Off-plan property and the UAE Golden Visa
ICP lists off-plan property as a Golden Visa route when the unit is worth at least AED 2 million and was bought from an approved local developer authorised by the competent local authority. Dubai Land Department uses the purchase value at the time of purchase, not a later market estimate. A payment plan is not the same thing as AED 2 million paid, which matters as soon as the unit is financed.
The rule ICP publishes
The off-plan route is not a discount on the AED 2 million property test. ICP’s wording is an off-plan unit, or more than one, worth at least AED 2,000,000, bought from an approved local developer authorised by the local authority. “Worth” here is the qualifying value in that category, and DLD’s Dubai service then applies its own evidence rules.
- The developer should be a local developer the competent authority has authorised. A private reservation form from an unapproved seller is not the category.
- The AED 2 million test can be met with one unit or with more than one off-plan unit, if each is evidenced and the total is in your name.
- Handover is not what ICP’s sentence requires. You do not have to wait for the key if the off-plan purchase itself meets the category. You do have to meet DLD’s evidence and attendance rules.
- A completed building uses the ordinary property route: title in your name, value at purchase, mortgage rules if any. It is not a second visa type.
Purchase price, amount paid and the 20% line
THAJ’s Golden Visa overview says Dubai practice has allowed an application once 20% of an eligible off-plan property worth AED 2 million or more is paid and the Oqood (initial contract of sale) is issued. That sentence is not a substitute for ICP’s published category, and it is not a sentence on DLD’s Golden Visa fee page. Treat 20% as something to confirm on the current DLD service before you rely on it.
| What you hold | Use it for | Do not use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Sale contract stating AED 2 million or more | The purchase value DLD looks at | Proof that AED 2 million has been paid, if a mortgage test applies |
| Oqood or initial registration | Evidence the purchase is registered | A waiver of the developer or value rules |
| Bank finance on the off-plan unit | The mortgage page’s paid-amount test | Counting the undrawn loan as paid |
| Today’s brochure price | Nothing in this file | A value DLD did not use at purchase |
If the unit is mortgaged, read mortgage and the Golden Visa next to this page. DLD’s investor service requires AED 2 million paid on mortgaged property, with the bank letter. An instalment plan that has not reached that paid figure is a reason to wait, not a reason to invent a lower threshold.
Developer, escrow and whose name is on the contract
ICP’s condition is an approved local developer authorised by the local authority. Ask for that status before you pay a further instalment in the hope of a visa. Escrow protection of your payments is a real-estate safeguard. It is not, by itself, the Golden Visa category.
The contract has to be in the applicant’s name. A unit bought by a company, a spouse, or a friend who will “add you later” is not your qualifying property until the register shows your share and that share meets the test. Joint buyers should use the joint ownership page. A unit bought to rent out is still the property route; rental income is not a separate Golden Visa category.
DLD’s Golden Visa service time is 7–10 business days once the file is accepted, and you must be in the UAE in person. Off-plan does not move the appointment abroad.
Where this sits against the other property pages
Start with the property investor guide for the full AED 2 million picture, fees and family. Use this page when the building is not finished. If the property will not reach AED 2 million, the separate two-year property investor visa is a different permit, not a small Golden Visa. Selling after you are approved is covered on its own page, because off-plan buyers often assign a unit before handover.
Frequently asked questions
Does off-plan property qualify for the UAE Golden Visa?
Yes, when ICP’s conditions are met: at least AED 2 million, bought from an approved local developer authorised by the local authority. DLD then applies its evidence, fee and in-person rules.
Is paying 20% enough?
The Golden Visa overview records that Dubai practice has used a 20% payment plus Oqood on an eligible unit. Confirm that stage on the current DLD service. It does not replace ICP’s AED 2 million category, and it does not replace DLD’s AED 2 million paid test where the property is mortgaged.
Can I combine two off-plan units?
ICP allows one or more off-plan properties totalling at least AED 2 million. Each purchase still has to be evidenced in your name.
Does a completed tower use a different visa?
No. Once there is a title, it is the ordinary property-investor Golden Visa, with the same value, ownership and mortgage tests.
Official sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 26 October 2026. Rules and fees can change; the authority’s current page always prevails.
- Golden Residency Guide — Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security (ICP)
- Golden Visa application — Investor (fees, documents, terms) — Dubai Land Department (DLD)
- Golden visa — eligible categories — The UAE Government portal (u.ae)
Send the Oqood and the payment receipts
We check the developer, the purchase value and the amount paid before a filing is promised.