How to buy property in Dubai as a foreigner, including remotely: steps, power of attorney and DLD fees (2026)

In short: how a foreigner buys property in Dubai

A foreigner can buy property in Dubai – an apartment, townhouse or villa – as freehold in the areas designated for foreign ownership, and needs no UAE residency to do it. A resale purchase usually runs like this: buyer and seller sign the Dubai Land Department (DLD) sales contract, Form F, and the buyer pays a deposit; the seller obtains a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the developer; and the transfer is completed at a DLD trustee office. The main cost is the DLD fee of 4% of the price; bought through an agency, total purchase costs come to a little over 6%.

You do not have to travel. Viewings can be done by video, and a representative holding a properly attested power of attorney can sign at the trustee office for you.

Prices in this guide are in UAE dirhams (AED). The dirham is pegged to the US dollar at 1 USD = 3.6725 AED, so the dollar figures are straight conversions, rounded.

Can a non-resident foreigner buy property in Dubai?

Yes. Dubai law lets non-UAE nationals own property freehold, without a time limit, in designated areas. Dubai Regulation No. 3 of 2006 set out the first list of these areas, and more have been added since. The developer Meraas, for example, describes Port de La Mer as the first freehold community in Jumeirah 1 where foreign nationals can own property.

You do not need to live in Dubai or hold a UAE ID: when a purchase is registered at the DLD, a non-resident foreigner can present a valid passport. The type of ownership is recorded on the title deed, so check what right you will acquire in the specific property before you make an offer.

Can you buy property in Dubai without travelling there?

Yes. Viewings take place by video call, documents are agreed remotely, and an authorised representative can attend the DLD trustee office on your behalf: the DLD’s description of its sale registration service says the buyer and seller apply “or their legal representatives”.

A power of attorney signed outside the UAE is valid there only once it has been properly attested. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs sets out this chain:

1. you sign the power of attorney before a notary in your country;
2. your country’s foreign ministry legalises it;
3. the UAE embassy or consulate serving your country attests it (where there is none, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises the route);
4. finally, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs attests it in the UAE.

Agree the wording before you sign: the power of attorney should name the property and the acts your representative may carry out. Plan this step early so the transfer is not held up by paperwork.

Many of Žiedūnė’s clients buy this way. One of them, Azmat H., wrote in a Google review: “I’m living outside UAE and because of her I was able to complete the transaction easily and did not even have to come to Dubai.” Read her reviews.

How to check that a Dubai real estate agent is licensed (RERA broker card)

Before you sign anything, check the agent. Every licensed broker in Dubai holds a RERA broker card with a DLD broker registration number (BRN), and every brokerage has an office registration number (ORN). You can check a card for free in the DLD’s Dubai REST app:

1. Download Dubai REST and sign in.
2. Choose the e-card verification service (“Validate E-Card”).
3. Enter the card type and number – for example Žiedūnė Janulė’s BRN 47899.
4. Check that the name matches and that the card is still valid.

The DLD website also publishes a searchable list of licensed real estate brokers. Every legal listing must carry a DLD advertising permit QR code; scan it to check that the permit is valid. If an agent will not show you a BRN or a permit, find another agent.

Off-plan or resale: which should a foreign buyer choose?

With off-plan property you buy an unfinished home from the developer and pay in instalments under a payment plan. Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 requires a developer selling off-plan to open an escrow account in the project’s name, into which buyers’ payments go. The purchase is registered in the DLD’s interim register (Oqood), and the DLD lists the same 4% fee (2% for the buyer and 2% for the seller). The risks are construction delays and not seeing the finished home before you commit.

With a resale (ready) property you buy a finished home: you can view it, compare it with recent transactions in the same building and move in or let it straight away. This is most of Žiedūnė’s work – her current listings are completed homes. Meraas lists Sur La Mer and Port de La Mer as sold out, so homes there can only be bought on the resale market.

Step by step: buying a resale property in Dubai

1. Budget and financing. Add the purchase costs to the price (see the table below). If you plan a mortgage, get a bank pre-approval before you negotiate.
2. Agent check. Verify the BRN in Dubai REST. If the agent represents you, you sign the DLD’s standard brokerage agreement with the agency.
3. Search and viewings. Viewings can be done by video. Before an offer, look at recent transactions in the same building or community.
4. Offer and negotiation. Along with the price, agree the transfer date, how payment is made and which party pays which fees.
5. Contract (Form F) and deposit. Buyer and seller sign the DLD standard sales contract, Form F (also called the MOU). The buyer pays a deposit, most often 10% of the price; its amount and who holds it are written into the contract.
6. Developer NOC. Through Dubai REST the seller obtains the developer’s electronic no-objection certificate (e-NOC), confirming that nothing blocks the transfer, such as unpaid service charges. The developer charges a fee for it.
7. Transfer at a DLD trustee office. The parties or their authorised representatives attend a DLD trustee office, submit the documents and pay the DLD fees, and the seller receives the balance of the price. If the seller’s home is mortgaged, the transfer is coordinated with that bank.
8. Title deed. The DLD issues the title deed in the buyer’s name. You then take the keys, transfer the utilities and, if you are letting, sign a tenancy contract.

Dubai property purchase costs in 2026: the DLD 4% fee and other fees

Dubai has no annual property tax, but find out the service charges before you buy: they reduce any rental return directly.

Example: total costs on an AED 2 million resale home

A cash purchase through an agency, with the buyer paying the full 4% DLD fee. US dollars at the 3.6725 peg, rounded.

The developer NOC fee and annual service charges are left out because they depend on the developer and the building.

Can a non-resident get a mortgage in Dubai?

UAE banks do lend to foreigners, but whether and how much a bank lends depends on your income, your country of residence and the property. The UAE Central Bank sets the maximum loan-to-value ratio, and bank terms for non-residents are usually stricter than for UAE residents. Plan for a larger deposit and compare several banks before you sign Form F.

With a mortgage, DLD registration costs 0.25% of the loan, plus fixed fees and the AED 4,000 + VAT trustee service fee. Write a deadline for the bank’s final approval into the contract.

Does buying property in Dubai give you a Golden Visa?

It can. The DLD’s “Golden Visa – Investor” service says an owner whose property purchase value was at least AED 2 million (≈ USD 545,000) can apply for a 10-year renewable residence permit and include a spouse, children and parents. The property can be mortgaged, with a bank letter showing the amount paid and the balance. The property must be in the applicant’s name, and the applicant must be in the UAE and apply in person.

Official pages describe these conditions differently (for example the visa term and the mortgaged-property case), and the rules change. If the visa is your main reason to buy, confirm the current conditions with the DLD and the UAE Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) before you sign.

Taxes on Dubai property: in the UAE and in your home country

In the UAE. According to the UAE government portal u.ae, the UAE does not levy income tax on individuals; 5% VAT applies to goods and services. There is no annual property tax, but owners pay service charges, and buyers pay the one-off DLD fees.

At home. If you are tax resident in another country, rental income or a gain on sale from Dubai property may have to be declared and taxed there. Whether tax is due, and how much, depends on that country’s rules and on any double tax treaty it has with the UAE, so speak to a tax adviser at home before you buy.

Lithuanian tax residents: the Lithuania–UAE double tax treaty

Lithuania and the UAE have an agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income. It was concluded in Manama on 30 June 2013 and entered into force on 19 December 2014 (UN treaty registration no. 57816). It sets which country may tax income from Dubai property and how double taxation is avoided. Lithuania’s State Tax Inspectorate (VMI) explains when income received abroad must be declared. We deliberately do not quote rates: ask a tax adviser. There is more in the Lithuanian version of this guide.

Is Dubai property a good investment in 2026?

For an investor, Dubai’s advantages are that the UAE does not levy income tax on individuals, there is no annual property tax, and a purchase of AED 2 million can qualify for the Golden Visa. We found no official, regularly published average rental yield, and private analysts’ figures differ widely, so we do not quote them. Instead of averages, work out the numbers for the specific property:

• Real purchase price – the price plus about 6% purchase costs.
• Rental income – recent rental transactions in the same building, not listing prices.
• Costs – annual service charges, management, furnishing and void periods.
• Tax at home, if you are tax resident elsewhere.

Risks. The dirham is pegged to the US dollar, so in euros or other currencies the value of the home and the rent move with the exchange rate. Selling an expensive home can take time, especially in a slowing market. Prices and rents differ even between neighbouring buildings, and regional events can affect demand. That is why Žiedūnė starts with recent comparable deals in the specific building rather than general market forecasts.

How Žiedūnė helps buyers abroad

Žiedūnė Janulė is a Lithuanian real estate agent in Dubai: living in Dubai since 2016 and in the property market since 2020, with a RERA broker card (DLD BRN 47899). Over her career she has closed more than 150 deals worth over AED 800 million, and she is a Property Finder SuperAgent. She works in English, Lithuanian and Russian.

• Viewings by video call if you are abroad.
• She runs the whole process: pricing against recent transactions, negotiation, the NOC and the transfer at the DLD.
• She works mainly in Pearl Jumeirah, La Mer and Madinat Jumeirah Living – see the Pearl Jumeirah and La Mer guide or her current listings.

Message her on WhatsApp or send a brief: your budget, the area and whether you are buying to live in or to let.

Questions