Inherited property and the UAE Golden Visa
Inheritance is not a Golden Visa category. DLD’s investor Golden Visa still asks for property worth at least AED 2 million at the purchase value, wholly owned in the applicant’s name. Until an inheritance is registered, the title is not in the heir’s name. DLD’s inheritance service transfers that title from the deceased to the heirs for AED 1,000 per property, and it does not say which figure the visa team will treat as the purchase value. THAJ will not invent that figure.
Register the inheritance before anyone talks about a visa
DLD’s Real Estate Inheritance Registration transfers ownership from the deceased to the eligible heirs, from a legal inheritance certificate or inheritance declaration endorsed by the UAE courts. Any person may submit it. The applicant does not have to be an heir. That sentence is about who may file the registration. It does not put the property in a stranger’s name, and it does not create a visa.
What that service asks for
- A legal inheritance certificate or inheritance declaration, issued by the judicial authorities and endorsed by the UAE courts.
- Emirates IDs for heirs who are UAE citizens or residents, and passport copies for heirs who are not residents.
- If the property is mortgaged, a no-objection certificate from the bank or financier.
- If the property is off-plan or still on the initial register, a no-objection certificate from the developer.
- If the property is in a company name, or the deceased owned shares in a company that owns it, a court decision or an official letter to DLD. DLD says transferring the deceased’s shares does not by itself transfer the property to the heirs.
DLD lists the registration at AED 1,000 per property, a title deed at AED 250, a map from AED 100 to AED 250 depending on the map, knowledge and innovation fees of AED 20, and service-partner fees of AED 130 plus VAT. The service time on that page is 8 working hours. Exit from inheritance (takharuj) is 1% of the property value, a will is 0.125%, and a gift is 0.125% with a minimum of AED 2,000. Those three apply only when the court document is that kind of transaction. They are not the Golden Visa fee. The Golden Visa government fees, AED 9,884.75 for the investor, are a different invoice on the cost page.
The visa still uses purchase value, and inheritance has no special rule
DLD’s investor Golden Visa service uses the purchase value at the time of purchase, for property wholly in the applicant’s name. One or more properties can be added. The inheritance page does not say whether an heir should use the deceased’s old purchase price, a court valuation, or something else. A listing price today is already the wrong figure for a purchase, and it is not rescued by the fact of a death. Register the title, then ask DLD which number it will use. Do not file on a broker’s estimate.
Several heirs mean several shares. Shares are not added together to reach AED 2 million. The person who applies must hold a share that itself meets the test. That is the joint ownership rule. A takharuj that moves other heirs off the title is a DLD transaction with its own 1% fee. It is not a shortcut past the value test. If the share is under AED 2 million, the separate two-year property visa is the page to read, and it is still not a Golden Visa.
Certificates issued outside the UAE
DLD says documents issued outside the UAE must be attested under the applicable procedure, including attestation by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the relevant embassy, whether the document is in Arabic or not. If it is not in Arabic, a certified legal translation is also required. A death certificate, a foreign probate grant or a will that has not been through that chain is not ready. THAJ coordinates attestation and translation and quotes after seeing the papers. We do not publish a fee per country.
You must still be inside the UAE and attend in person for DLD’s investor Golden Visa service. An inheritance registered while you are abroad does not remove that condition.
Frequently asked questions
Does inherited property qualify for the Golden Visa?
Only once it is registered in your name and the value DLD uses meets AED 2 million. Inheritance itself is not a category, and the visa page does not publish a special inheritance valuation.
How much does DLD charge to register an inheritance?
AED 1,000 per property, plus a title deed of AED 250, a map of AED 100 to AED 250, knowledge and innovation fees of AED 20, and service-partner fees of AED 130 plus VAT. Takharuj, wills and gifts have their own rates and apply only when that is the transaction.
Can heirs combine their shares to reach AED 2 million?
No. DLD’s investor rule is property wholly owned by the applicant. Each person’s own share has to meet AED 2 million for a Golden Visa in that person’s name.
What if the flat was owned by the family’s company?
DLD says a transfer of the deceased’s company shares does not automatically transfer the property. The court has to direct DLD. A company title is also not a personal Golden Visa property file. See commercial property.
Official sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 5 November 2026. Rules and fees can change; the authority’s current page always prevails.
- Real Estate Inheritance Registration (fees, documents, foreign-document attestation) — Dubai Land Department (DLD)
- Golden Visa application — Investor (fees, documents, terms) — Dubai Land Department (DLD)
- Golden Residency Guide — Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP)
- Request for investor visa (two-year property investor residence — not the Golden Visa) — Dubai Land Department (DLD)
Register the title before the visa
Send the inheritance certificate and the current title. We will say what DLD still needs, and whether a visa file can even be discussed.