Dubai Reinstates Rule Allowing Spouses to Combine Property for Golden Visas

Dubai authorities have reinstated the option for legally married spouses to combine property values to meet real estate residency visa thresholds starting in October 2026, according to filing data reported by FamilyVisa.ae. Under this policy, a married couple holding combined real estate valued at AED 2 million or more can obtain a 10-Year Golden Visa, where one spouse serves as the principal visa holder and the other is sponsored as a dependent.

For the 5-Year Retirement Visa, a combined portfolio of AED 1 million is accepted if the principal applicant is at least 55 years old. This update reverses a previous restriction implemented on 14 July 2026 that required each applicant to independently meet the full investment minimum. The ability to merge shares remains exclusive to legally married spouses with an attested marriage certificate; siblings, parents, and business partners must continue to qualify based on their individual ownership shares alone.

Merging is permitted across jointly owned single title deeds, separate properties registered under each spouse's name, or a combination of both, subject to Dubai Land Department checks. Government fees for the Golden Visa are set at AED 9,421 for the main applicant, AED 4,137 for an adult dependent spouse, AED 3,864 per child, and a one-time family file fee of AED 283. For the 2-Year Property Investor Visa, married couples who co-own a property face no minimum value requirement, whereas other co-owners must each hold a share worth more than AED 400,000.