Dubai Removes Minimum Property Value for the 2-Year Investor Visa

Dubai's authorities have revised the eligibility criteria for the 2-year property investor residency visa, removing the previous minimum property value requirement of AED 750,000 for sole owners. The update — published through the Cube Centre, an entity affiliated with the Dubai Land Department — represents a meaningful expansion of access to property-linked residency in the emirate.

DLD 2025: 2-bedroom sales averaged AED 2.50M (40,130 transactions), 3-bedroom AED 3.95M (15,176), 4BR+ AED 5.00M (6,289) — the entire 2BR+ apartment stock clears the AED 2M Golden Visa threshold. 1BR average sits at AED 1.42M; premium location or branded finish typically takes 1BR units over the line.

For international buyers, this is a straightforward change with real implications: any foreign national who purchases and solely owns a property in Dubai — at any value — is now eligible to apply for the 2-year residency permit. The AED 750,000 floor that previously existed has been eliminated.

What Exactly Changed

Previously, Dubai offered two property-linked residency routes. The 10-year Golden Visa required ownership of property worth AED 2 million or more. The 2-year investor residency visa required a minimum property value of AED 750,000 — a threshold designed to ensure only mid-market and above purchases qualified.

Under the revised rules, the AED 750,000 minimum for the 2-year visa has been removed entirely for sole owners. The only requirement is that the property is registered solely in the applicant's name on the Dubai Land Department title deed. There is no longer a floor on value.

Updated Eligibility Conditions — 2-Year Visa

• Sole owner: No minimum property value — any freehold property registered solely in your name qualifies
• Joint owners: Each co-owner's share must be worth at least AED 400,000 to qualify individually
• Mortgaged property: Qualifies — a no-objection certificate from the lender is required confirming the paid amount and outstanding balance
• Family sponsorship: Visa holder can sponsor spouse, children and domestic staff
• Renewal: Renewable as long as ownership is maintained — no minimum stay requirement

How This Differs from the Golden Visa

It is important to distinguish the two programmes. The 10-year Golden Visa — the long-term residency most investors seek — still requires property with a DLD-certified market value of AED 2 million or more. That threshold has not changed. Mortgaged properties qualify for the Golden Visa provided the bank issues a no-objection letter, and multiple properties can be combined to reach the AED 2 million total. Importantly, for the Golden Visa you can apply immediately after paying just your initial down payment — typically 10–20% — as long as the total DLD-certified property value meets AED 2 million. The full purchase price counts toward the threshold, not your equity position. Off-plan properties from RERA-approved developers also qualify at the point of purchase, not at handover.

The 2-year investor visa is a separate, shorter-duration residency permit — and it is this programme that has had its minimum threshold removed. For buyers at entry-level price points who want legal residency in Dubai, the 2-year visa is now accessible regardless of how much their property is worth, provided they are the sole registered owner.

"Under the revised rule, the previous minimum property value requirement of Dh750,000 for individual investors has been removed. However, the applicant must be the sole owner of the property." — Khaleej Times, April 30, 2026

What This Means in Practice

Before this change, a buyer of a AED 600,000 studio apartment in Dubai — the sort of entry-level product available in Jumeirah Village Circle, Arjan, or Dubai South — was ineligible for the 2-year investor visa regardless of their ownership status. They owned a freehold property in Dubai but had no pathway to property-linked residency below the AED 750,000 threshold.

Under the new rules, that same buyer is immediately eligible. The visa is applied for through the Dubai Land Department, and the process runs through standard residency channels. This is a meaningful expansion of Dubai's residency-by-property framework into the entry-level and mid-market segments.

Why Dubai Made This Change

The revision fits a consistent pattern in Dubai's residency policy: progressively lowering the barriers to property-linked residency while maintaining the capital floor of the flagship Golden Visa programme. The 2022 Golden Visa reform brought the 10-year visa threshold down from AED 5 million to AED 2 million, opened it to mortgaged and off-plan properties, and removed the minimum stay requirement. This latest update extends the principle of accessibility to the shorter-duration 2-year permit.

For Dubai's property market, the effect is likely to be at the margin: a portion of buyers who previously purchased at below AED 750,000 and did not qualify for any property visa will now have a residency pathway. More significantly, it signals that Dubai continues to view property ownership — at any price point — as a legitimate basis for granting long-term residency rights to foreign nationals.

The Broader Context

Dubai's current market is operating at record levels: AED 917 billion in total transactions in 2025, with Q1 2026 showing AED 138.7 billion across 44,150 deals — a 21.2% year-on-year increase in transaction value. The removal of the 2-year visa minimum is unlikely to move those aggregate numbers materially. But it does reinforce Dubai's position as the most accessible freehold property market in the Gulf for international buyers seeking a legal foothold in the UAE — at any price point.