Buy property in Dubai (2026): the complete guide for international buyers

To buy property in Dubai as a foreigner, you buy in a freehold area: Article 4 of Law No. 7 of 2006, issued on 13 March 2006, allows non UAE nationals freehold ownership without time limit in areas the Ruler determines. The Dubai Land Department reported AED 148.35 billion of investment by foreign investors in the first quarter of 2026, up 26 per cent on a year earlier, in its release of 9 April 2026.

This hub is for private buyers, families and investors in the Americas, Europe, India and the Gulf who want Dubai property for foreigners explained in one place: who can buy, how to buy property in Dubai step by step, what it costs, how a non resident finances it and when it brings residency. Every rule here comes from the law or the authority's own service page, read on 9 November 2026. It is general information, not legal or tax advice, and each section links to the guide that goes deeper.

Can foreigners buy property in Dubai, and where?

Yes, in designated areas. Law No. 7 of 2006 restricts ownership to UAE and Gulf nationals and certain companies, then lets non UAE nationals hold freehold title, or usufruct and leasehold rights of up to 99 years, in areas the Ruler determines. Outside those areas a foreign buyer cannot hold freehold title, so the first question on any property is where it sits.

Regulation No. 3 of 2006, issued on 7 June 2006, named 23 areas for ownership by non UAE nationals. They include Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali, Emirates Hills 1, 2 and 3, Jebel Ali, Al Jaddaf, The World Islands, Sheikh Zayed Road, Mirdif and Nad Al Sheba. The Dubai Legislation Portal lists later resolutions adding land to these areas, among them Resolution No. 6 of 2022, so a community missing from the 2006 list may still be freehold. The title deed and the developer's documents settle it for any given unit.

You can buy in your own name, jointly, or through a company. The Land Department's sale registration page states that where the buyer or seller is a company, it must first be registered with the Department. Which vehicles are accepted is a Department policy, and the choice affects succession and tax at home; our guide to holding property personally, through a company or a foundation sets out the options.

What does Dubai real estate investment look like in 2026?

The market is large and mostly driven by new buyers. In its release of 9 April 2026, the Land Department reported AED 252 billion of real estate transactions in the first quarter, up 31 per cent year on year, across 60,303 transactions. It counted 48,448 investors in the quarter, 29,312 of them new to the market, and 48,445 investments by foreign investors worth AED 148.35 billion.

Off plan now leads sales by number. Emirates 24|7, reporting Land Department data on 20 July 2026, put first half sales at AED 286.44 billion across about 86,000 deals. Off plan sales were AED 139.75 billion across 58,840 transactions, while completed property sales were AED 146.69 billion across 27,160. Off plan was therefore about two thirds of sales by number but slightly under half by value, because ready homes averaged a higher value per sale.

For income, Khaleej Times reported on 29 October 2026 that Windmills Group, a valuation firm, put third quarter rental yields at about 7.7 per cent for apartments and 7.0 per cent for villas. The report does not say how the yields were calculated or whether they are before or after service charges, so treat them as a market average, not a forecast for any unit. A yield on a specific property is worked out from its achievable rent, its service charge and its full purchase cost.

How to buy property in Dubai, step by step

A resale purchase of a completed property follows a sequence the Land Department has standardised.

1. Appoint a licensed broker. The Department's Real Estate Brokerage Practice Guide, second edition of November 2024, says brokers must hold a licence registered in the Trakheesi system and an electronic broker card. The buyer signs Contract B, which the guide calls an agreement of desire to purchase between the buyer and the brokerage.
2. Agree the price and sign Contract F. The guide describes Contract F as the agreement to sell between seller and buyer. Al Tamimi and Company reported that the standard Forms A, B and F became mandatory on 1 May 2014, and that parties often add addenda for deposits and timing, which the forms leave open.
3. Pay the deposit as Contract F sets out. The amount is negotiated; no Land Department rule fixes it, so read the terms on default before you pay.
4. Clear the seller's side. The sale registration page requires an electronic no objection certificate from the developer for freehold areas, obtained through the Dubai REST app. If the seller has a mortgage, the bank's release is arranged before transfer.
5. Arrange your mortgage, if any, and its valuation, before the transfer date.
6. Transfer at a Real Estate Registration Trustee centre or through Dubai Now. The Department lists an expected completion time of 20 minutes once documents are in order. Fees are paid on the day, and the new title deed is issued in your name.

Before the deposit, verify what you are buying. The Land Department offers a title deed verification service on its website and in the Dubai REST app, open to all residency categories. The practice guide adds that Dubai REST carries licensed broker data, smart contracts and off plan project details.

How is buying off plan different?

An off plan purchase replaces steps 4 to 6 with the developer's process. You sign the developer's sale and purchase agreement, the developer registers the sale in the interim register through Oqood, and your payments go into the project's escrow account under Law No. 8 of 2007. The practice guide notes that Dubai REST lets a buyer confirm that an off plan project is licensed and registered through its Mashrooi service.

Off plan buyers pay by instalments, often over construction, and finance is tighter: the Central Bank caps any off plan mortgage at 50 per cent of value. Our guide to how off plan property works in Dubai covers registration, escrow, cancellation, resale before handover and the risks in full, and the current launches are on our new developments page.

What does it cost to buy property in Dubai?

The Land Department's sale registration page, updated on 3 November 2026, lists these fees for a completed property:

1. A sale registration fee of 2 per cent of the price for the buyer and 2 per cent for the seller. In practice buyers frequently pay the full 4 per cent by agreement, so write the split into Contract F.
2. AED 250 for the title deed certificate, plus AED 10 knowledge and AED 10 innovation fees.
3. A service partner fee for the trustee office of AED 4,000 plus VAT where the price is AED 500,000 or more, and AED 2,000 plus VAT below that.

On top come the agency commission agreed in Contract B, the developer's NOC charge, and for a mortgage buyer the Land Department mortgage registration fee and the bank's own fees. Our guide to the cost of buying property in Dubai lists every published fee with a worked example for an AED 2 million apartment, cash and mortgage.

Ownership then carries running costs: the service charge set for the building in the Land Department's Service Charge Index, utilities and, for a landlord, the Ejari registration of each lease.

Can a non resident get a mortgage to buy property in Dubai?

Yes, from banks that lend to non residents, within Central Bank limits. Circular No. 31/2013 and its amendment effective 8 April 2020 set the maximum loan to value for an expatriate at 80 per cent for a first home worth AED 5 million or less and 70 per cent above that. Article 3 of the circular sets 60 per cent for a second or investment home regardless of value, 50 per cent for off plan property regardless of purpose or buyer, and a maximum term of 25 years.

These are ceilings. Banks apply their own lower limits, minimum incomes and country lists for non residents, and they set the age at final repayment under their own policies, as the circular leaves that to each lender. A buyer who plans to borrow should obtain a pre approval in principle before signing Contract F, because the deposit is at risk if finance fails. Our non resident mortgage page explains documents and eligibility.

Does buying property in Dubai give residency?

It can. The Land Department's Golden Visa service page, updated on 3 November 2026, accepts property with a purchase value of AED 2 million or more, wholly owned in the applicant's name, for a ten year renewable residence permit. Mortgaged property is accepted with a bank letter confirming no objection, the amount paid and the balance outstanding.

The page lists AED 9,884.75 in fees for the main applicant, made up of a medical examination of AED 700, a ten year Emirates ID of AED 1,153, residency confirmation of AED 2,856.75, Land Department fees of AED 4,020 and administrative fees of AED 1,155. It requires the applicant to attend in person inside the UAE. The page does not address off plan or jointly owned property, so ask the issuing authority before relying on either. Our Golden Visa page sets out the routes and the family sponsorship rules.

What it means for investors

Dubai lets a foreign buyer complete a purchase without residency, since the Land Department accepts a passport from a non resident, and every step leaves a public record: the broker's card, the registered contract, the title deed. The first quarter figures show how many people are using that route, with 29,312 new investors in three months by the Land Department's count.

For a buyer in the United States, Canada or Latin America, the currency question is simpler than in most foreign markets. The dirham has been pegged at 3.6725 to the US dollar since November 1997, as The National reported on 22 November 2024, so a dollar budget converts at a known rate. Financing is the tighter constraint: as a non resident you should expect a lower loan to value than a resident and plan the deposit, the 4 per cent fee and the closing costs from your own funds. Owning foreign property or foreign bank accounts can carry reporting duties at home set by the IRS, the CRA or your country's authority; state the facts to your own tax adviser before you buy. Our US investors page gathers the American guides.

The 2026 data also shows a market split in two. Off plan dominates transactions by number, while ready homes still carry about half the value. A ready unit gives rent and a title deed from the day of transfer; an off plan unit spreads payments but carries construction and handover risk. The right choice depends on whether you need income now, a visa now or a lower entry price later.

What we recommend

Settle three things before you view anything: where you can own, how you will pay, and in whose name the property will sit. Then follow the documented route.

1. Confirm the area is freehold and verify the title deed in Dubai REST before any deposit.
2. Check your broker's card and sign Contract B before you are shown units; sign Contract F only once finance is approved in principle.
3. Budget the 4 per cent Land Department fee, the trustee fee and the agency commission on top of the price, in cash.
4. If you need a mortgage, apply for pre approval first and use the Central Bank limits as a ceiling, not a promise.
5. If residency matters, buy at AED 2 million or more in your own name and keep the title deed or the bank letter ready for the application.

Confirm the current position with the authority before relying on it, because Land Department fees and Golden Visa rules can change between the date of this guide and your transfer. Castilion Estates is licensed by RERA for brokerage and as a mortgage broker, and can take a buyer from the first shortlist to the trustee office.