Know the law: UAE residency visa of up to 5 years for property owners

Dubai - Should you be a UAE resident to invest in a property in Dubai?

Question: I am an Indian citizen residing in India. If I invest in a property in Dubai or wider UAE, am I eligible to get a visa for myself and family based solely on that? Do I have to be a resident first to invest in one?

Answer: Pursuant to your queries, an expatriate individual who invests in one or more property(s) worth Dh1 million to Dh4.99 million (Dh4,999,999) is entitled to obtain a residence visa in the UAE for three years. Individuals who invest in one or more property(s) worth Dh5 million or more are entitled to apply for residence visa in the UAE for five years, provided such property(s) are completed and handed over to its owner by the developer.

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The property owner should make an application for residence visa to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (the ‘GDRFA’), along with original passport, original and copy of title deed, passport size photograph, copy of the cancellation of residence visa or copy of visit visa (if any).

Thereafter, the owner should undergo a medical fitness test. He/she should then approach the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship to complete the procedures related to capturing of biometrics to get a UAE resident card (if the owner is applying for a UAE residency visa for the first time).