Among our destinations, the UAE gives the clearest answer to “can buying get me residency?”: yes, with published thresholds.
The two tiers
AED 750,000 (about $204,000) in property qualifies you for a renewable 2-year investor residence visa. AED 2,000,000 (about $545,000) qualifies for the 10-year golden visa, which also covers your family and does not lapse if you spend long periods abroad.
The conditions that matter
The property must be in a zone where foreigners can own, must be held (not flipped the next month), and mortgaged properties face extra conditions on paid-in value. Each emirate administers its own process; Dubai’s is the most practiced.
Why people do it
No annual property tax, gross apartment yields around 7% in Dubai (2025), a hub airport, and a residence visa attached to the asset. The honest flip side: service charges eat into yields, off-plan carries developer risk, and the market moves in fast cycles in both directions.
Start from the Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Ras Al Khaimah pages to see what each budget band buys.