Most people have heard that investing AED 1,000,000 in a property qualifies them for a property investor visa in Dubai. But how does this actually work? There is a lot of contradictory information out there and no actual clear…..”’ This article will attempt to explain what the process is and what the conditions are.Let’s start with the basics.

The property or investment value needs to be at least AED 1,000,000 and will be based on the purchase value and not the current market value. In other words, if the value of your property is currently over AED 1,000,000 but the property was bought for less than AED 1,000,000, the investment does not qualify for a visa.

Visas can be applied against both residential and commercial properties and so include apartments, villas, offices, warehouses, hotel apartments and rooms. However, there are some exceptions. Properties that are not accepted for a visa are: Off plan properties i.e. under construction, disputed properties, properties in non-habitable conditions, and plots or lands.

Contrary to popular belief, it is not necessary to have an investment of AED 1,000,000 in only one property. The rules have changed and now the amount can be distributed in up to 3 properties. As long as the total investment is AED 1,000,000 or above, one can be eligible for an investor visa. Mortgaged properties qualify for a visa as well, if 50% or more has been paid off.

What if a property is owned by more than one person? If a husband and wife both own a property together, each of them can apply for a visa. An attested marriage certificate will be required in this case. If there are two or more owners that are separate entities, all of them are eligible for a visa against the property, on the condition that each owner has a AED 1,000,000 (or more) share in the purchase value.Let’s go over the three types of property investor visas.

The cheapest one is the shortest; a six months multiple entry visa and similarly to a tourist visa, an Emirates ID is not provided. It is done quite easily and quickly and costs around AED 2000. Next is the three years visa, which is the most popular and it can be renewed. It takes a few weeks and costs around AED 15,000. Lastly, the five years property investment visa is for persons that have invested over AED 5,000,000 in properties with no mortgage. This process takes only a few days and is considerably simpler.

Note that this is a resident only visa and one is not allowed to work on this visa. In order to work, a work visa is required and the visa status would have to be changed.

To apply, each type of visa has a different procedure and timeline, with slightly different required documents. For a 6 months visa, the required documents are original title deed, original passport, good conduct certificate from Dubai Police, NOC from developer, current visa copy, and 1 passport size photo with background. These are to be submitted at the General Directorate of Residency and Foreign Affairs (GDRFA), in Al Jafilliya.

The best way to do this is by obtaining a NOC from the developer and getting a good conduct certificate from the Dubai Police. The certificate can also be applied for online if you already have or had an emirates ID. All of these will have to be submitted at GDRFA and the visa will be send through email within a few days.

For a 3 years visa, the same documents as the 6 months visa are required but no NOC from the developer is necessary. The documents are to be submitted at various departments at different stages. The first step is to get a reference letter at the Dubai Land Department (DLL). This is to give to the Dubai Police who will in return give a good conduct certificate.

If you have or had an Emirates ID, then you can apply on the Dubai Police website instead, which will then be send by email within 2 days. The certificate and the other mentioned documents then are given at DLL together with an application. It usually takes 7 working days to get an update. Once the application is approved, a visit back to DLL is required to apply for a trade license, which takes another 5 working days. After that, the original title deed is submitted to be replaced with a new title deed. Once the new title deed is ready, one can apply for a resident permit, which once approved will be sent by email.

For a 5 years visa, no NOC nor a good conduct certificate is required. All that needs to be done is to show all required documents to DLL where it will be verified and the visa will be ready within a few days.