Golden Visa & Mortgages in the UAE — How Financing Works

Many buyers ask us whether a mortgaged property can support a UAE Golden Visa application, and how much of the property they actually need to own outright before it counts. We are mortgage brokers, not immigration advisers, so this page sticks to what we can speak to with confidence: how the financing works, what it does to your equity position, and what you should verify directly with the relevant government authority before you rely on any purchase for visa purposes.

What this page is — and isn't

This is a financing page, not an immigration page. YOUAE Mortgages structures UAE home loans; we do not issue visas, and eligibility rules for the Golden Visa sit with the UAE's federal and emirate-level authorities, not with any bank or broker.

Where a fact below comes from our own lending data — LTV tiers, upfront costs, tenure limits — we state it plainly, because it's something we handle every day. Where it depends on immigration rules, we set out the position as it stands and tell you who to confirm it with. Visa policy moves, sometimes sharply, so check anything you intend to rely on directly with the issuing authority before you commit to a purchase on the strength of a visa outcome.

If you're weighing up financing routes generally, our guides on non-resident mortgages and residential mortgages cover the lending side in more depth.

What changed in February 2026

If you looked into this before 2026, the answer you found is probably out of date.

Until then, a mortgaged property was widely understood to qualify only if you had paid a minimum share of its value — commonly cited as 50% equity, and earlier as AED 1 million paid in cash. That requirement ruled out most buyers who were financing a purchase in the normal way, and it meant a Golden Visa and a mortgage pulled against each other: the more you borrowed, the further you moved from qualifying.

A federal policy circular dated 20 February 2026 removed the paid-equity requirement. What counts now is the Dubai Land Department's assessed value of the property on the day you apply — at least AED 2,000,000 — regardless of how much of it you have paid down or how much is still financed. Your lender issues a No Objection Certificate confirming it does not object to the visa being granted against the mortgaged property, and the application proceeds on the DLD valuation.

The practical effect is significant. A buyer putting 20% down on an AED 2,000,000 property now reaches the threshold on the same purchase that, under the old rule, would have required roughly AED 1,000,000 of paid-up equity first. Off-plan units qualify too, from the point of DLD registration.

Two caveats worth holding onto. First, this is recent, and it replaced a rule that had itself been revised before — so confirm the current position rather than relying on this page, or on anything else you read, at the moment you apply. Second, the financing arithmetic has not changed: off-plan lending is still capped near 50% LTV, so reaching AED 2,000,000 off-plan takes considerably more cash than the same figure on a completed property.

Equity, financing, and why the distinction matters

When you buy a property with a mortgage, you end up holding two things: the equity you've put in with cash, and the portion the bank has financed. Only the first is genuinely yours outright at the point of purchase — the financed portion belongs, in effect, to the lender until you repay it.

This distinction matters because visa and residency schemes that are tied to property investment tend to care about ownership, not just purchase price. A property worth several million dirhams might represent a much smaller amount of actual equity if it's heavily financed. Whether the authorities assess eligibility on the full purchase price, on your equity stake, or on some other measure entirely is not something we can state as fact here — see the verification list below.

What we can say with certainty is how the numbers break down on the financing side, because that's arithmetic on rules we already work with every day.

Worked example: how much equity you hold at different LTV tiers

Loan-to-value (LTV) limits set the ceiling on how much a bank will lend, which means they also set the floor on how much cash equity you must bring to the table. Here's how that plays out at different price points, using the LTV tiers that currently apply.

UAE resident, first home under AED 5,000,000 (80% LTV) On a property priced at AED 3,000,000, the maximum loan is AED 2,400,000 (80%). That leaves a minimum cash deposit of AED 600,000 (20%) before you add upfront costs.

UAE resident, property above AED 5,000,000 (75% LTV) On a property priced at AED 6,000,000, the maximum loan drops to AED 4,500,000 (75%). Your minimum cash deposit rises to AED 1,500,000 (25%).

Non-resident buyer (50–75% LTV, bank and passport dependent) Non-resident lending is more variable. At 60% on a AED 3,000,000 property, the loan is AED 1,800,000 and your deposit is AED 1,200,000 (40%). At the top of the range, 75%, the deposit falls to AED 750,000 (25%). Where you land depends on the bank and your nationality; our non-resident mortgages page explains the variables.

Off-plan / under construction (capped near 50%) On a AED 2,000,000 off-plan unit, financing is capped at roughly 50%, so your minimum cash contribution is around AED 1,000,000 (50%) — a materially higher equity stake than on a completed, ready property.

These figures are the deposit only. They exclude the upfront costs covered further down, which are paid in cash on top and never form part of your equity in the property. Our deposit requirement guide and affordability calculator can help you model your own numbers before you commit to a price bracket.

What to confirm with the authorities before you rely on this

The property route to the Golden Visa works as set out below. Visa policy changes — the equity rule described here was itself replaced in February 2026 — so treat this as an accurate summary at the time of writing and confirm your own position with the issuing authority before you commit.

• Threshold: a property with a Dubai Land Department assessed value of at least AED 2,000,000. Multiple properties can be combined to reach it.
• Mortgaged property qualifies. A federal policy circular dated 20 February 2026 removed the previous 50% paid-equity requirement. What matters now is the DLD valuation on the day you apply, not how much of the price you have paid down.
• Your bank must issue a No Objection Certificate confirming it does not object to the visa being granted against the mortgaged property, and stating the property value and your outstanding balance. Banks issue these routinely — but the application will stall without one.
• Visa term: 10 years, renewable, with no employer or sponsor required and no minimum stay.
• Issuing authority: the ICP federally, with GDRFA handling applications at emirate level in Dubai.
• Off-plan qualifies once the purchase is registered with the DLD (the Oqood registration) at the AED 2,000,000 threshold. Note the financing tension: off-plan lending is capped near 50% LTV, so an off-plan route needs materially more cash.
• Resale property qualifies as readily as a purchase direct from a developer.
• Joint ownership: spouses can combine their shares to reach AED 2,000,000, with one applying as primary and sponsoring the other — an attested and Arabic-translated marriage certificate is required. Joint owners who are not married generally each need an individual share of AED 2,000,000 to qualify in their own right.
• Dependents: spouse and children can be sponsored, with no upper age cap on children; parents are sponsorable subject to further conditions.
• Holding the property: you need to keep the qualifying asset — or replace it with another that qualifies — for the visa to stay valid. Selling without replacing it puts the visa at risk.
• Letting it out is fine. Occupancy does not affect visa standing, and rental income does not affect renewal.
• Government fees on the property route run to roughly AED 10,000, separate from your purchase and mortgage costs, with processing typically two to three weeks once the file is complete.

We can help you gather the mortgage-side documents an application might ask for — offer letters, valuation reports, liability letters — but the eligibility questions themselves need to go to the authority directly.

The financing steps and costs

Regardless of the visa question, the mechanics of financing a UAE property purchase are well established, and this is where we can give you firm numbers.

Costs paid in cash, on top of your deposit, that cannot be added to the loan:

• Dubai Land Department transfer fee: 4% of the purchase price
• Agency commission: about 2%
• Mortgage registration: 0.25%
• Valuation and bank arrangement fees, on top of the above

Altogether, budget roughly 7% of the purchase price in cash costs, separate from your deposit. Our total cost of buying property in Dubai guide breaks this down line by line.

Affordability and eligibility rules that apply regardless of visa status:

• Total monthly repayments are capped at 50% of your income (the debt burden ratio, set by the UAE Central Bank)
• Maximum loan tenure is 25 years
• The loan must be repaid by age 65 if you're salaried, or age 70 if you're self-employed or a UAE national
• Typical minimum monthly income for mortgage eligibility is around AED 10,000
• Banks stress-test your affordability above the actual rate on offer, so approval is based on a higher notional repayment than you'll actually pay

The general steps: get a mortgage pre-approval to establish your budget and LTV tier; select and reserve the property; submit the full application with income and identity documents; receive the bank's formal offer letter; complete the Dubai Land Department transfer and mortgage registration; settle the upfront costs and deposit, and complete.

If you haven't started this process yet, our get started page walks through what a broker needs from you at each stage.

Why work with a broker on this

A broker can't tell you whether a specific purchase will qualify for a Golden Visa — that's outside our remit. What we can do is make sure the financing side doesn't work against you: structuring the deposit and LTV so you hold the equity position you expect, comparing lenders so your rate and terms are competitive, and producing the paperwork — offer letters, valuation reports, liability letters — that an immigration application is likely to ask for. Getting the structure right from the outset avoids completing a purchase only to find the financing doesn't match what the visa route needed.

We'd also recommend confirming visa eligibility with the relevant authority before you exchange, not after — a completed purchase is much harder to unwind than a mortgage structure.

FAQs

Can I get a Golden Visa on a property I've bought with a mortgage? Yes. Since the federal policy circular of 20 February 2026, there is no minimum paid-up equity condition — a mortgaged property qualifies provided its DLD-assessed value reaches AED 2,000,000 and your bank issues a No Objection Certificate.

What's the minimum property value for Golden Visa eligibility? AED 2,000,000, assessed on the DLD valuation. Multiple properties can be combined to reach it.

How long does a property-investment Golden Visa last? Ten years, renewable on the same conditions.

Does an off-plan purchase qualify? Off-plan qualifies once registered with the DLD at the AED 2,000,000 threshold. Bear in mind the financing side: with off-plan lending capped near 50% LTV, reaching that threshold off-plan takes considerably more cash than the same purchase on a completed property.

How much deposit will I need to put down? This depends on your LTV tier and residency status. UAE residents can typically borrow up to 80% on a first home under AED 5,000,000, or 70% above that threshold; non-residents typically see 50–75% depending on the bank and passport; off-plan lending is capped near 50%. Use the affordability calculator to model a specific price point, or see our deposit guide for a fuller explanation.

Who do I contact to confirm Golden Visa eligibility before I buy? The ICP handles the visa federally, and GDRFA processes applications at emirate level in Dubai — either can confirm your eligibility before you commit. On the financing side, you can speak to our team any time — call 800 MORTGAGES (800 667842437), WhatsApp +971 58 599 6823, or email info@youaemortgages.com.