Dubai Property FAQ

Yes. Non-UAE nationals can buy and own property outright in designated freehold areas of Dubai. Title deeds are issued in the buyer's name by the Dubai Land Department (DLD), with no requirement to be a UAE resident or hold a local sponsor. The same rule extends to most other Emirates with their own freehold zones.

The most popular freehold zones include Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, Business Bay, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai Hills Estate, Jumeirah Village Circle, Arabian Ranches, Emirates Hills, Damac Hills, Dubai Creek Harbour and Mohammed Bin Rashid City. The full list is updated by DLD and now covers most of "new Dubai".

Freehold gives you full and permanent ownership of the property and the land, registered in your name with DLD. Leasehold typically grants a long-term lease (often 99 years) where the underlying land is owned by an Emirati family or government entity. Most resales and new launches marketed to international buyers are freehold.

No. Buying property in Dubai does not require pre-existing UAE residency. You can complete the entire purchase on a tourist visa or remotely via a notarised power of attorney. Buying does, however, give you access to property-investor and Golden Visa pathways once the value crosses the relevant thresholds.

On average, expect to budget an additional 6–8% of the property price. The main components are the DLD transfer fee (4% of the property price) plus AED 580 admin, agency commission (typically 2% + 5% VAT), trustee office fee (AED 2,000–5,000 + VAT depending on price), and — if mortgaged — a mortgage registration fee of 0.25% of the loan amount + AED 290.

The Dubai Land Department transfer fee is 4% of the property purchase price plus a fixed AED 580 admin charge. It is paid at transfer, conventionally split 50/50 between buyer and seller in the resale market, though in practice the buyer often pays the full 4% — agree this in writing on the MOU before proceeding.

Standard agency commission is 2% of the property price plus 5% VAT, paid by the buyer at transfer. For some off-plan launches the developer pays the agency directly, in which case the buyer pays no commission — confirm in writing before signing.

A cash resale transaction typically completes in 30–45 days from signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to title deed transfer. A mortgage purchase usually takes 60–90 days because of bank valuation, NOC issuance and final approval steps. Off-plan purchases can be reserved within a day but title transfer happens only on project completion.

There is no annual property tax or capital-gains tax in the UAE for individual property owners. The recurring costs you do pay are service charges (paid to the building's Owners' Association, typically AED 12–35/sqft per year depending on tower) and a small DEWA (water + electricity) housing fee billed monthly on your utility bill.

Yes. UAE residents and select non-residents can both qualify for mortgages from UAE banks. Resident expats typically borrow up to 80% loan-to-value on a first home under AED 5M, while non-residents are capped lower (often 50–60% LTV) and must show stronger income documentation. The exact cap is set by the UAE Central Bank.

For a first home valued under AED 5 million, expats need a minimum 20% down payment in cash (the bank lends up to 80%). For UAE nationals the minimum is 15%. For homes above AED 5M and for investment / second properties, the minimum down payment rises by 5–10 percentage points.

UAE Central Bank rules cap mortgage tenure at 25 years and require the loan to be fully repaid by age 65 for salaried borrowers (70 for self-employed). The effective tenure for older borrowers is therefore the shorter of 25 years or the remaining years to that age cap.

Rates vary with the EIBOR benchmark and your borrower profile, but typical fixed-rate mortgages have ranged from roughly 4.0% to 5.5% over the last few years. Most banks offer a 1-, 3- or 5-year fixed period that reverts to a variable rate (EIBOR + a margin) afterwards. Always ask for the post-fixed rate, not just the headline introductory rate.

Yes, but only up to 50% loan-to-value while the property is under construction, and only with banks that have approved the specific developer and project. The remaining payments under the developer's payment plan are paid from your own funds. Once the project is completed and you take handover, you can refinance to a standard mortgage at the higher LTV cap.

Off-plan means buying a property directly from the developer before construction is complete — sometimes before any work has started on site. Buyers pay a structured payment plan tied to construction milestones, then receive title and the keys at handover. Off-plan typically offers lower entry prices and longer payment plans than ready resale.

Risk is materially lower than it once was thanks to RERA's mandatory developer registration and project escrow accounts: every dirham a buyer pays must go into a project-specific escrow that the developer can only draw against verified construction progress. Buyers should still cross-check developer track record, confirm the escrow is registered, and read the Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) carefully.

Oqood is the interim registration of an off-plan property with DLD, issued to the buyer once the developer registers the unit. It is the buyer's legal proof of ownership during construction, in lieu of a full title deed (which is issued only on completion). The Oqood fee is 4% of the unit price, paid once at the start.

For delays, the SPA usually defines an allowable grace period (often 12 months) before remedies apply. If a project is formally cancelled by RERA, escrow funds are returned to buyers. In genuine cases of developer default, RERA has stepped in to either appoint a replacement developer or arrange refunds — but this can be lengthy, which is why developer due-diligence is critical.

Yes. Dubai offers two main routes: a 2-year property-investor visa for properties valued AED 750,000 and above, and a 10-year Golden Visa for properties valued AED 2 million and above (subject to additional conditions). Both extend to spouse and dependent children, and both are renewable as long as the qualifying property is retained.

The current minimum is AED 2 million in property value, which can be a single property or multiple combined. The property must be fully owned in the applicant's name (mortgaged property may qualify if the buyer has paid at least AED 2M in equity, subject to bank no-objection). The Golden Visa is valid for 10 years and renewable.

Yes. The property-investor visa and Golden Visa both allow you to sponsor your spouse and unmarried children regardless of their age. The Golden Visa additionally allows sponsorship of parents and household domestic workers under standard UAE sponsorship rules.

The standard property-investor visa is valid for 2 years and is renewable as long as you continue to own qualifying property. The 10-year Golden Visa is, as the name implies, valid for 10 years and renewable. Both require periodic entry into the UAE during the visa's validity to avoid lapse.

Gross rental yields in popular Dubai districts have historically ranged from 5% to 9% depending on area, unit type and bedroom count. Net yields, after service charges and management fees, typically run 1–2 percentage points lower. Apartment districts like Jumeirah Village Circle, Business Bay and Dubai Sports City often deliver the highest gross yields; villa communities and prime Downtown / Palm tend to be lower-yield, higher-capital-growth.

High-yield apartment districts have consistently included JVC, International City, Dubai Sports City, Business Bay and Discovery Gardens, with gross yields commonly in the 7–9% range. These areas trade at lower per-square-foot prices than Downtown or Marina, and have strong end-user rental demand from working professionals.

Yes, but the unit must be registered as a Holiday Home with the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) and operated by a DET-licensed holiday-home operator. Many buildings restrict short-term letting via the Owners' Association rules, so always check building bylaws before assuming Airbnb is viable.

Service charges are billed by the Owners' Association annually and typically range from AED 12 to AED 35 per square foot per year. Branded and serviced residences sit at the upper end; older mass-market buildings sit at the lower end. Always request the current figure (and recent history) from the OA before purchase — it is the largest recurring cost of ownership.

Ejari is the official rental registration system run by RERA. Every residential tenancy in Dubai must be registered on Ejari, producing a unique contract number that is required for utilities (DEWA), residency-visa renewals and any rental dispute. The fee is around AED 220 per registration.

Rent increases are capped by RERA's Rental Index. If your current rent is at or above market, no increase is allowed. As current rent falls below the market average, allowable increases scale from 5% (11–20% below market) up to 20% (more than 40% below market). RERA's online calculator gives the exact cap for any given unit.

Disputes between landlords and tenants are heard at the Dubai Rental Dispute Settlement Centre (RDSC), a specialist tribunal. Filing fees are 3.5% of the annual rent (capped at AED 20,000) and most cases are resolved in 30–60 days. The Ejari registration is a prerequisite for filing.