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Six steps
From clearing the financing to the title deed, with the mortgage registered the same day.
Official rulePassport only
No Emirates ID and no residence visa; the transfer can be done by power of attorney.
Official ruleDeposit, NOC, offer letter
Sign the sale agreement with a deposit, obtain the developer's no-objection certificate, then valuation and the bank's offer letter.
Official ruleAll figures are documented on this page; the sources are listed at the end of the page.
On this page
The short answer
Six steps: clear the financing first → choose the property and sign the sale agreement with a deposit →
obtain the developer's no-objection certificate → valuation and the bank's offer letter → transfer at a Dubai Land
Department registration trustee → title deed, with the mortgage registered the same day.[1]
You need a passport and nothing else, no Emirates ID, no residence visa, and the transfer can be done
by power of attorney. Budget 7 to 8 per cent in costs and, with a mortgage, four to eight weeks.
How to read this guide. Every statement is labelled:
Official rule a binding requirement set by the central bank or an authority ·
Bank practice terms set by individual banks, which can change at short notice ·
Nexus Bridge experience what we observe in live mandates ·
Worked example an illustrative calculation, not an offer.
What a non-resident is allowed to buy
Official rule In Dubai's designated freehold areas, foreign nationals may acquire full ownership. Title is registered with the Dubai Land Department and evidenced by a title deed in the buyer's name.[1] No residence permit is required. Outside those areas only leasehold rights of up to 99 years are available, of little practical relevance, because almost every location an international buyer considers is freehold.
The market you are buying into is large and, in 2026, quieter than it was. Dubai recorded more than 270,000 transactions worth AED 917 billion in 2025, up about 20 per cent on 2024, with roughly 193,100 investors of whom 129,600 were buying for the first time.[5] The first half of 2026 added AED 419.94 billion across 112,850 transactions.[4] Prices peaked in December 2025 and the overall index was 7.7 per cent lower by July 2026, while completed stock held its value.[6]
The six steps in detail
- Clear the financing first (1 to 3 weeks). Nexus Bridge experience Anyone who reserves a unit before a bank has said yes is negotiating from weakness and risking the deposit. Get a written pre-approval, then look. The mechanics are in the non-resident mortgage guide.
- Property and sale agreement. For a completed property, buyer and seller sign a memorandum of understanding, the Dubai Land Department's Form F, setting the price, payment terms and deadlines. A deposit of 10 per cent is customary and is held by the agent or a trustee. Nexus Bridge experience Never pay into a private account. For an off-plan purchase it is instead the developer's sale and purchase agreement with an instalment plan, and payments go into the project's escrow account.
- Developer's no-objection certificate (3 to 10 days). The NOC confirms there are no outstanding claims on the unit. Without it there is no transfer.
- Valuation and offer letter (2 to 4 weeks). With financing, the bank instructs its own valuer and issues the binding offer on that basis. Official rule If the valuation is below the agreed price, the bank lends against the lower figure and your equity requirement rises.[2]
- Transfer at the trustee office (one appointment). Buyer, seller, or their attorneys, and, where there is a mortgage, a bank representative meet at a Dubai Land Department registration trustee. The price is paid by manager's cheque or bank transfer, the DLD fees and the trustee fee are settled, and the department registers the transaction.[1]
- Title deed and mortgage. The title deed is issued in your name and, if you are financing, the bank's mortgage is registered at the same time.[3] Then: keys, transfer of the DEWA utilities account, and the service charge account.
Every cost, itemised
| Item | Amount | Category |
|---|---|---|
| DLD transfer fee | 4 % of the price (formally 2 % each side, in practice usually paid in full by the buyer) | Official rule[1] |
| Title deed issuance | AED 250 | Official rule[1] |
| Registration trustee | AED 4,000 + 5 % VAT (purchases above AED 500,000) | Official rule[1] |
| Agency commission | typically 2 % + VAT | market standard |
| Developer NOC fee | a few hundred to a few thousand AED | varies by developer |
| With a mortgage: registration | 0.25 % of the loan + AED 270 | Official rule[3] |
| With a mortgage: valuation and arrangement | AED 2,500 to 3,500; arrangement ≈ 1 % of the loan | Bank practice |
| Power of attorney, if you do not travel | notary, apostille, embassy attestation, translation, a few hundred euros | Nexus Bridge experience |
Worked example On a purchase of AED 1,500,000 with financing, the costs add up to roughly AED 110,000 to 115,000, about EUR 28,000, on top of the down payment. The full cash calculation, including the deposit, is set out in the down payment guide.
These costs cannot be financed. Since February 2025, banks in the UAE may not add the DLD
transfer fee or the agency commission to the loan. Plan the whole 7 to 8 per cent as cash.
Buying from abroad by power of attorney
Official rule If you will not attend the transfer, you appoint an attorney. The power of attorney has to be notarised in your home country, carry an apostille or legalisation, be attested by the UAE embassy and translated into Arabic. The Dubai Land Department accepts only powers of attorney with a clearly limited scope.[1]
Nexus Bridge experience Allow two to four weeks and start the power of attorney in parallel with the financing, not after it. It is the step most often left until the offer letter arrives, and it is the one that cannot be accelerated with money. Two further points from practice: name the attorney and the specific transaction precisely, because a broadly drafted document is more likely to be rejected than a narrow one; and check the expiry, since some are issued with a validity period shorter than a financed purchase takes.
Seven things to verify before you sign
- The seller's title deed or Oqood. Are they actually the owner, and is a mortgage registered against the unit? If so, a liability letter and settlement are needed before transfer.
- The service charge in AED per square foot per year, and any arrears. Arrears do not automatically pass to the buyer but they will block the NOC. In a well-run tower, AED 15 to 25 per square foot is normal, on 591 square feet at AED 17 that is AED 10,047 a year.
- Whether the unit is tenanted. A sitting tenant's contract survives the sale, and the rent is fixed until renewal. Increases are capped by the emirate's rent index and require 90 days' notice.[7]
- The developer and the agent. Both are registered in Dubai; ask for the registration numbers and check them.
- Whether your bank finances this development. Lenders keep internal approved-development lists, and a building can be excluded for reasons that have nothing to do with you.
- The building's rental record, not the brochure's yield. Ask what comparable units in the same tower actually let for, and how long they stood empty.
- The view and the floor. Nexus Bridge experience In waterfront locations this is not a comfort feature, it is the difference between letting in days and letting in weeks. In one of our mandates a unit with a full sea view was let within four hours; the same apartment facing the neighbouring façade would have taken weeks and a lower rent.
What happens after the keys
- Utilities. Register the DEWA account in your name; a deposit is payable.
- Service charge. Billed by the owners' association, usually quarterly, per square foot.
- Letting. A tenancy must be registered through Ejari. Rent is commonly paid in one to four cheques for the year.
- Rent increases. Capped by decree according to how far the current rent sits below the market average for comparable units: no increase below a 10 per cent gap, then 5, 10, 15 and a maximum of 20 per cent. Notice must be given at least 90 days before the contract ends, or the tenancy renews at the old price for a full year.[7]
- Succession. UAE assets are not automatically governed by your home country's succession law. A will registered in the UAE or the DIFC is the usual way to settle this, see our German guide on wills for UAE assets.
- Residency. From AED 2 million in property value, a ten-year Golden Visa is available and renewable, including for a mortgaged property with a bank letter, see the Golden Visa page.
Read next: the non-resident mortgage guide, opening a UAE bank account, and 40 questions answered.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner buy property in Dubai without living there?
Yes. In Dubai's designated freehold areas, foreign nationals can acquire full ownership regardless of where they live. Ownership is registered with the Dubai Land Department and evidenced by a title deed in the buyer's name. A residence visa is not a precondition, and you do not need an Emirates ID to buy. Outside the freehold areas only leasehold rights of up to 99 years are available.
Do I have to travel to Dubai to complete the purchase?
No. The transfer can be completed by an attorney acting under a power of attorney. The document must be notarised in your home country, carry an authentication at home (the UAE is not a Hague Apostille country, so an apostille alone is not enough), be attested by the UAE embassy and translated into Arabic. The Dubai Land Department accepts only powers of attorney with a clearly limited scope. Allow two to four weeks and start it in parallel with the financing, not afterwards.
How long does buying a property in Dubai take?
A cash purchase can complete in two to four weeks once the sale agreement is signed. With a mortgage, four to eight weeks from a complete submission is realistic. The steps that most often slip are the developer's no-objection certificate and the source-of-funds documentation.
What are the total costs of buying property in Dubai?
Roughly 7 to 8 per cent of the purchase price. The Dubai Land Department transfer fee is 4 per cent, the title deed costs AED 250, the registration trustee charges about AED 4,000 plus 5 per cent VAT on purchases above AED 500,000, agency commission is typically 2 per cent plus VAT, and with a mortgage you add 0.25 per cent of the loan plus AED 270 for registration, a valuation of AED 2,500 to 3,500 and an arrangement fee of around 1 per cent.
What is Form F?
Form F is the Dubai Land Department's standard memorandum of understanding between buyer and seller for a completed property. It records the price, the payment terms and the deadlines. A deposit of 10 per cent is customary and should be held by the agent or a trustee, never paid to a private account.
What is an Oqood registration?
Oqood is the Dubai Land Department's interim registration for an off-plan unit, made before the building exists and before a title deed can be issued. Payments on an off-plan purchase go into the project's escrow account, not to the developer directly.
Do I need a no-objection certificate from the developer?
Yes, for a resale. The NOC confirms that no service charges or other claims are outstanding on the unit. No NOC, no transfer. It typically takes three to ten days and costs from a few hundred to a few thousand dirhams depending on the developer.
What should I check before signing?
The seller's title deed or Oqood and whether a mortgage is registered against it; the building's service charge per square foot and any arrears; the developer's and the agent's registration; whether the unit is tenanted and on what terms, because a sitting tenant's contract survives the sale; and, if you are financing, whether your lender finances that particular development.
Is there property tax in Dubai?
There is no annual property tax and no capital gains tax on private property in the UAE. The main recurring costs are the service charge, cooling and utilities, and management if you let the property. Your own country may still tax the income or a gain, that question belongs to a tax adviser in your country of residence.
Sources
- Dubai Land Department, Property Sale Registration (transfer fee and process), https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/property-sale-registration/ (accessed 5 September 2026).
- UAE Central Bank Rulebook, Regulations Regarding Mortgage Loans, https://rulebook.centralbank.ae/en/rulebook/regulations-regarding-mortgage-loans (accessed 5 September 2026).
- Dubai Land Department, Request for Mortgage Registration, https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/request-for-mortgage-registration/ (accessed 5 September 2026).
- Dubai Land Department, Dubai real estate transactions surge 31% to AED 252 billion in Q1 2026, https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/news-media/dubai-s-real-estate-transactions-surge-31-to-reach-aed-252-billion-in-q1-2026/ (accessed 5 September 2026).
- Dubai Media Office, Dubai's real estate market records a new historic milestone (full-year 2025), https://mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2026/january/12-01/dubais-real-estate-market-records-new-historic-milestone (accessed 5 September 2026).
- PropertyIndex, Dubai residential price index, median price per square foot, July 2026, https://www.propertyindex.ae/ (accessed 5 September 2026).
- Dubai Land Department, Rental Index, https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/rental-index/ (accessed 5 September 2026).
- Nexus Bridge Capital, Dubai Monitor, issue 01, September 2026 (German), https://www.nexusbridgecapital.de/guide/dubai-monitor-09-2026/
DT
Written by Denise Tanrikul, Managing Partner · Reviewed by Martin Krygier, Manager, himself a property buyer, refurbisher and landlord in Germany and Dubai
Last reviewed 5 September 2026. Regulatory statements come from the primary sources linked at the foot of each page (UAE Central Bank, Dubai Land Department, federal authorities) and are refreshed at least quarterly. Bank terms change at short notice, always confirm the current position with the lender before deciding.