Dubai scraps property visa minimum for investor residency

• AED750,000 threshold removed
• Joint ownership stake of AED400,000 each
• Offset market headwinds from Iran war

Dubai has scrapped the minimum property value requirement for investor residency visas and cut thresholds for joint owners.

The move expands access to residency in the emirate, opening the door to smaller investors and is likely boost demand in more affordable segments.

Under rules published by the Dubai Land Department’s (DLD) Cube Center, anyone who solely owns property in the emirate can now apply for a two-year investor visa regardless of purchase price, removing an earlier AED750,000 ($204,000) threshold. 

For joint ownership, each investor must hold a stake of at least AED400,000, meaning two buyers of an AED800,000 property can now each secure residency visas, a structure that previously did not qualify.

The once-booming real estate market is under pressure from the economic shock of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Dubai’s residential sales declined by nearly a fifth to about AED37 billion ($10 billion) in March from a month earlier before the start of the Iran war, according to research company Reidin, which analyses data from the DLD. 

Transactions fell to about 13,000 from nearly 16,000 – the steepest drop since the pandemic – while off-plan transactions, which account for nearly three quarters of deals, fell about 13 percent

Average home prices, however, have been modestly lower, falling close to 6 percent in March from a month earlier, Dubai-based property consulting company ValuStrat said.

Foreign buyers and expatriates – more than 85 percent of the UAE’s population – had fuelled a five-year rally that lifted Dubai home prices more than 70 percent since 2020. 

That run was jolted after February 28, when Iranian ballistic missiles, drones and the debris from their interceptions struck the city’s civilian areas, shaking a market that has staked its economic model on being a conflict-free haven for global capital. 

While air defences have intercepted the vast majority of the attacks and a ceasefire holds, questions remain over how secure buyers would feel if strikes resume – a risk that could weigh on demand.

“The removal of the minimum threshold is a meaningful demand-side catalyst at a critical moment,” Pranav Chaudhary, a property consultant at Livrichy Real Estate Brokerage, told AGBI. 

With more than 50,000 units expected for handover in Dubai in 2026, “this policy broadens the buyer pool to absorb incoming supply and offset demand headwinds in the property market due to the current regional conflict,” he said.

“History shows – whether through freehold property reforms, sovereign wealth fund decisions or geopolitically driven capital migration events – government policy shifts directly channel fresh capital into property markets.” 

Further reading:

• Dubai off-plan: What are people buying and where?
• Aldar CFO says war impact has been ‘a bit exaggerated’
• Why Dubai property flipping is becoming trickier

The change adds to the UAE’s biggest residency overhaul since the Golden Visa programme launched in 2019 – a 10-year residency scheme for investors who buy property worth AED2 million.

Ali Siddiqui, research manager at Cavendish Maxwell, said the policy “reinforces Dubai’s position as an adaptive, investor-friendly destination at a time when market sentiment is being tested”. 

“The revised thresholds mean that existing property owners who previously fell below the eligibility criteria may now qualify for residency, while potential buyers who had previously dismissed the residency benefit as out of reach may now see it as a compelling reason to invest.”

Luthfullah K, director at property developer Casagrand in Dubai, said the lower entry threshold supports a quicker sales cycle, especially for well-priced mid-range units. 

“This will stimulate demand in the entry and mid-market segments, where rental yields and long-term capital growth remain attractive,” he said. 

Casagrand began construction on its first residential project at Dubai Islands this month .

Shabana Rasool, operations client relationship manager at Sovereign PPG Corporate Services, said the greater flexibility is expected to attract a wider range of investors.

“By lowering entry barriers, the emirate is opening its doors to more individuals seeking both investment growth and residency benefits.”

The visa costs AED10,545 for new applications and AED8,215 for renewals every two years.