There’s been much talk in recent months about the newly legislated property owner’s visa, an addition to Article 33 of the Executive Regulations of the Entry and Residency Law for Entry and Residency of Foreigners.

This new law has not been formally published; however, according to our friendly neighborhood property law guru Scott Aitken of Clyde and Co, the Department of Naturalization and Residency in Dubai has verbally confirmed that the six-month Property Owner Resident’s Visa is currently operational. He has also been given to understand that this new visa regime has been in place since 1 June 2009.

Once the amendment has been published, the conditions of the Property Owner Resident Visa and the application procedures will need to be verified. Until then, here are the basics as we understand them.

How do you qualify?

Clearly you must be the owner of a property in the UAE. Beyond that:

The property to which the visa is linked must be complete, and the owner must hold the title deed. Unlike the previous property owner’s visa, joint property owners cannot apply for the new residence visa.

The value of the property to which the visa is linked must be at least AED 1 million.

The visa holder must have a minimum salary of AED 10,000 per month (or the equivalent in another currency).

What does the new property owner’s visa include?

The amended law provides a visa that is valid for six months at a time and permits multiple entries to the UAE.

The new visa can be renewed an indefinite number of times, but the visa holder must exit the UAE and re-apply. According to a WAM report issued on 03 August 2009: “when the multi-visit visa issued to a property owner expires abroad, his/her visa will be renewed at the airport at arrival”.

The initial cost of the new visa is AED 2,000. Each renewal is also AED 2,000.

Direct family members, such as a spouse and children, can be included under the property owner’s sponsorship. Visa holders and their family members must have medical insurance, and the property in question must be of an appropriate size to house family members if applicable.

What issues remain to be clarified?

The new visa is generally termed a “multi-entry permit” or a “multi-trip entry visa”, which tends to suggest that it is a long visit visa rather than a proper residence visa. For this reason, it’s unclear whether or not those holding the new visa can apply for UAE driving licenses, bank accounts, telephone connections, and other amenities that the holders of residence visas enjoy.

It’s also unclear how long visa holders must remain out of the country. Some reports suggest that property owners can leave and return immediately every six months, while other indicate that those with the new visa must remain out of the country for up to a month before they can return and renew their property owner’s visa.

Though people with the new visa must have a source of income equal to AED 10,000, there’s some confusion as to whether that income must come from a source within the UAE – as with any other visit visa, the documentation allows the holder to stay in the UAE but not to work here. It may however be possible for a property owner to make income from rental properties or other investments without otherwise working.

It’s unclear whether or not the value of the property in question is the purchase value or the current market value – the two figures are often quite different.

Though property owners are allowed to include their families on the new visa, it’s unclear whether the head of the household must be male or if the children must be under a certain age.

What about your old property owner’s visa?

Prior to 1st June 2009, expatriate home owners in Dubai, Ajman, and Ras Al Khaimah were eligible for the property investor residence visa. Many property developers sold property with the understanding that the property in question would come with a residence visa, ushering in a spate of buyers from the UK, some with very recognizable names.

The new property owner’s visa will supersede the previous allowance for home owners. This addition to the law will include all seven emirates, unlike the old version which excluded Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Fujairah, and Umm al Quwain.

One major difference between the new six-month visa and the old three-year visas issued prior to 1 June 2009 is that the new one does not require sponsorship by the developer. The approval to reside in the country is granted by the relevant authorities, independent of the actions of any developer.

If you have one of the old property owner’s visas, all reports to date seem to indicate that you must change to the new type, regardless of how much time may be left on your original property owner’s visa. Otherwise you’re breaking UAE immigration law.

If you find these instructions have changed or have any useful information to add, let us know via This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we’ll post an update.