Are UAE residency visas through property ownership valid for 99 years?

I have seen your recent comments regarding visas linked to property ownership. You stated that one of the conditions of acquiring a residency visa through property ownership is having a minimum salary of Dh10,000 per month. Is this always the case? Also must the salary only come from one source or can someone show proof of their monthly salary through various projects? You have also mentioned that visas are valid for six months, but I have read on real estate broker websites that they can be valid for 99 years. DA, Dubai

It is possible to get a residency visa from ownership of a property and I have previously referred to “income”, not specifically a salary. A person can have income from multiple sources, such as from overseas, from investments or a pension, to satisfy the requirements. A salary from employment in the UAE is not relevant as employees must be sponsored by their employer and provided with a visa that way. A property visa is for people who are not in employment in the UAE. Property-related visas have never been for 99 years. There was a time when they were issued for three years, but that was a number of years ago and the validity is now for six months at a time.

Keren Bobker is an independent financial adviser with Holborn Assets in Dubai, with more than 20 years of experience. Contact her at keren@holbornassets.com. Follow her on Twitter at @FinancialUAE

The advice provided in our columns does not constitute legal advice and is provided for information only. Readers are encouraged to seek appropriate independent legal advice

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