What counts towards the AED 2 million threshold, how mortgages and off-plan purchases are treated, and what the visa gives your family.
The UAE Golden Visa is a renewable ten-year residence visa. One route to it is owning property, and Abu Dhabi buyers ask us about it more than anything else. The visa is issued by the federal authorities, who approve each application individually, so treat property as a way to become eligible rather than a guarantee.
The threshold
You need to own property in the UAE with a total value of at least AED 2 million. The figure is the registered value of the property, not the cash you have paid so far.
Mortgages and off-plan
Both can count towards eligibility. A mortgaged property counts at its full value, and you will need a no-objection certificate from your lender. Off-plan property can also count, depending on the project and the developer; this is the area where the rules have changed most often, so we check it project by project.
What the visa gives you
- Ten years of residency, renewable while you keep the property
- The right to sponsor your spouse and children
- No minimum time you must spend in the country to keep it valid
Before you buy
Rules are set by the federal and emirate authorities and change from time to time. We confirm the current requirements with the issuing authority for each client before a purchase, and we will tell you plainly if a property will not qualify.
This article is general information, not legal advice.