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Lettings and Residency
Dubai Golden Visa cost
Budget AED 10,000 to 15,000 for one applicant, about £2,000 to £3,100, and roughly AED 7,000 to 10,000 for each family member. The government fees are small; most of the spread is the medical, the Emirates ID and whether you use a typing centre. The property itself must be worth AED 2 million or more, which is the real cost.
This is one of four short guides that sit under my full Dubai Golden Visa through property investment page, which has the eligibility calculator and the list of qualifying projects.
The fees, line by line
| Item | AED | Approx £ | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GDRFA residence permit | 1,100 | 226 | Plus Knowledge Dirham 10, Innovation Dirham 10, inside country fee 500 and delivery 20, so about 1,640 all in |
| Dubai Land Department property status certificate | about 300 to 500 | 60 to 100 | Through the Cube platform or a trustee office. A separate valuation report, if one is asked for, runs higher |
| Medical fitness test | about 320 to 700 | 65 to 145 | Standard or fast track |
| Emirates ID, 10 years | about 1,150 | 236 | Issued with the permit |
| Entry permit or change of status | about 1,100 to 1,500 | 226 to 310 | Depends on whether you are inside or outside the UAE at application |
| Typing centre or Amer centre | about 500 to 2,000 | 100 to 410 | Optional, but most people use one. My team handles it for clients |
| Realistic total, one applicant | 10,000 to 15,000 | 2,000 to 3,100 | Government fees plus the service layer |
The GDRFA figures are from its published fee schedule. The rest are the ranges I see on client applications in 2026 and they move. Note the GDRFA line that the issuance fee rises by AED 100 a year once a residency is over two years, which matters at renewal.
Adding family
Each dependant is a separate application with their own permit fee, medical and Emirates ID. Budget AED 7,000 to 10,000 per person. A family of four is therefore in the region of AED 30,000 to 45,000, about £6,200 to £9,300, all in. Against a AED 2 million purchase that is under 2.5 per cent, which is why almost everyone who qualifies does it.
What people forget
- The trip. The medical and biometrics need you in Dubai. One visit covers everyone if you travel together.
- Renewal. Ten years on, you repeat the process and the fees, with the AED 100 a year uplift on the permit.
- Health insurance. Residents need UAE health cover. For a visa holder living abroad a basic plan is enough, but it is a line in the budget.
- The 4 per cent. Not a visa cost, but the Dubai Land Department transfer fee on the purchase is AED 80,000 on a AED 2 million home, and it dwarfs everything above.
Is it worth it
For a buyer who would have bought at AED 2 million anyway, yes, without hesitation. The fees are a rounding error against the purchase and the visa is a ten year option on living in the UAE. For a buyer stretching from AED 1.5 million to AED 2 million purely to qualify, be honest about whether you want the extra property or the visa. If it is the visa, the benefits guide sets out what you are actually buying.
Common questions
How much does a Dubai Golden Visa cost through property?
Budget AED 10,000 to 15,000 for one applicant, about £2,000 to £3,100, including the GDRFA permit, the Land Department certificate, the medical and the Emirates ID.
What are the government fees for the Golden Visa?
The GDRFA permit is AED 1,100 plus small levies, about AED 1,640 in total. The Emirates ID and medical are charged separately.
Does the property price count as a cost of the visa?
The property is the qualifying asset, not a fee. You need to own AED 2 million or more of Dubai property; the visa fees sit on top of that purchase.
How much does it cost to add my family?
Roughly AED 7,000 to 10,000 per dependant, each with their own permit, medical and Emirates ID.
Sources: GDRFA Dubai, "Issuing a golden residence permit (investors)", service page; the UAE Government portal, u.ae, "Golden visa"; The National, 24 January 2024, on the removal of the minimum paid in amount; Dubai Land Department Cube platform guidance. Checked 22 October 2026.
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