Can foreigners buy property in Dubai? Freehold ownership explained

By Ansh Virmani, CEO5 March 2026Buying guide

Short answer: yes. A non-resident of any nationality can buy, own, rent out, sell, mortgage and pass on property in Dubai, with the title registered in their own name. No local partner, no sponsor, no expiry. The long answer is about where, and how.

The legal basis

Foreign ownership in Dubai rests on Dubai Law No. 7 of 2006 concerning real property registration and the regulation issued under it that designates the areas in which non-GCC nationals may own freehold. Those designated areas now cover most of the communities an international buyer would consider: Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, Business Bay, Dubai Hills Estate, Dubai Creek Harbour, Jumeirah Village Circle, Arabian Ranches, Dubai South and dozens more. The Dubai Land Department maintains the register and the list.

What freehold gives you

• A title deed in your name, issued by the DLD, with no time limit.
• The right to sell, lease, mortgage, gift or bequeath the property.
• No requirement to hold a UAE residence visa, and no requirement to live in the UAE.
• Eligibility for the investor Golden Visa where the purchase value is AED 2 million or more.

Outside the designated areas, non-GCC nationals generally cannot own or take long leases at all, so the first check we run on any brief is whether the community is designated for the buyer's nationality. GCC nationals can buy anywhere in Dubai.

The process, step by step

Gulf News has published a clear walk-through of the process of buying property in Dubai. In practice it runs like this:

1. Sign a Form B buyer-agent agreement with your broker, then the Memorandum of Understanding (Form F) with the seller, the standard DLD sale contract, backed by a 10% security cheque held by the brokerage and returned at transfer.
2. Obtain the developer's No Objection Certificate (NOC) confirming service charges are paid and there is no objection to the transfer. The NOC fee, typically AED 500 to 5,000 depending on the developer, is usually the seller's cost.
3. Settle any seller mortgage, if applicable, before or at transfer.
4. Complete at a registration trustee office, where the 4% DLD fee is paid and the new title deed is issued in the buyer's name.

For off-plan purchases the contract is registered with the DLD through the Oqood system and payments go into a project escrow account regulated under Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007, released to the developer against certified construction progress. Gulf News has a separate explainer on buying off-plan in Dubai.

Buying without being in Dubai

A buyer does not need to be physically present. A power of attorney, notarised and attested for use in the UAE, allows a representative to sign the MOU and complete the transfer. Many of our overseas clients complete their first purchase this way and visit for handover.

What to check before you commit

• That the community is designated freehold for your nationality.
• That the seller's title is clean and the NOC is obtainable.
• The current service charge rate and the building's payment record.
• For off-plan: the developer's escrow account details and delivery history.

We run all four as standard before a unit reaches a client's shortlist.

This article is general information about Dubai property law and process as at the date of publication and is not legal advice. Confirm the position for your circumstances with the DLD or a licensed adviser.

Three questions clients ask

Do I need a residence visa to buy?

No. Ownership in the designated areas does not require residency. A purchase of AED 2 million or more can qualify you for the investor Golden Visa if you want one.

Can I buy through a company?

Yes, subject to the DLD's rules on approved company jurisdictions and documentation. Structure decisions should be taken with advice before signing the MOU, not after.

Can a non-resident get a mortgage?

Yes. UAE banks lend to non-residents, typically at a lower loan-to-value than for residents and with income documentation from your home country.

Ansh Virmani

CEO of TVG Realtors and The Virmani Group. Boston University mathematics and economics graduate, licensed Dubai broker and Country Director of BRICS CCI UAE. He publishes weekly at virmaniviews.com.

TVG Realtors is an independent brokerage. Market figures are quoted from the named third-party sources as published on the dates cited and may have been revised since. Nothing here is investment, legal or tax advice.