Guide
UAE golden visa cost: AED 2m property route, fees and family sponsorship
Updated
The UAE's 10-year golden visa is the most searched programme in the world. Here is what the property route actually costs, and who else qualifies without investing at all.
The property route: AED 2,000,000
Own Dubai property worth at least AED 2,000,000 and you can apply for a 10-year renewable golden residence permit (Dubai Land Department). The property may be mortgaged, with a bank letter confirming no objection and stating the amount paid and the balance, and the applicant must be inside the UAE. Note that the federal government portal's summary table lists real-estate investors under a five-year duration (u.ae), so confirm the duration for the emirate you buy in.
| Item | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| Medical examination | AED 700 |
| Emirates ID (10 years) | AED 1,153 |
| Residency permit confirmation (10 years) | AED 2,856.75 |
| Dubai Land Department fees | AED 4,020 |
| Administrative fees | AED 1,155 |
| Total, main applicant | AED 9,884.75 |
| Each additional sponsored family member (DLD charge only) | AED 100 |
| Property threshold | AED 2,000,000 |
Fees are those published by the Dubai Land Department for its Golden Visa (Investor) service; other emirates and application channels differ, and each dependant also pays their own visa, medical and Emirates ID charges, which the DLD schedule does not price. Our calculator uses the same figures.
Categories that need no investment
- Specialised talents and researchers in science and knowledge, a 10-year category on the federal list.
- Entrepreneurs with an approved innovative or technical project and a letter from a business incubator or the relevant authority in the emirate (five years).
- Outstanding students: five years for high-school achievers, ten for top university students.
- Humanitarian pioneers and frontline heroes, ten years (u.ae: golden visa categories).
Family sponsorship
Golden visa holders can sponsor family members; the Dubai Land Department's investor service lists the spouse, children and parents as sponsorable, with a family sponsorship file opened for AED 318.75 and AED 100 per additional member on the DLD side. Each dependant then pays their own visa, medical and Emirates ID charges. Sponsorship rules are applied by the issuing emirate, so verify the current family rules where you apply.