Can your Golden Visa property be a second home or holiday home?
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The property that qualifies you for a 10-year Golden Visa does not have to be where you live. Here is what the rules actually ask of it — and what they leave up to you.
Quick answer
Yes. The UAE does not require you to live in the property that qualifies you for the Golden Visa. It must stay in your name and keep meeting the value rule (2 million, held individually) for the visa to be renewed, but you can use it as a holiday home, a second residence or a rental while you live elsewhere in the UAE or abroad.
Many owners assume the Golden Visa turns their apartment into a legal "main residence". It does not. The visa is linked to ownership and value, not to where you sleep at night.
That gives families a lot of freedom — but a few practical rules still matter, mostly around ownership, the address you register and renting the unit out.
What the Golden Visa needs from the property
The property is the qualifying asset. For the 10-year visa it must be worth at least 2 million, registered with the Dubai Land Department (or the land authority of the relevant emirate) and held in your own name. Since July 2026, the value has to be met by your individual share — a co-owner's share no longer counts towards yours.
- Registered title deed (or an approved off-plan contract) in your name
- DLD-assessed value of 2 million or more for your share
- Kept in your ownership for as long as you want the visa renewed
What it does not need
There is no rule that the property must be your home, and no minimum number of nights you must spend there. Golden Visa holders are also exempt from the six-month absence rule that applies to ordinary residence visas, so you can keep a home abroad and visit the UAE when you like.
- No requirement to live in the unit
- No minimum stay in the UAE after the visa is issued
- Your Emirates ID address can be another home you rent or own
Using it as a holiday home
If you want to earn from the property while you are away, you have two routes: a normal annual tenancy registered on Ejari, or short stays through a holiday-home permit issued by Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (DET). Both are allowed for Golden Visa properties. Short stays without a DET permit are not.
Renting the property out never cancels the Golden Visa by itself. Selling it, transferring it or letting its value fall below the threshold at renewal is what affects the visa.
Family members and the second-home set-up
Your spouse and children sponsored on your Golden Visa do not need to live in the qualifying property either. Many families keep the qualifying unit as an investment and rent a home nearer schools or work. Tenancy contracts for that rented home are accepted for utilities, school registration and the like.
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Frequently asked questions
Do I have to live in my Golden Visa property?
No. The visa depends on owning a qualifying property, not on living in it. You can live in another home in the UAE or abroad.
Can I rent out my Golden Visa property?
Yes, on a registered annual tenancy (Ejari) or as a licensed holiday home with a DET permit. Renting it out does not cancel the visa.
Is there a minimum stay for Golden Visa holders?
No minimum stay applies once the visa is issued, and the six-month absence rule for ordinary residence visas does not apply. You must be in the UAE for the medical and biometrics when you first apply.
What if I sell the property?
Selling the qualifying property means you no longer meet the criterion the visa was issued on. You need a replacement qualifying property or another Golden Visa route; otherwise the visa is cancelled and a grace period applies.
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