The Golden Visa and your payment stage: when does the property count?

A ten-year residence that can come with owning property is one of the attractive things about Dubai. For off-plan buyers, the exciting part and the practical part are different questions. The exciting part is that the option exists. The practical part is when you can use it.

What the Dubai Land Department says

Its investor page says a property worth AED 2 million or more may support an application for a ten-year renewable residence permit. The property must be worth that amount at the time of purchase and be wholly in your name, and one property or several can count together. If there is a mortgage, the bank gives a no-objection letter, and the page asks for proof that the required amount has been paid.

Why the stage matters

An off-plan home goes through steps. You pay in stages, you receive an Oqood (the registered contract of sale) first, and the title deed comes later when the property is complete and the purchase is settled. The documents the Dubai Land Department lists for the visa include the title deed or e-certificate of title. So the stage you are at, and the amount you have paid, can change what you are able to submit.

The Dubai Land Department's page does not mention off-plan purchases specifically, and rules for off-plan buyers have been updated over time. They may differ by project, by stage and by how you pay. That is exactly why I ask before I advise.

What I would ask, before you reserve

• At what stage can I apply, for this property and this payment plan?
• Does the amount I have paid so far matter, or only the purchase price?
• What documents will I need at that stage?
• If I use a mortgage, what must the bank confirm?

Get the answer in writing, and check it against the Dubai Land Department's current page.

For family offices and larger investors

For a larger investor, AED 2 million is a starting point, not the goal. The Dubai Land Department's page says one or more properties can count together. Whether and how family members can be included is a separate question, so ask your own immigration adviser. I would think about the visa at the level of the whole family and the whole plan, and take advice from your own immigration and legal advisers on what suits your situation.

My view

Think of the visa as a welcome extra, not the reason to buy. Choose the property because the price, the developer, the payment plan and the years ahead make sense for you. Then confirm the visa timing, so that nothing about it surprises you later.

If you would like to talk it through before you decide, you are welcome to contact me.

Sources: Dubai Land Department, Golden Visa application, Investor (dubailand.gov.ae). Checked on 24 October 2026. Rules and fees change, so confirm for your own purchase.