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How to buy a home in Dubai, step by step

From setting your budget to collecting the title deed: every stage of buying a ready home, what you sign and what you pay.

Updated 15 September 2026

Who can buy

Buyers of any nationality can own property outright, as freehold, in Dubai's designated freehold areas. They were first set out in Regulation No. 3 of 2006 and more have been added since. They include Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, Downtown Dubai, Business Bay, Dubai Hills Estate, Jumeirah Village Circle and Dubai Creek Harbour.

You do not need to live in the UAE to buy: non-resident foreigners identify themselves with a valid passport at the registration trustee, and an attorney can sign for you. Buying property in Dubai from abroad explains how, and how mortgages work in Dubai covers borrowing as a non-resident.

The steps

  1. Set a budget that includes the fees.On a ready home bought with cash, plan for about 7% on top of the price: the 4% Dubai Land Department transfer fee, the customary 2% agency fee plus VAT, the registration trustee fee, the title deed fees and the developer's NOC fee. The buying costs calculator works it out for any price.
  2. Arrange your mortgage before you choose.If you are borrowing, ask a bank for pre-approval first. It tells you how much you can borrow. The Central Bank of the UAE sets the ceiling: an expatriate buying a first home worth up to AED 5 million can borrow up to 80% of the price.
  3. Appoint your broker.Form B is the Dubai Land Department's standard contract between a buyer and a broker. It sets out what the broker does for you and the commission.
  4. View homes, and check every advert.Every property advert in Dubai must carry a Trakheesi permit number, and printed and video adverts carry a Madmoun QR code you can scan to confirm the advert is valid.
  5. Agree the terms and sign Form F.Form F, often called the MOU, is the Dubai Land Department's standard sale contract between buyer and seller. It records the price, the deposit and the transfer date. By custom the buyer pays a 10% deposit when it is signed, held until the transfer.
  6. The developer issues its NOC.The developer confirms it has no objection to the transfer, for a fee of AED 500 to 5,000 that it sets itself. Who pays it is agreed in Form F.
  7. Transfer ownership at a registration trustee.Buyer and seller, or their representatives, meet at a Dubai Land Department registration trustee office. The seller is paid, the transfer fee, title deed fees and the trustee's fee of AED 4,000 plus VAT (AED 2,000 plus VAT under AED 500,000) are settled, and the sale is registered.
  8. Receive your title deed.The title deed is issued in your name. If you have a mortgage, the bank's charge is registered at the same time, for 0.25% of the loan plus AED 270.

If you are buying off-plan

Buying from a developer before a building is complete follows a different path: you reserve, sign the developer's sale agreement, pay in stages into the project's escrow account, and register the purchase on the Oqood system for 4% of the price. Buying off-plan in Dubai covers it in full.

Questions buyers ask

Can foreigners buy property in Dubai?

Yes. Buyers of any nationality can own freehold property in Dubai's designated freehold areas, which include most of the best-known communities, among them Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai and Palm Jumeirah.

How much deposit do I pay when I agree to buy?

By custom, 10% of the price when you sign Form F, the sale contract with the seller. It is market practice rather than a legal requirement, and it is held until the transfer.

How much are the fees on top of the price?

For a ready home bought with cash, about 7%: the 4% DLD transfer fee, a 2% agency fee plus VAT, the registration trustee fee, the DLD title deed fees and the developer's NOC fee. A mortgage adds registration, valuation and arrangement fees.

Do I need a UAE residence visa to buy?

No. Non-residents can buy freehold property in Dubai, and can borrow from UAE banks, which usually lend them a smaller share of the price, commonly 50% to 60%.

Sources

Buying property in Dubai from abroad

How non-residents buy without living in the UAE: identification, powers of attorney, paying, borrowing, and the visas property can bring.

Read the guide

What it costs to buy property in Dubai

Every fee on a ready home, an off-plan home and a mortgage, with the government figures checked against the Dubai Land Department.

Read the guide