The Golden Visa through property.

The principle

The Golden Visa is a long-term, renewable 10-year residence visa created by the UAE to attract investors and talent. Investing in property is one of the routes to it.

According to the official u.ae portal, an investor can apply if they own one or more properties with a total value of at least AED 2 million.

The main conditions

The conditions are set by the authorities and can change. At the date of this guide, they include in particular:

• A total property value of at least AED 2 million, in one or several properties
• The possibility of buying off-plan from approved developers, under the conditions set out
• The possibility of a property financed by certain local banks, subject to conditions
• The possibility of including your spouse and children in the application

The steps

The application is filed with the immigration authority of the emirate (in Dubai, the GDRFA), with the title deed or the developer's documents, your passport and a photograph. A medical test and the issue of your Emirates ID follow.

I check that a property is eligible before you buy, so that your investment also serves this goal if it is yours. If you are buying off-plan, read my guide to buying off-plan in Dubai alongside this one.

What the visa does not do

The Golden Visa is a residence permit, not a nationality, and it does not require you to live in the UAE. Its tax consequences depend on your country of residence, whether that is the UK, Canada, Morocco or elsewhere: speak to a tax adviser before changing your residence.