Buying property in Dubai as a foreigner: freehold, in the designated areas, on a passport.

Can foreigners buy property in Dubai?

Yes, in designated areas. Dubai Law No. 7 of 2006 reserves ownership generally for UAE and GCC nationals, but lets other nationals, in areas set by the Ruler, hold freehold without time limit, or usufruct or leasehold for up to 99 years. Outside those areas, a non-GCC foreigner cannot hold freehold.

The same rule allows companies wholly owned by UAE or GCC nationals, and public joint stock companies, to own anywhere. The other emirates run their own regimes. How each works: foreign property ownership in the UAE, explained.

Where can foreigners buy freehold property in Dubai?

In the areas listed by Regulation No. 3 of 2006 and later amendments. The list includes Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali, Emirates Hills, Jebel Ali, Al Barsha South, The World Islands, Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Jaddaf, Mirdif, Nad Al Sheba and others. The right attaches to specific plots on the DLD's maps, not to a community name.

The list keeps growing by amendment. A law firm reported in January 2025 that the DLD allowed owners of 128 plots on Sheikh Zayed Road and 329 plots in Al Jaddaf to convert to freehold. Commercial sources count 60 or more freehold communities in 2026, but no official count was found. Check the specific plot with the Dubai Land Department before you pay a deposit.

Do you need to live in the UAE to buy in Dubai?

No. There is no residency requirement to buy in Dubai. The Dubai Land Department's sale-registration service accepts a valid passport from a non-resident foreigner in place of an Emirates ID, and a power of attorney is accepted if you cannot attend.

No separate foreign-buyer tax number was found for a Dubai purchase.

How does buying property in Dubai work, step by step?

A resale transfers at a DLD Real Estate Registration Trustee office: documents are checked, the transaction entered, fees paid, and the DLD emails the registration certificate. In a freehold zone the developer must issue a no-objection certificate. The DLD lists the service time as about 15 to 20 minutes.

• Resale: developer NOC, trustee office, fees, DLD audit, registration certificate by email.
• Seller has a mortgage: the transfer uses three manager's cheques (bank, seller, DLD) and a mortgage-release step.
• Off-plan: the developer registers the sale on the interim register, Oqood. It moves to a title deed after completion.

No official page read for this article makes a lawyer mandatory. Oqood and the title deed: Dubai title deeds and Oqood, explained.

What does it cost to buy property in Dubai?

The main cost is the DLD transfer fee of 4% of the sale value, officially 2% from the buyer and 2% from the seller, though PwC says it is generally borne by the purchaser. Add a trustee fee of AED 4,000 plus VAT at AED 500,000 or more, and small fixed fees such as AED 250 for the title deed.

A buyer of a home pays no VAT on the price: residential sales are generally exempt, and the first sale of a new home within three years of completion is zero-rated. The full list: UAE property buying costs.

What taxes does a foreign owner pay in Dubai?

No income tax on rent and no capital gains tax, because the UAE has no personal income tax. There is no annual property tax either. Dubai charges a municipality housing fee of 5% of annual rent, paid by the tenant, or by the owner if the home is owner-occupied or vacant.

One exception to watch: holiday-home income under a tourism permit counts as licensed business income for UAE Corporate Tax. And the UAE having no tax does not mean your home country will not tax the rent or the gain. The detail: UAE property tax for foreigners.

Does buying property in Dubai give a Golden Visa?

It can. Property worth at least AED 2,000,000 in total, wholly owned, qualifies a real estate investor for a 10-year Golden Residency. In Dubai the property may be mortgaged, with a bank no-objection letter. Abu Dhabi requires AED 2,000,000 of the investor's own equity.

The federal rule also allows off-plan units worth at least AED 2,000,000 bought from approved local companies. The rules differ by emirate, and the date an older down-payment rule was dropped is disputed between sources, so confirm the current terms with the DLD and the federal identity authority (ICP) before you buy for the visa. As of September 2026, none of the official pages showed the AED 2,000,000 threshold suspended or changed.

Header photo: Francisco Anzola, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. All credits: image credits.