How to get UAE residence visas for the purchase of a property in joint ownership
From time to time, my wife and I raised the question of moving to another country. But you know how these things go: children, life, work. It was difficult to make a decision and change our lives. But recent events have shown that you’d better not put off your plans for tomorrow. Moreover, the children already grew up and went off around the world.
In October 2022, we contacted Immigrant Invest. After consulting with an investment program expert, we realised that a residence permit in Dubai is most suitable for our goals. Two months later, we received UAE residence visas for two years.
Ethan and Harriet,
Investor with wife
Clients’ names and photos have been changed
This case was provided by our expert
Head of the Austrian office
How to get UAE residence visas for the purchase of a property in joint ownership
Ethan and Harriet’s tasks
Ethan is an entrepreneur from Birmingham, and his wife Harriet is an accountant. The couple has thought about obtaining a residence permit or citizenship by investment since Brexit but decided to get a new status only at the end of 2022 as the energy crisis in the country became the last straw.
Ethan turned to Immigrant Invest on son’s advice. When the investor came for a consultation, he outlined the essential tasks:
Invest in real estate.
Get an opportunity to reduce the tax burden and household expenses.
Obtain a residence permit as soon as possible.
At the same time, both spouses must become real estate owners since, under the terms of the marriage contract, Ethan and Harriet must own any property in equal shares if they purchase it after the wedding.
Why the spouses decided to get residency in the UAE
Almost all residence investment programs provide the opportunity to obtain a status for real estate purchase. But, at the same time, getting a residence permit takes at least six months.
The UAE residence visa proved to be the perfect option for Ethan and Harriet. Under the program’s terms, the visa can be obtained within 2 months.
Real estate investors in Dubai get 2-year visas with the possibility of extending them. The minimum investment amount depends on who owns the property:
if there is only one owner, the property cost must be AED 750,000 (≈ $204,000);
if a husband and wife buy joint property, the investment increases to AED 1,000,000 (≈ $272,255).
The Emirates also offers opportunities to optimise taxation. In the UAE, individuals do not pay income tax, and businesses are exempt from corporate tax until June 2023, with a 9% tax afterwards. In comparison, income tax for individuals is charged at 20—45% and 19% for companies in the UK.
As for the energy prices, electricity in the UAE costs almost 6 times cheaper than in the UK. Fuel in the UAE costs more than twice as cheap as in the UK.
The UAE has a developed economy and a high standard of living, and about 80% of its population are expats. To attract more investors and talented people to the country, the Emirates offers residency and Golden Visas
Preliminary Due Diligence and preparation of documents
Ethan and Harriet turned to Immigrant Invest on October 24th, 2022. Before signing the Services Agreement, a Compliance Anti Money Laundering Officer conducted a preliminary check on the investor and his wife.
Verification is necessary to identify the risk of visa denial and minimise it. The procedure is completely confidential: the spouses provided our lawyer with only a copy of their passports.
The preliminary check found no issues: the financial histories of Ethan and Harriet were clean. Both spouses received official income, paid taxes on time and had no criminal record.
Immigrant Invest lawyers provided Ethan and Harriet with a list of documents needed when applying for a UAE residence visa. After the spouses collected the documents, they handed them to the lawyers, who translated them and notarised the copies.
An apostille is not suitable for legalising documents for the UAE residence visa because the country does not participate in the Hague Convention. Documents undergo consular legalisation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UAE Consulate.
Choosing and buying a property in Dubai
The real estate purchase process takes place in parallel with the collection of documents for a visa. You can buy a property in Dubai remotely or by visiting the emirate in person.
To obtain a residence permit by purchasing real estate in joint ownership, the property’s value must be at least $272,255. Immigrant Invest real estate experts offered Ethan and Harriet several properties in Dubai from trusted developers.
The couple chose a townhouse in a gated community for $450,000. Ethan and Harriet decided to go to Dubai to personally inspect the property before closing the deal and, after that, undergo a medical examination and apply for a residence visa.
To enter the UAE, UK citizens do not need to get a visa beforehand; it is issued upon arrival.
Immigrant Invest lawyers arranged for Ethan and Harriet to view the townhouse. After that, they helped the couple to conclude a sale and purchase contract and register the ownership of the property.
When buying a property in the UAE, you must pay the transfer tax and related fees. The total cost to purchase the townhouse was $469,305, of which:
$450,000 — the price of a townhouse;
$18,000 — the transfer tax of 4% of the property value;
$1,090 — the registration fee;
$147 — the administrative fee;
$68 — the fee for issuing a certificate of ownership.
Examples of properties in UAE
UAE, Dubai
$2,341,000 — $3,785,000
Three-level townhouse with a swimming pool in a luxury residential project
497 m² — 804 m²
4—5 
5—6 
UAE, Dubai
$1,994,000 — $2,258,000
Comfortable villas and town houses with 3 bedrooms, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai356 m² — 362 m²3 3 Medical check-ups in the UAE
To obtain UAE residence visas, applicants undergo medical examinations at an accredited clinic in the country. All family members over 18 must have this check-up. The examination cost depends on the clinic, while the minimum is $220 per person.
Ethan and Harriet were tested for dangerous infectious diseases and had a fluorography, after which they received health certificates.
Applying for a visa and undergoing Due Diligence
An application for a residence visa is filed to the Dubai Land Department, or DLD. Ethan and Harriet submitted their biometrics and applied for visas, accompanied by Immigrant Invest lawyers.
The spouses provided the DLD with the following documents:
Passports.
A marriage certificate.
Photos 3×4 cm of each spouse.
A certificate of property ownership.
Police clearance certificates.
Medical fitness certificates.
Copy of insurance policies.
A power of attorney for Immigrant Invest lawyers.
Obtaining UAE residence visas
Usually, a visa application is considered for 5—7 days. If employees of the Land Department have additional requests, applicants get 30 days to provide the necessary documents.
There were no questions about Ethan and Harriet’s application. The Land Department approved it a week after filing.
2 months and $472,831 were spent by the spouses to get UAE residence visas
Ethan and Harriet turned to Immigrant Invest
Preliminary Due Diligence
Selection of the property
Preparation of documents and the real estate purchase$470,305
Medical check-ups and submission of biometrics$440
Application processing, Due Diligence
Ethan and Harriet received UAE residence visas$2,086
Spouses' life with UAE residence visas
Ethan and Harriet plan to move to Dubai in March 2023. Ethan will manage the business remotely, while Harriet intends to register an accounting services company in the UAE. The couple also wants to travel around the country and visit other Emirates.
Opportunities before and after obtaining UAE Residency Visas
Buying property in Dubai is a bargain. The cost of real estate in Dubai is growing steadily by 5—10% per year. If Ethan and Harriet decide to sell the townhouse, they can capitalise on the price difference. While owning the property, the spouses can rent the townhouse out and receive additional income.
Tax optimisation is one of the opportunities that UAE residence visa holders get. They have the right to become tax residents of the UAE by living in the country for at least 183 days a year. There are no taxes on income, capital gains, inheritance, real estate, and gifts in the Emirates.
Immigrant Invest is a licensed agent for government programs in the European Union and the Caribbean.
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