If you’ve been planning a Golden Visa around the AED 1 million property figure that’s circulated for years, that number has reportedly moved. Here’s what’s changed, and the visa it’s easy to confuse this with.
The headline change
AED 1 million → AED 2 million
For completed residential units, the Golden Visa property investment threshold has reportedly doubled to AED 2 million. Off-plan units face tighter conditions too — at least 50% payment made, plus a qualifying developer escrow arrangement, rather than qualifying on a smaller upfront stake.
Two different visas — don’t mix them up
This is the confusion we’d flag first. The UAE has two separate property-linked residency routes, and they are not the same product:
| 2-year property investor visa | 10-year Golden Visa (property route) | |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 2 years | 10 years, renewable |
| Threshold | Sole owner: no minimum stated. Joint owners: AED 400,000 each | AED 2 million (completed units) |
| Off-plan | Doesn’t qualify | Qualifies with 50%+ paid and escrow |
If you’ve been reading about the AED 400,000 joint-ownership rule and expecting it to apply to a 10-year Golden Visa, it doesn’t — that figure belongs to the shorter 2-year route. See our full breakdown of the 2-year investor visa for that one specifically.
How joint ownership works for the Golden Visa
Jointly owned properties are evaluated on each owner’s equity stake, not the total property value — a AED 4 million apartment owned 50/50 gives each owner AED 2 million in qualifying equity, meeting the threshold individually. Spouses may combine their shares to meet it jointly. If the property carries a mortgage, what counts is your paid equity, not the purchase price — a partially mortgaged AED 2 million property with less than AED 2 million actually paid off doesn’t yet qualify.
Also changed: dependant health insurance
Previously, health insurance for the dependant alone was reportedly sufficient for a family member’s Golden Visa application. That appears to have tightened — confirm current dependant requirements directly before applying, since this is exactly the kind of detail worth verifying rather than assuming from older guidance.
Common questions
Does this affect a Golden Visa I already hold?
Threshold changes typically apply to new applications, not to visas already issued. Confirm your specific renewal position with GDRFA or ICP rather than assuming either way.
Can I combine two smaller properties to reach AED 2 million?
This is exactly the kind of structuring question worth confirming directly with the Dubai Land Department before committing to a purchase, since portfolio-based qualification rules are not consistently reported across sources.
Are there non-property routes to a Golden Visa?
Yes — skilled professional, business owner, and specialist categories (including newer categories reported for AI specialists and other fields) don’t require property at all. See our Visas & Residency guide for the income and profession-based routes.
Published 6 September 2026. Golden Visa thresholds are reported by multiple sources but we could not confirm this specific figure against a primary GDRFA or ICP document at time of writing — confirm current thresholds directly with the Dubai Land Department or GDRFA before making a property decision based on residency eligibility.
Related
- The 2-Year Property Investor Visa — the other, cheaper property-linked route
- UAE Visa Cost 2026 — every visa fee, by type and duration
- Visas & Residency — every route compared
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