a full Golden Visa handling service: we shortlist eligible properties above the AED 2 million threshold, coordinate the developer/bank NOC and DLD file, and arrange the medical and Emirates ID appointments so most of our clients finish in the shorter 7–10 day window.