Getting a Dubai Mortgage as a Non-Resident

You do not need to live in the UAE to buy property here with a mortgage. A number of UAE banks lend to buyers who live abroad, and the process is well established. What changes is the terms: non-residents are asked for a larger deposit, have a shorter list of lenders to choose from, and must prove their income with another country’s paperwork.

How much you can borrow

The Central Bank’s loan-to-value limits are written for UAE nationals and residents. A resident expatriate buying a first home under AED 5 million can borrow up to 80% of its value. Non-residents sit outside those tiers, so each bank sets its own limit, and in practice most lend between 50% and 65% of the value. Plan on a deposit of at least 35%, and more often 40% to 50%.

The amount is then tested against your income. UAE lenders cap your total monthly debt repayments, including the new mortgage and what you already owe elsewhere, at half of your monthly income.

Terms run for up to 25 years, limited by your age when the last payment falls due, commonly 65 for employees and 70 for the self-employed.

Who banks will lend to

• Your country of residence. Every bank keeps its own list of countries it accepts, and the lists differ.
• How you earn. A salaried applicant with a long record at one employer is the simplest case. Self-employed applicants are usually asked for two or more years of audited accounts or tax returns.
• The property. Banks lend most readily on completed homes in established developments. Off-plan lending is limited to approved developers and projects.
• The size of the loan. Most banks set a minimum loan amount and a minimum property value.

The documents you will be asked for

• Passport and proof of your address abroad.
• Personal bank statements, usually for the last six months.
• If employed: a salary certificate or employment letter, and recent payslips.
• If self-employed: company documents and audited financial statements.
• A credit report from your country of residence, and tax returns where they apply.

Documents that are not in English or Arabic need a certified translation.

Rates

Most UAE mortgages are fixed for the first one to five years and then move to a variable rate set as a margin over EIBOR, the interbank rate. Non-residents are usually quoted a higher rate than residents for the same property. The number to compare between banks is the margin that applies after the fixed period ends, because that is what you pay for most of the life of the loan.

The cash you need on top of the deposit

Purchase costs in Dubai are paid in cash. Since February 2025, banks may no longer add the land department fee or the agent’s commission to the mortgage. On a completed property these costs typically come to 6% to 8% of the price.

• Dubai Land Department transfer fee: 4% of the price.
• Mortgage registration: 0.25% of the loan amount.
• Agency commission: commonly 2% plus VAT.
• Bank arrangement fee: up to 1% of the loan plus VAT.
• Valuation, trustee office and administration fees: a few thousand dirhams each.

The order to do it in

1. Eligibility check before you choose a property, so you know which banks are open to you and at what loan-to-value.
2. Pre-approval, typically valid for 60 to 90 days, which lets you make an offer with certainty.
3. Offer and sale agreement with the seller.
4. Valuation, then the bank’s final offer letter.
5. Transfer at the trustee office, where the bank releases the funds and the title deed is issued with the mortgage registered on it.

Much of this can be done from abroad, with a power of attorney for the transfer itself, though most banks will want to verify you in person at least once.

Different banks quote the same non-resident buyer very different terms for the same property. We check which lenders are open to your profile before you commit to anything, and compare their real offers on total cost rather than on the headline rate.