The General Directorate of Identity and Foreign Affairs of Dubai (GDRFA Dubai) and the Dubai Land Department (DLD)We have agreed to combine three services related to obtaining a residence permit based on real estate investments into a single administrative channel.
The agreement applies to the Golden Visa program, a residency program for retirees and a residency program for property owners.
Applicants for any of the three listed programs will go through the entire process using a single channel managed by GDRFA. This resource accumulates all the procedures: filing documents, checking the facility, obtaining approval. Previously, investors had to coordinate their actions between GDRFA and DLD separately, which often led to duplication of paperwork.The minimum investment thresholds remain unchanged.To obtain a 10-year Golden Visa through real estate, you still need to purchase an object worth 2 million dirhams UAE (approximately 545,000 US dollars). In February 2026, the government relaxed the conditions, by canceling the requirement for a mandatory upfront payment of 50% of the value of the property (or at least 1 million dirhams). Now it is enough for the official valuation of an apartment or house to reach the threshold of 2 million dirhams, the payment schedule does not matter. Purchases under construction, with a mortgage, and under combined titles are all counted.
Source: IMI
