Dubai property buying facts (2026): fees, mortgage limits and rules

Buying fees

Fee	Amount	Set by
Transfer fee, ready homes	4% of the price, customarily paid by the buyer	Dubai Land Department
Title deed fees	AED 520 for an apartment or villa: AED 250 + AED 250 + AED 10 + AED 10	Dubai Land Department
Registration trustee fee	AED 4,000 + VAT at AED 500,000 and above; AED 2,000 + VAT below	Dubai Land Department
Oqood registration, off-plan homes	4% of the price + AED 20	Dubai Land Department
Mortgage registration	0.25% of the loan + AED 270	Dubai Land Department
Agency fee	Usually 2% of the price + VAT	Market custom
Developer NOC, resales	AED 500 to 5,000	The developer
Bank valuation	Typically AED 2,500 to 3,500 + VAT	The bank
Bank arrangement fee	Typically 0.5% to 1% of the loan + VAT	The bank

VAT in the UAE is 5%. A ready home bought with cash typically carries fees of about 7% of the price; the buying costs calculator works out the exact figure.

Mortgage limits

Home	Expatriates	UAE nationals
First home, AED 5 million or less	80% of the price	85% of the price
First home, over AED 5 million	70%	75%
Second or investment home	60%	65%
Off-plan home	50%	50%

Limits are set by the Central Bank of the UAE. Non-residents are lent to at each bank's discretion, commonly 50% to 60% on a ready home
Maximum term: 25 years. Each bank sets the age by which the loan must be repaid
Debt burden: all monthly debt repayments together may not exceed 50% of income
Early settlement fee: capped at 1% of the outstanding balance or AED 10,000, whichever is lower

Who can own

Buyers of any nationality can own freehold property in Dubai's designated freehold areas, first listed in Regulation No. 3 of 2006 and extended since. A UAE residence visa is not needed to buy.

Under Dubai Law No. 7 of 2006, non-UAE nationals may hold freehold without a time limit, or leasehold rights of up to 99 years, in designated areas
Non-resident foreigners identify themselves with a valid passport at the registration trustee
A power of attorney issued abroad must be notarised, legalised by the UAE embassy or consulate, attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, translated into Arabic and issued within two years (DLD Circular No. 29/R/2025, as summarised by Dubai law firms)

Off-plan protections

Under Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007, off-plan payments go into an escrow account for the project and may be used only to build it
The developer's creditors cannot seize money held in a project escrow account
Off-plan sales are registered on the Dubai Land Department's Oqood system before a title deed exists
Since April 2024, each off-plan unit needs its own advertising permit, not only the project

Advertising rules

Every property advert in Dubai must show its Trakheesi advertising permit number
Printed and video property adverts must carry a Madmoun QR code, mandatory since 24 April 2023
Brokerages and brokers must show their office (ORN) and broker (BRN) registration numbers in adverts
Off-plan adverts must also show the developer, the project's escrow account number and the expected completion date

Golden Visa through property

Minimum value: property worth AED 2 million or more, in one property or several
Term: ten years and renewable, according to the Dubai Land Department and GDRFA Dubai; the federal government portal shows a different term
Mortgaged property qualifies with a no-objection letter from the lending bank
Jointly owned property counts only when the applicant's own share is worth AED 2 million or more
The official DLD and GDRFA pages do not address off-plan property
Below AED 2 million, DLD lists a two-year investor residence visa for a sole owner of property of any value, or a joint owner with a share of at least AED 400,000
In April 2026 GDRFA Dubai and DLD agreed to move property residency services into GDRFA Dubai's system

Owning and letting

Service charges on jointly owned property need RERA's approval, which requires a budget approved by a certified audit firm (Dubai Law No. 6 of 2019, Article 27)
A home may not be sold while its service charges are unpaid (Article 32)
Every tenancy contract must be registered with RERA through Ejari; online registration costs AED 177.75
Rent may rise at renewal only when it is more than 10% below the rent index average for similar homes, by 5%, 10%, 15% or at most 20% (Decree No. 43 of 2013)
Changing tenancy terms or not renewing requires at least 90 days' notice before the contract ends, unless the contract says otherwise
Ending a tenancy at expiry to sell, or for the owner or a first-degree relative to move in, requires 12 months' notice through a notary public or by registered mail

Tax

The UAE does not levy income tax on individuals
A person's rental income from property held in their own name is not subject to corporate tax when the activity does not require a licence (Cabinet Decision No. 49 of 2023)
Residential leases are generally exempt from VAT; the first supply of a new residential property within three years of completion is zero-rated

Handover and defects

Developers must repair or replace defective installations for one year from handover (Dubai Law No. 6 of 2019, Article 40)
Developers must fix structural defects for ten years from the completion certificate (Article 40)
Once a project has its completion certificate, the developer must register sold units in the names of buyers who have met their obligations (Law No. 13 of 2008, Article 8)
If an off-plan buyer defaults, the developer may keep up to 40% of the unit's value on a project more than 60% complete, or up to 25% below that (Law No. 13 of 2008 as amended by Law No. 19 of 2020)

Dubai in numbers

In 2025 Dubai recorded more than 270,000 real estate transactions worth AED 917 billion, 20% more than in 2024 (Dubai Media Office, January 2026)
Real estate transactions in the first quarter of 2026 reached AED 252 billion, up 31% on a year earlier (Dubai Land Department, April 2026)
Dubai's population passed 4.58 million at the end of 2025, up 7.5% in a year (WAM, July 2026)

Areas at a glance

Area	Freehold	Public transport	Master developer
Dubai Marina	Yes	Dubai Metro Red Line: Sobha Realty and DMCC stations. Dubai Tram: six stops, including Dubai Marina, Marina Towers, Dubai Marina Mall, JBR 1 and JBR 2	Emaar
Downtown Dubai	Yes	Dubai Metro Red Line: Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station	Emaar
Palm Jumeirah	Yes	Palm Monorail along the trunk, with stations including Gateway, Al Ittihad Park and Atlantis Aquaventure. Dubai Tram: the Palm Jumeirah stop, a walk from the Monorail's Gateway station	Nakheel
Dubai Hills Estate	Yes	No Metro station. RTA bus DH1 connects the community to Equiti station on the Red Line	Emaar and Meraas
Business Bay	Yes	Dubai Metro Red Line: Business Bay station	Dubai Properties (Dubai Holding)
Jumeirah Village Circle	Yes	No Metro station. Bus J01 runs to Mall of the Emirates, with other routes across the community	Nakheel
Dubai Creek Harbour	Yes	No Metro station yet. The Blue Line is due to open in September 2029 with a Dubai Creek Harbour station. Nearest station today: Creek, on the Green Line	Emaar

Transport changes to know

The Dubai Metro Blue Line is due to open on 9 September 2029, with 14 stations including one at Dubai Creek Harbour
Two Red Line stations in Dubai Marina have new names: Sobha Realty (formerly Dubai Marina) and DMCC (formerly Jumeirah Lakes Towers)

Quick answers

What is the DLD transfer fee in Dubai?

4% of the purchase price of a ready home, customarily paid by the buyer. Off-plan purchases pay the same 4% to register on Oqood, plus AED 20.

What is the maximum mortgage loan-to-value in Dubai?

80% for an expatriate's first home worth up to AED 5 million, 70% above AED 5 million, 60% for a second home and 50% for an off-plan home. UAE nationals may borrow 85%, 75% and 65% on ready homes.

What is the agency fee for buying property in Dubai?

Usually 2% of the price plus 5% VAT. It is market custom, not a fixed legal rate.

How much property do you need for a Dubai Golden Visa?

Property worth AED 2 million or more, held in one property or several.

What protects off-plan buyers in Dubai?

Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007, which requires off-plan payments to be held in a project escrow account and used only for that project's construction.

Can foreigners buy property in Dubai?

Yes, as freehold owners in Dubai's designated freehold areas, without needing a UAE residence visa.

Is Ejari registration mandatory in Dubai?

Yes. Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007 requires every tenancy contract to be registered with RERA, through Ejari.

How long is a developer liable for defects in Dubai?

One year from handover for defective installations, and ten years from the completion certificate for structural defects, under Article 40 of Dubai Law No. 6 of 2019.

How many real estate transactions did Dubai record in 2025?

More than 270,000, worth AED 917 billion, according to the Dubai Media Office.

Dubai property buying facts