Buying Property in Dubai

General guidance, current as of 2026 but not guaranteed. Fees and rules change. Verify with the Dubai Land Department (dubailand.gov.ae — it has an official Procedure Fee Calculator) and the UAE Government portal (u.ae). Our advisor confirms exact figures for a specific deal.

Can foreigners own property in Dubai?

Yes. Foreigners of any nationality (resident or non-resident) can buy freehold property within government-designated freehold zones — no UAE residency, local sponsor, or UAE bank account is required to purchase.

• Freehold: you own the unit (and its share of the land) indefinitely; DLD issues a title deed in

your name.

• Leasehold: the right to use a property for a fixed term (commonly up to 99 years); rights revert

at the end.

• Foreign freehold is limited to DLD-designated areas (e.g. Dubai Marina, Downtown, Palm Jumeirah,

Business Bay, Dubai Hills, JVC, JLT, Arabian Ranches — examples, not an exhaustive list; verify a specific tower/plot with DLD). Outside those zones, only leasehold/usufruct generally applies.

The buying process (ready / secondary-market property)

1. Agree terms and sign the MOU (Form F) — DLD's official sale contract, registered digitally via the Dubai REST app or an authorised trustee, prepared by a RERA-licensed broker. 2. Buyer pays a deposit (commonly 10%), usually held by the agent or a registration trustee (not paid directly to the seller) until transfer. 3. Seller obtains the developer NOC (confirms service charges are cleared). 4. Both parties complete the DLD transfer at a registration trustee office; fees are paid and the new title deed is issued.

• A ready purchase typically completes in about 2–6 weeks (longer with a mortgage).

Core buyer fees (verify current amounts on DLD's calculator)

• DLD transfer fee: 4% of the value. Legally split 2% buyer / 2% seller, but by strong market

convention the buyer typically pays the full 4% (negotiable in the contract). Charged on the higher of the declared price or DLD's assessed value.

• DLD registration (trustee) fee: AED 4,000 + 5% VAT (≈ AED 4,200) for properties ≥ AED 500,000;

AED 2,000 + VAT (≈ AED 2,100) below AED 500,000.

• Title deed issuance: the official DLD title-deed fee is AED 250 (the ~AED 580 often quoted is a

combined admin figure), plus small fixed knowledge/innovation fees (~AED 10 each) and a map fee.

• Agency fee: customarily 2% of the price + 5% VAT on resale (buyer typically pays);

negotiable, not a government-fixed rate. Off-plan bought direct from a developer usually has no buyer-side agency fee.

• Developer NOC fee: roughly AED 500–5,000 (+ VAT), set by each developer — a range, not a

fixed figure.

• If mortgaged: a mortgage registration fee of 0.25% of the loan (+ ~AED 290 admin), plus a

bank valuation fee (~AED 2,500–3,500). Mortgage buyers need a pre-approval before Form F; CBUAE caps loan-to-value (see the Mortgage information).

Rule of thumb: budget total transaction costs of roughly 6–8% for a cash buyer and 7–10% for a mortgage buyer on top of the price — usually payable in cash (fees generally can't be financed).

No property tax

Dubai has no annual property tax and no capital gains tax on residential property — the main government levy is the one-off 4% DLD fee, plus ongoing service charges.

Off-plan vs ready

• Ready: move in / rent immediately; mortgage available; you see the actual unit; you get the

final title deed at transfer.

• Off-plan: bought from the developer before/during construction; developer payment plans; funds

protected in a mandatory escrow account; interim Oqood registration instead of an immediate title deed.