The rules as they stand:
- Two-year investor visa, sole owner: no minimum property value. The old AED 750,000 threshold no longer applies
- Two-year investor visa, joint owners: each co-owner needs a share worth at least AED 400,000
- The property must be completed and registered on a title deed with the Dubai Land Department. Off-plan units on Oqood alone do not qualify
- Financed property: expect the bank's no-objection letter and a mortgage statement to be requested
- 10-year Golden Visa: still AED 2 million of property
Why this matters if you are buying for return.
Two reasons. First, demand. A residence visa attached to a small ready unit brings in buyers who were not in the market before: freelancers, remote workers, smaller investors. That demand lands at the bottom of the price ladder, in ready studios and one-beds. Second, exit. When you sell, your buyer may want the visa too. A ready unit on a clean title deed is now a more liquid asset than it was in March.
What it does not do. It does not make an overpriced unit a good buy. The visa is a feature of the paperwork, not of the return.
What we do with it. Visa eligibility is one of the checks we run before you commit, alongside the title, the service charge account and the price against recent sales. Rules change. We confirm the current version on the day, not from memory.
Source: Dubai Land Department guidance, April 2026. Confirm the current rules with the Dubai Land Department before applying.