AED 2 million. The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism lists a deposit of at least AED 2,000,000 in an investment fund or in national banks operating in the UAE as one way to qualify as a public investor for the Golden Visa, and the money must be your own, not borrowed. The official wording we found does not say how long the deposit must stay in place, and one 2026 guide says two years, so confirm the holding period before you move any funds. A deposit is one of several AED 2 million routes, and lower thresholds exist only for entrepreneurs.
The Rule in Detail
The deposit is one of the public-investment routes. The published conditions are short, and most of the risk sits in what they leave out.
- Amount: at least AED 2,000,000.
- Where it sits: an investment fund or national banks operating in the UAE. Some guides mention only a letter from an approved investment fund, so confirm with ICP or GDRFA which institutions they will accept for your application.
- Whose money it is: the capital must be wholly yours and not a loan, and you must provide evidence.
- Proof: a letter from the bank or fund confirming the deposit, backed by evidence of where the money came from.
- Validity: public-investment routes are reported as 10-year visas.
- Holding period: not stated in the official wording we found. One 2026 guide says two years, so ask before you move the funds.
The Other Capital Routes
| Route | Threshold | Proof |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit | AED 2 million in an investment fund or UAE bank | Fund or bank letter |
| Company capital | An enterprise with capital of AED 2 million | Trade licence and Articles of Association |
| Company share | A share of at least AED 2 million in a new or existing company | Licence and Articles showing your share |
| Tax paid | Owner or partner of a company paying AED 250,000 a year in federal tax | Federal Tax Authority letter |
| Property | AED 2 million DLD-certified value | Title deed and DLD valuation |
| Entrepreneur project | A project valued at AED 500,000 | Auditor letter and incubator or authority approval |
Questions to Settle Before You Move the Funds
Because the published wording is brief, the practical risk is moving AED 2 million on an assumption. Ask ICP or GDRFA, in writing where you can:
- Which institutions qualify. A UAE national bank, a specific fund, or both, and whether the product you have in mind counts.
- How long the money must stay. The official wording we found is silent, and one guide says two years.
- What happens at renewal. Renewal is tested against the same conditions, so plan to keep the qualifying amount in place unless you are told otherwise.
- What evidence of the source of funds is expected, since the capital must be wholly yours and not a loan.
- Whether the deposit can be split across accounts or institutions to reach AED 2 million.
A Worked Example
Suppose you hold AED 2.6 million in cash. Placing AED 2 million in a qualifying UAE bank deposit or approved fund meets the amount, and AED 600,000 stays free for fees, insurance and living costs. If AED 500,000 of the AED 2 million was borrowed from a lender or a relative, the capital is no longer wholly yours and the route is at risk. The test is ownership and evidence, not just the balance shown on a statement.
Lower Thresholds Exist, but Not for Deposits
The AED 2 million figure applies to deposits, capital and property alike, and the February 2026 relaxation reported by several sources concerns property payments, not deposits. Lower figures belong to other routes: AED 500,000 for entrepreneurs, and, for people aged 55 or over, AED 1 million in savings on the separate 5-year retirement visa. Do not assume a smaller deposit will qualify for the Golden Visa.
Deposit or Something Else?
- Choose the deposit if you want the simplest paperwork and do not want to hold property.
- Choose property if you would rather own an asset. Mortgage treatment is disputed, as covered in our guide to an investor visa on a mortgaged or off-plan property, and our Golden Visa property versus business route guide compares the options.
- Choose company capital or a share if you already run a UAE business and its capital, or your share, reaches AED 2 million.
- Consider the entrepreneur route if your project is worth AED 500,000 rather than AED 2 million.
What Makes a Deposit Application Fail
- Funds that are borrowed, or that cannot be shown to be wholly yours.
- A letter from an institution or product the authority does not accept.
- A balance that falls below AED 2 million where a holding period applies.
- A weak source-of-funds trail.
Applying under a route that does not match your evidence, which our guide to why Golden Visa applications get rejected covers.
Steps to Apply
- Confirm the route and the qualifying institutions with ICP or GDRFA.
- Get the holding period confirmed in writing.
- Move the funds into the qualifying deposit or fund.
- Request the letter and gather source-of-funds evidence.
- Assemble the standard documents, listed in our guide to Golden Visa documents and processing time.
- Apply, then complete the medical test and Emirates ID.
Confirm Before You Move the Money
A deposit is the cleanest AED 2 million route to document, but it commits the funds, so settle the accepted institution and the holding period first. If you have no job, see our guide to a Golden Visa without a job offer. Rules change, so treat this as general information. Takween Advisory handles the UAE Golden Visa application across all routes, and our Golden Visa cost guide covers the fees. Book a free consultation before you commit funds.