Things buyers ask us most.

You agree terms and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU / Form F in Dubai). A 10% deposit is held by the agent or a conveyancing firm. Both parties apply for a No Objection Certificate from the developer. The DLD transfer happens at a trustee office — both buyer and seller (or their POA holders) must attend. Title Deed is issued same day. The whole process takes 4–8 weeks for a mortgage buyer, 2–4 weeks if cash.

Minimum entry depends on emirate. Dubai off-plan starts ~AED 600K (studios in JVC). Ready apartments AED 1M+. Prime ready (Marina/Downtown) AED 2M+. Don't forget: 4% DLD transfer fee, 2% agent (if not buyer-side), service charges 18–25 AED/sqft annually.

Yes, in designated freehold zones. Dubai has the most — over 60 areas including Marina, Downtown, Palm Jumeirah, JVC, Business Bay. Abu Dhabi has investment zones on Yas and Saadiyat. Ras Al Khaimah opened Al Marjan Island to foreign freehold in 2023. Outside these zones, foreigners can only hold 99-year leasehold.

Freehold means you own the property and the land outright with no time limit — you can sell, lease, gift, or inherit it freely. Leasehold grants you use of the property for a fixed term (typically 99 years in UAE) but the underlying land remains with the landlord. At expiry, the lease may be renewed or reverted. Most foreign buyers target freehold zones.

For cash buyers: 2–4 weeks from MOU to Title Deed. For mortgage buyers: 4–8 weeks, depending on how quickly the bank issues a liability letter and the developer clears the NOC. Delays usually come from the bank's valuation queue or an outstanding service charge balance on the seller's side.

Off-plan suits buyers who want staged payments, lower entry price, and potential capital appreciation before handover — but carries developer risk and a 1–4 year wait. Ready property gives immediate rental income or occupancy, is easier to finance, and lets you inspect the real unit. We help buyers match the right structure to their goals rather than push one or the other.

If the deal falls through after you've signed an MOU, the outcome depends on who backs out and what the MOU says. Standard Dubai MOU: if the buyer withdraws, they forfeit the deposit. If the seller withdraws, they return the deposit plus an equal penalty. In practice, sellers rarely back out. Always have a lawyer review the MOU before signing.

Check the developer's RERA registration on the Dubai Land Department portal (dubailand.gov.ae). Look up the specific project's escrow account number — all off-plan projects must hold buyer funds in a RERA-supervised escrow account, not the developer's general account. We cross-reference construction progress, delivery track record, and any RERA complaints before recommending a developer.

The SPA is the binding legal contract between you and the developer for an off-plan unit. It specifies the unit details, payment schedule, handover date, penalty clauses, and snagging process. It must be registered with the DLD within 60 days of signing. Read every clause — especially the force-majeure and delay-penalty sections — before you sign.

Under RERA regulations, developers must compensate buyers for delays beyond the handover date stated in the SPA. The standard penalty is 1% of the purchase price per month, up to a maximum depending on the contract. Alternatively, if the delay exceeds a certain threshold (often 12–24 months), you may have grounds to cancel and claim a refund via RERA's dispute resolution centre.

Yes — this is called off-plan resale or "flipping." Most developers require that you've paid at least 20–30% of the purchase price before they'll issue a NOC to transfer. The transfer is registered with the DLD and the buyer steps into your original SPA. This is a common exit strategy but does attract a 4% DLD fee on the new transaction.

A construction-linked plan where you pay 30% during construction (usually in milestones tied to build progress) and the remaining 70% on handover. Post-handover plans extend some portion beyond handover — e.g. 40/60 where 60% is paid over 2–3 years after keys. These plans let buyers leverage developer financing without a bank mortgage, but the handover-balloon can be large.

Yes, by law in Dubai (and increasingly in other emirates). All off-plan buyer payments must go into a RERA-supervised escrow account held at an approved bank. The developer can only draw from it in tranches as construction milestones are verified by RERA's inspectors. This protects buyers if the developer defaults. Always verify the escrow account number before wiring money.

A NOC is a letter from the developer stating they have no objection to transferring the property. It confirms that service charges are settled and the unit is clear of any developer-side encumbrances. Without a NOC, the DLD won't process the transfer. Developers typically issue a NOC within 5–10 working days for a fee (usually AED 500–5,000 depending on the developer).

RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Agency) is Dubai's property regulator under the DLD. It registers developers, approves project launches, supervises escrow accounts, licences brokers, and operates the dispute resolution centre (RDC). Every legitimate off-plan project has a RERA registration number. If something goes wrong with a developer or broker, RERA is the first port of call.

It depends on the developer and the stage of construction. Most developers allow upgrades (flooring, kitchen fittings, additional fixtures) if chosen early in the build process, usually within 3–6 months of launch. Structural changes are rarely permitted. Some luxury developers offer bespoke fit-out packages. Customisations are documented in an addendum to the SPA.

Yes, subject to conditions. UAE residency visas are available to property owners: a 2-year investor visa (as of May 2026, Dubai removed the previous AED 750K minimum for sole owners — joint owners still need AED 400K+ per share), and a 10-year Golden Visa for AED 2M+ (fully paid, not mortgaged beyond that threshold). The property must be freehold and in a qualifying zone. The visa covers the owner and can include spouse and dependent children.

AED 2 million as the net equity value of the property. For a mortgaged property, this means your paid-up equity (not the purchase price) must be at least AED 2M. A portfolio of properties can be combined to reach the threshold. Off-plan properties can qualify if the paid instalments total AED 2M+, but the Golden Visa is typically issued after handover.

The 2-year property visa is simpler to obtain and renews automatically as long as you own the property. The 10-year Golden Visa offers far greater stability — it doesn't lapse if you spend time abroad, gives your children university-age residency, and is not tied to having a local employer. For serious long-term residents and investors, the Golden Visa is the better choice if you meet the AED 2M threshold.

Typically 2–4 weeks from submission of documents to receiving the residency stamp. The process includes a medical test, Emirates ID application, and status change if you're entering on a visit visa. If you're already a UAE resident, the process is shorter. Processing through the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai usually moves faster than Abu Dhabi's.

Yes. Once you hold a property-linked residency visa, you can sponsor your spouse and children under 18 (and in some cases up to 25 if studying). Golden Visa holders can also sponsor domestic workers more easily. Each dependent requires their own medical test and Emirates ID. Parents can be sponsored separately under a different visa category.

No — the property visa is tied to ownership. If you sell, you must cancel the visa (and your dependents') within 60 days of transfer. However, if you immediately buy another qualifying property, you can apply for a new visa without a gap. Golden Visa holders have a 6-month grace period. Always plan the visa transition before completing a sale.

No. UAE has no personal income tax. Rental income earned by an individual — resident or non-resident — is not taxed in the UAE. You do not need to file a local tax return on rental earnings. However, your home country may tax this income if you remain a tax resident there — this is a common issue for UK, Australian, and Canadian buyers in particular.

Residential property transactions are exempt from UAE VAT (5%). Commercial properties are VAT-able. New residential properties sold for the first time by a developer are zero-rated (0% VAT but VAT-registered). Service charges on residential buildings may carry VAT on the management fee component. In practice, most residential buyers never encounter a VAT charge on their purchase.

UAE Corporate Tax (9%, effective June 2023) applies to businesses, not to individuals earning rental income. If you hold property through a company, the company may be subject to corporate tax on rental profits. Individual landlords — even those with multiple properties — are generally not subject to corporate tax on passive rental income. Seek advice from a registered UAE tax agent if you have a complex structure.

Possibly. Many countries tax their residents on worldwide income regardless of where it's earned. The UK, Australia, Canada, Germany, and India are examples. If you remain a tax resident in your home country while earning UAE rental income, you likely owe tax at home (though UAE has no withholding tax to credit). UAE has double-tax treaties with 130+ countries, which may reduce your liability. A cross-border tax adviser is worth the cost.

Yes. Most major UAE banks (Emirates NBD, ADCB, Mashreq, HSBC UAE, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank) offer mortgages to non-resident foreigners for property in freehold zones. Typically you need a minimum salary of AED 15,000/month (employed) or 25,000/month (self-employed), a clean credit history, and documents proving income. Rates and terms are similar to those offered to residents.

Under UAE Central Bank regulations: residents can borrow up to 80% LTV for a first property under AED 5M (20% deposit), 70% for properties above AED 5M. Non-resident foreigners are capped at 75% LTV regardless of price (25% deposit minimum). For a second property, the limit drops to 65% LTV. Off-plan properties are typically limited to 50% LTV by most banks.

Core documents: valid passport, UAE visa or entry stamp, last 6 months' bank statements (personal and business if self-employed), 3 months' salary slips or 2 years' audited accounts for self-employed, proof of address (utility bill or tenancy contract), and the property's title deed or SPA. Banks may also request a credit report from your home country and an HR letter confirming employment.

Most UAE banks issue a pre-approval (called an in-principle approval or IPA) within 3–7 working days if documents are complete. Final approval — after the bank's valuer inspects the property — takes a further 5–10 days. The IPA is valid for 60–90 days, giving you time to negotiate and sign an MOU. We recommend getting pre-approved before you start viewing, so you know your exact budget.

UAE mortgage rates are typically EIBOR-linked (fixed 1–5 years, then variable). In the current rate environment, a 3-year fixed offers predictability before the first reset. Variable rates are currently around 4.5–5.5% depending on the bank and your profile. The difference in monthly payment between fixed and variable is usually modest — the bigger decision is the term length (typically 25 years max) and the bank's prepayment penalties.

Yes, but terms are more restrictive. Banks typically lend only up to 50% of the purchase price for off-plan, and some banks only finance from approved developers or specific projects on their whitelist. The bank disburses in tranches aligned to construction milestones. Alternatively, many buyers finance off-plan entirely through developer payment plans (which are often interest-free) and arrange a conventional mortgage only at handover.

Form B (officially Form A for sellers, Form B for buyers under RERA's standard agency agreement) is the buyer's agency agreement with their broker. It confirms the broker's commission, scope of work, and the property being sought. Signing it protects you by documenting that your broker works for you — not for the seller — and clarifies who pays what fee. It is a RERA requirement for Dubai licensed brokers.

A BRN (Broker Registration Number) is a unique identifier issued by RERA to each licensed real estate broker in Dubai. It appears on every property listing, contract, and agent communication. Its purpose is accountability: buyers can verify any broker's credentials and complaint history on the Dubai REST app or DLD website. If a broker refuses to provide their BRN, treat that as a red flag.

Both buyer and seller (or their Power of Attorney holders) appear at a DLD-accredited trustee office. The buyer pays the purchase price (or the bank disburses if mortgaged), plus the 4% DLD fee and AED 4,000 trustee fee. The seller receives their proceeds and signs the transfer documents. The DLD then registers the transfer digitally and issues the new Title Deed — in practice this takes 1–2 hours at the trustee office.

At handover, you inspect the unit (the snagging inspection) and document defects — scratches, missing fixtures, unfinished finishes, plumbing issues. Reputable developers provide a defects liability period of 12 months during which they must rectify reported issues at no cost. For structural defects, UAE law requires a 10-year structural warranty. Always conduct the snagging inspection before signing the handover certificate, and ideally bring an independent snagging consultant.

Standard Dubai closing costs: DLD transfer fee 4% (typically split 50/50 or all buyer — negotiable), DLD registration AED 4,000 (typically buyer), NOC fee AED 500–5,000 (seller pays), agent commission 2% (each party pays their own agent). Mortgage buyers also pay a bank arrangement fee (0.5–1% of loan) and property valuation fee (AED 2,500–3,500). Total buyer closing costs excluding the deposit run 5–7% of purchase price.

For new-build defects within the 12-month defects liability period: contact the developer in writing, document with photos, and request rectification. If they don't respond, file a complaint with RERA's developer relations department. For structural defects under the 10-year statutory warranty, the developer is liable under UAE Civil Code Article 880. For secondary market (resale) properties, defects fall under the sale contract — which is why a pre-purchase survey by an independent engineer is always recommended.