Rule change boosts Real estate experts say the removal of the minimum investment threshold for the two-year property visa is attracting first-time and overseas buyers to more affordable communities, even as the broader market shows signs of cooling. For Dh750,000 homes under Dubai’s 2-year property visa scheme.
Dubai’s affordable housing segment is seeing a gradual rise in enquiries after the emirate removed the minimum investment requirement for its two-year property visa, according to real estate industry leaders.
“We have seen a gradual increase in enquiries for properties below Dh750,000, particularly from overseas buyers seeking residency through property ownership and residents purchasing their first home,” said Farooq Syed, CEO of Springfield Properties.
He noted that studio units continue to see the strongest demand, as they offer the widest selection within this price range, while supply of competitively priced one-bedroom apartments remains relatively limited.
Syed pointed to sustained demand across affordable communities such as Dubailand, Marjan, Dubai Production City and International City, where buyers continue to find competitively priced homes supported by established infrastructure, lifestyle amenities and long-term value.
In April, Dubai updated the rules for the two-year property-linked visa, removing the minimum property value requirement for sole owners and easing conditions for jointly owned properties.
The previous threshold of Dh750,000 for individual investors was eliminated. However, applicants must be sole owners of the property. In cases of joint ownership, each investor must hold a share worth at least Dh400,000 to qualify for the residency visa, even if the property is equally divided.
Visa-invisible communities
Rohit Bachani, co-founder of Merlin Real Estate, said interest has clearly strengthened at the entry level—particularly studios and one-bedroom units—in communities including Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC), Jumeirah Village Triangle (JVT), Dubai South, Arjan, Dubai Silicon Oasis, International City, Dubailand and Nshama Townsquare.
“These units were effectively visa-invisible before; now every completed, fully owned unit qualifies,” Bachani said.
He added that the growth is being driven mainly by first-time and overseas buyers from India, the UK and Southeast Asia seeking a “soft-landing residency footprint” before potentially upgrading to higher-value options such as the Golden Visa.
However, he cautioned that the shift should be viewed in context.
“I’d be honest that this is more of a demand and sentiment catalyst than a price event: the broader market is still cooling, so it supports volume and absorption at the lower end rather than triggering speculation. That’s a healthy outcome,” he said.
Widens access to the market
Both executives said the removal of the Dh750,000 threshold for sole property owners under the two-year property investor visa—processed through the Dubai Land Department’s Taskeen programme—has widened access to Dubai’s property market.
“By removing the minimum investment threshold for sole property owners, buyers now have greater flexibility to choose a property that aligns with their budget and long-term objectives rather than structuring their purchase around a visa requirement,” Syed added.
Bachani described the impact so far as being “primarily about confidence and access rather than an immediate price spike.”
With more than 50,000 units expected to be handed over in Dubai in 2026, he said the broader pool of eligible buyers could help the market absorb incoming supply rather than slow down.
He noted that properties below Dh750,000 accounted for roughly a quarter of all ready-home transactions in the first quarter, meaning a segment that previously had no residency pathway is now included.
“I’d read this as proactive governance: Dubai using a policy lever counter-cyclically to keep the market liquid through a softer patch,” he said.
