UAE Golden Visa through property: on a mortgaged home, Dubai asks what you have paid

On a mortgaged home, Dubai's land department measures the threshold above by the money you have actually paid, not the price: its service page asks for the bank's letter showing the amount paid. Abu Dhabi lets the loan cover only the part of the price above the figure, and in Dubai a co-owner's own share must reach it alone.

A buyer can sign at the figure above, borrow most of it, and be refused. The Ministry of Economy and Tourism accepts a loan only from a local bank the emirate approves, and an off-plan unit only from an approved developer.

How each emirate measures it

Dubai's land department wants, on a mortgaged home, the bank's letter stating what you have paid and what is still owed; the paid amount must reach the figure above. You apply from inside the UAE.

In Abu Dhabi your own capital must reach the figure, so the loan may cover only the part of the price above it, and on an off-plan unit your payments to the developer must reach it. The federal ministry counts an off-plan unit by its total value, so ask which office's rule applies to yours.

Buying with a partner? In Dubai a share in a jointly owned property must on its own be worth the figure above, so when two people split one home at that price, neither qualifies.

What you give up once it is issued

Dubai places a lien on the property, which may not be sold during the ten years. The federal government portal lists five years for real estate investors, against ten in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, so ask which term you will get.

What the land department charges, and what the broker charges

To the authorities: the fee shown above is the Dubai land department's list for an owner applying inside the country, from the medical test to the identity card. Each family member's permit costs extra, and other emirates publish their own schedules.

To the firm: the broker's commission and any visa consultant's fee, each apart from the price of the unit.

Ask the broker or consultant:

1. Which emirate's office will file, and how many years does it give?
2. How much will you have paid on the day you apply, and does the filing office still ask for the bank's letter showing it?
3. If you buy with someone else, is your own share worth the figure above?
4. For a unit not yet built, is the developer approved by the emirate's land authority?
5. If the visa is refused, or the rules change before it is issued, what happens to the consultant's fee and the reservation deposit?

A developer's offer or a consultant's quote that bundles the visa with the purchase goes through the box above: answer yes at its top, and it is read line by line against the published rules and the prices firms on file publish for this route. No paperwork yet? Answer no and enter the amount you will have paid when you apply. The check compares a document or a figure with the published rules, and does not look at your application or advise on it; for advice on your own case, speak to a qualified immigration lawyer.

General information, not legal advice.