Property Visa · 6 min read
Bank NOC no longer required for any Dubai property visa — from our desk
Published 1 August 2026
Quick answer
The bank NOC is no longer being requested on mortgaged properties for any Dubai property visa — 10-year Golden, 5-year Retirement or 2-year Investor. That removes three to four working days from every mortgaged file. Sponsor government fees are AED 9,978 (Golden), AED 4,715 (Retirement) and AED 10,350 (Investor). Property value rules and the mortgage itself are unchanged.
For years the single biggest source of delay on a Dubai property visa has been one piece of paperwork: the bank No Objection Certificate on a mortgaged property. That requirement has quietly dropped away across all three property visa categories.
This is current practice rather than a published circular. The Dubai Land Department rarely announces procedural shifts publicly — they show up in what is being approved. Mortgaged-property applications are now being filed and approved without the NOC, across different banks, communities and visa types.
What changed
Until recently, a property visa application on a mortgaged property required a bank NOC stating no objection to the residence permit, together with the paid amount and the outstanding balance — in wording the DLD would accept.
Mortgaged-property applications are now going through without that certificate, on the 10-year Golden Visa, the 5-year Retirement Visa and the 2-year Investor Visa alike.
Why it matters so much
Banks in the UAE effectively never refused to issue the NOC — the outcome was never in doubt. The problem was time. A bank NOC typically took three to four working days, sometimes longer, with fees, a formal request, precise wording and further back-and-forth if the DLD rejected the format.
So files routinely sat idle for a week or more waiting on a document that was always going to be issued. With the NOC no longer requested, that bottleneck is gone on all three property visa types.
The real government fees
With the timeline shorter, the next question is cost. These are the sponsor totals in government fees for each property-linked visa.
| Visa | Sponsor government fees | Qualifying property | Per child dependant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-year Golden Visa | 9,978 | 2 million or more | 3,895 |
| 5-year Retirement Visa | 4,715 | 1 million or more, age 55+ | 4,215 |
| 2-year Investor Visa | 10,350 | No minimum for sole ownership | 1,103 |
Service charges are separate from these government fees and vary by provider. Joint ownership on the 2-year investor visa requires a minimum AED 400,000 share per owner.
The new timeline
Without the NOC step, a mortgaged-property application now runs on broadly the same schedule as a fully-paid one.
- Property valuation — same day at a DLD trustee centre.
- Application submission with title deed, passport, photo and Emirates ID.
- DLD review and GDRFA processing — typically 7 to 10 working days.
- Medical, biometrics and visa issuance.
What has not changed
Three things are exactly as they were, and it is worth being precise about them.
- Property value rules — Golden still needs AED 2 million or more, Retirement AED 1 million with age 55+, and the Investor visa has no minimum for sole ownership. The mortgage balance is not deducted; the DLD-assessed market value is what counts.
- The mortgage itself — your bank's lien stays in place, and the DLD registers its own lien for the visa duration. Only the paperwork changed, not the financing.
- The status of the change — this is observed current practice, not a published rule. UAE procedures can shift in either direction, so check with a practitioner who is actively submitting files before you plan around it.
The bottom line
If you have a mortgaged Dubai property and held off on a property visa because of the bank paperwork, that reason no longer applies. The file can be built from the title deed, passport, photo and Emirates ID, and the week previously lost to the NOC is simply removed from the timeline.
Frequently asked questions
Is the bank NOC still required for a Dubai property visa?
No. Mortgaged-property applications are currently being approved without a bank NOC across the 10-year Golden Visa, the 5-year Retirement Visa and the 2-year Investor Visa.
How much time does removing the NOC save?
Typically three to four working days, and often longer. Banks always issued the certificate, but the request, fees, wording and any DLD rejections regularly left files idle for a week or more.
Can I get a property visa if my property is mortgaged?
Yes. The outstanding mortgage is not deducted from the property value — the DLD-assessed market value is what determines eligibility.
Does the mortgage lien change when the visa is issued?
No. Your bank's lien remains in place and the DLD registers an additional lien for the duration of the visa. Nothing changes on the financing side.
What are the government fees for each property visa?
Sponsor government fees are AED 9,978 for the 10-year Golden Visa, AED 4,715 for the 5-year Retirement Visa and AED 10,350 for the 2-year Investor Visa. Service charges are separate.
How much is a child dependant on a property visa?
AED 3,895 per child on the Golden Visa, AED 4,215 on the Retirement Visa and AED 1,103 on the 2-year Investor Visa.
How long does a mortgaged-property visa take now?
Roughly the same as a fully-paid property: same-day valuation, then typically 7 to 10 working days for DLD review and GDRFA processing, followed by medical, biometrics and issuance.
What documents are needed now?
The title deed, passport copy, passport-size photo and Emirates ID where applicable. Bank NOCs, mortgage clearance letters and bank liability letters are not being requested.
Has the DLD published this change officially?
No circular has been issued. This reflects observed current practice in approvals rather than a published rule, so confirm your position with a practitioner actively submitting applications.
Did the property value thresholds change too?
No. The thresholds are unchanged: AED 2 million for the Golden Visa, AED 1 million with age 55+ for the Retirement Visa, and no minimum for sole ownership on the 2-year Investor Visa.
اقرأ هذا المقال بالعربية — Read this article in Arabic
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