In a definitive move that ended months of online rumours, the United Arab Emirates government issued a clear directive in July 2025: simply holding cryptocurrency does not make an investor eligible for the coveted UAE Golden Visa. The clarification, aimed at dispelling false claims, stated that assets like Bitcoin or Ethereum, regardless of their market value, cannot be used directly to qualify under the programme's investment route or any other category.
The Nuance Behind the Headline: Property as the Bridge
While the ruling shut the door on using digital assets as a standalone qualification, it left a significant window open. The UAE, particularly Dubai, has established a fully regulated framework for purchasing real estate using cryptocurrencies. This creates a practical, albeit indirect, pathway. The critical question becomes: if an investor uses crypto to buy qualifying property, can that property then form the basis of a Golden Visa application? The answer hinges on the specific requirements of the property investment route, not the original source of funds.
The Golden Visa programme is designed to attract long-term talent and capital. For the property pathway, the rules are precise. An applicant must own one or more properties with a total value of at least AED 2 million (roughly USD 545,000). This ownership must be officially registered with authorities like the Dubai Land Department (DLD), and the application requires a current valuation certificate from the same body. Immigration officials assess the registered value, not the payment method.
How Crypto-Funded Property Purchases Work in Dubai
Dubai's ecosystem already supports this. Major developers, including DAMAC, Emaar, and Nakheel, accept digital currencies like Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), USDT, and USDC for selected projects. These transactions are conducted through platforms licensed by the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), ensuring strict Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance. The DLD oversees the final property registration and title issuance.
A growing trend is real estate tokenisation, where investors buy fractional ownership in physical property through blockchain tokens. Platforms like Prypco Mint, operating under DLD oversight, facilitate this. In May 2025, Dubai's first fully tokenised property—a AED 2.4 million apartment in Business Bay—sold out in 24 hours. However, for Golden Visa purposes, fractional ownership does not qualify. The applicant must hold a single, consolidated legal title to a property (or portfolio) meeting the AED 2 million threshold.
The July 2025 Clarification: What Prompted It?
The government's statement was a direct response to misleading online claims. It was triggered by a July 6 post from Max Crown, CEO of the Ton Foundation, which suggested Toncoin holders could secure a 10-year visa for a fee. Dubai's VARA swiftly countered, stating TON is not licensed by them and that linking virtual asset holdings to residency is false. The federal identity authority (ICP) and securities regulator (SCA) joined in, urging the public to rely only on official sources.
Crucially, this clarification addressed residency eligibility categories, not real estate law. It ruled out crypto as a direct qualification but did not state that property lawfully purchased using crypto would be excluded from consideration.
A Critical Warning for Indian Investors
For Indian nationals, navigating this landscape requires extreme caution regarding domestic regulations. India's framework, with the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) restrictions and the finance ministry's aggressive tax regime on virtual digital assets, presents major hurdles. Transferring crypto from an Indian resident's wallet to a foreign entity can be viewed as an irregular cross-border transaction under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
Furthermore, buying overseas property without using approved banking channels for remittance may breach RBI rules. Failure to disclose foreign assets can lead to action under black money laws, and rental income from such properties remains taxable in India. Consulting qualified legal and tax professionals in India is an absolute necessity before proceeding with any crypto-funded overseas investment.
The bottom line is clear: The UAE has drawn a firm line—cryptocurrency itself is not a ticket to a Golden Visa. However, the door remains open for those who use regulated crypto transactions to acquire qualifying real estate, which is then assessed on its own merits. Success depends entirely on satisfying all standard property ownership, valuation, and documentation rules, with the added complexity of ensuring full compliance with both UAE and home-country regulations.
