Dubai Land Department has made a significant move to abandon property value requirements for investor residency visas as the Iran war clouds investor certainty and drags on regional economic growth in FY26.
Previous legislation required a property value of $204,000 (Dh 750,000) for a two year investor residency visa.
New Legislation
New legislation removes any floor value on property for investor residencies.
For joint ownership, the new requirement stipulates that each investor must hold a stake of at least Dh 400,000, facilitating residency for pairs purchasing properties that previously fell outside eligibility.
Anyone who solely owns property in the emirate can now apply for a two-year investor visa (Dubai Land Department’s Cube Centre).
Demand Side Incentives
This sweeping change is designed to attract increased residency in Dubai and broader UAE, particularly benefiting smaller investors and is expected to enhance demand in the more affordable segments of the market.
ValuStrat’s March 2026 report shows values of apartments in JVC, JBR and Burj Khalifa have declined by about 10% on average.
Recent data indicated a substantial 20% decline in residential sales (REIDIN), with rental transaction volumes also hitting their steepest drop since the pandemic (ValuStrat March 2026 Residential Values report).
Dubai South: Demand Flowing in Emerging Communities
However, investor and consumer demand is still concentrating in emerging communities, affordability corridors, and off-plan heavy zones where buyers can still access new stock, payment plans and future-growth narratives.
Quiet Confidence: Off-Plan Primary Market
Yet demand is steady in Dubai’s off-plan market, with 76% of sales volume in the primary market. Buyers are remaining confident in investing in developer-led sales, with flexible payment plans, irrespective of investor uncertainty across the global economy.
The change adds to the UAE’s biggest residency overhaul since the Golden Visa programme launched in 2019: a 10-year residency scheme for investors who buy property worth Dh 2M ($544, 000).
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