How to buy property in Dubai when you live abroad

Can a non-resident buy in Dubai

Yes. Dubai Law No. 7 of 2006 lets non-UAE nationals hold freehold property without a time limit, or leasehold rights of up to 99 years, in the areas designated for it. Those areas were first listed in 2006 and have grown since; every community in our area guides is one of them. You do not need a residence visa, a local sponsor or a UAE company to buy.

This guide covers an individual buying in their own name. A company buying through its licence has its own document list at the trustee, and a foreign company needs more of it.

What identification you need

The Dubai Land Department registers sales through registration trustee offices. A UAE resident shows an Emirates ID. A non-resident foreigner shows a valid passport. That is the whole identification requirement at the trustee.

On a resale in a freehold area the trustee also needs the developer's electronic no-objection certificate. The seller applies for it through the Dubai REST app, and it confirms the seller has paid the developer what is due. The sale contract, Form F, sets out who pays the NOC fee.

Buying without flying in

You can give someone a power of attorney to sign for you. DLD Circular No. 29/R/2025, as summarised by Dubai law firms, sets the standard for a power of attorney issued outside the UAE. It must be:

• Notarised by the competent authority in the country of issue
• Legalised by the UAE embassy or consulate in that country
• Attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Produced as the original, not a copy or a scan
• Translated in full into Arabic by a UAE-licensed translator, where it is in another language
• Dated within the two years before it is used

A power of attorney notarised inside the UAE and entered in the electronic register generally stays valid unless it states an end date. Whichever route you use, the document must name the transaction. General wording is rejected at the trustee, so have it drafted for this purchase, naming the property if you already know it.

Choose the attorney with care. A lawyer, a relative in the UAE or the brokerage can act, and the power of attorney can be limited to signing the contract and the transfer, with no authority over the money.

Getting the money to Dubai

DLD takes its own fees by ePay, Dubai Pay, the Noqodi wallet or manager's cheque. The price itself is a matter between you and the seller. By market practice it is paid by manager's cheque drawn on a UAE bank, handed over at the trustee office on transfer day. Plan how the funds will reach a UAE bank weeks before the transfer, not days: your own account if a bank will open one for you, or a lawyer's client account.

DLD's Digital Sale service on the Dubai Now app completes a sale online, but it is built for residents: both sides need an Emirates ID, an active UAE Pass and a UAE bank account, and the home must be a mortgage-free unit in a freehold area with one owner. Non-residents use a trustee office, in person or through an attorney.

Budget the fees before you send money. On a ready home they come to about 7% of the price: the 4% transfer fee, AED 520 in title deed fees, the trustee fee, the agency fee and the NOC. The buying costs calculator gives the exact sum.

Mortgages for non-residents

No regulation stops a UAE bank lending to a non-resident, so each bank decides for itself. In practice banks lend non-residents 50% to 60% of the price of a ready home, and 50% off-plan, which is the Central Bank's cap for off-plan lending to anyone. Banks ask for proof of income and bank statements from your home country, and they may insist on a UAE account for the repayments.

Get the pre-approval before you sign Form F. By custom the deposit is 10%, and a buyer who cannot complete can lose it. How mortgages work in Dubai explains the fees, the valuation and the order of events.

Visas that property can bring

• A two-year investor residence visa. The Dubai Land Department's service page lists it for a sole owner of property of any value, or a joint owner whose share is worth at least AED 400,000, with an investor fee of AED 10,212.50.
• A Golden Visa. For property worth AED 2 million or more, in one home or several, including a mortgaged home with a letter from the bank. DLD and GDRFA Dubai describe it as ten years and renewable. The Golden Visa through property sets out the conditions.

In April 2026 GDRFA Dubai and DLD agreed to move property residency services into GDRFA Dubai's system. Confirm the current channel and fees before you apply, because the pages that describe them are changing.

Tax when you own from abroad

The UAE has no income tax on individuals. Under Cabinet Decision No. 49 of 2023, income from property you hold in your own name is outside UAE corporate tax, whatever the amount, as long as the activity is not carried out, and need not be carried out, under a licence. Residential leases are generally exempt from VAT.

Your own country may tax rent and gains from Dubai property, and some countries tax worldwide income. Ask an adviser at home before you buy, not after.

Questions buyers ask