Golden Visa on a mortgaged home: the cash we budget for with buyers

Buyers often assume the Golden Visa needs AED 2 million sitting in the bank. It does not. The test is the value of the property, and that property can carry a loan. Here is how we build the cash budget with clients who plan to finance a visa-qualifying home.

Step 1: confirm the official condition

The Golden Visa service published by the Dubai Land Department requires property valued at AED 2 million (one property or several, in your name), and the property may be mortgaged.

Where there is a loan, the bank must issue a letter stating it has no objection to the visa, together with how much you have paid and the balance outstanding. We ask clients to request this early, as it is part of the application.

Step 2: estimate what the bank will lend

These are ceilings. A bank may offer less, based on your income and its own assessment.

Step 3: build the cash figure

Take an expat whose first home costs AED 2,000,000, financed at 80%. The items fixed by the authorities are:

On top of that sit costs that vary with the deal: agency commission where an agent is used, valuation and processing fees from the lender, and minor DLD administration fees. We add these to each client's budget once the lender and property are known.

First-time buyers still pay the 4% fee, but the First-Time Home Buyer Programme in Dubai lets you spread it over interest-free credit-card instalments, where the card is eligible.

So for an AED 2M home with a mortgage, the cash requirement in this example is roughly half a million dirhams, not two million.

Step 4: the checks before you rely on it

A lower cash figure is welcome, but the visa still depends on a few things holding true over time. These are the points we go through with clients before they commit.

• Affordability. Borrowing AED 1.6 million over 25 years means a monthly instalment for a long time. Make sure your income carries it comfortably.
• Valuation. Eligibility rests on the property's value. Ask how value is assessed at the time you apply, because procedures change.
• Joint ownership. Each owner's share must reach AED 2 million for separate visas. For couples, decisions are made individually and published sources differ, so ask GDRFA or DLD to confirm ahead of buying.
• Where to apply. Apply via DLD through its Dubai REST app or the website dubailand.gov.ae (service name: Request for Golden Visa (Investor)). ICP and GDRFA also accept applications.
• Selling. A future sale affects the visa, so plan around it.
• Off-plan. Off-plan purchases may be eligible too, subject to conditions. Ask the Dubai Land Department what applies today if the visa is your reason to buy.

Putting it together

In short: confirm the value test, get an honest view of what a bank will lend you, budget for the fixed fees and the deal-specific extras, and only then choose the property. Doing it in that order avoids the common situation where a buyer finds the right home but the finance or the paperwork does not line up.

How we help

We are a brokerage, not mortgage advisers or immigration consultants. We help you shortlist homes that meet the value test, put together a realistic cash budget with you, and line up the paperwork the visa application asks for, such as the bank's no-objection letter. Lending decisions sit with the bank, and visa decisions with the authorities.

Sources: Dubai Land Department, Golden Visa application (investor) service, including fee breakdown (total AED 9,884.75 for the 10-year permit); Dubai Land Department registration and mortgage registration fees; UAE Central Bank mortgage loan-to-value limits (Notice 31/2013, Central Bank Rulebook); Dubai Land Department and Department of Economy and Tourism, First-Time Home Buyer Programme. Checked October 2026. Official site: dubailand.gov.ae.

General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Check current rules with the relevant authority before acting.