Yes. Foreigners can own property in Dubai outright in the areas the Ruler designates, and you do not have to live in the UAE to buy. Your purchase must be entered in the Dubai Land Department's interim register, and your payments must go into an escrow account for that project. Registration adds a fee of 4% of the price, split in the rules between seller and buyer.
This is a summary to help you ask the right questions, not legal advice. Laws and fees change, so confirm the details for your purchase with the Dubai Land Department (DLD) or a lawyer.
What does the law allow foreigners to own?
Article 4 of Dubai's Law No. 7 of 2006 limits property ownership in general to UAE and Gulf Cooperation Council nationals and companies they fully own, and to public joint stock companies. It then allows non-UAE nationals, subject to the Ruler's approval and in areas the Ruler determines, one of two rights:
| Right | What the law gives |
|---|---|
| Freehold | Ownership with no time limit |
| Usufruct or leasehold | Use of the property for up to 99 years |
In our own catalog, 847 of the 997 Dubai projects we listed on Oct 28, 2026 state freehold ownership, 2 state leasehold and 148 had not yet published it. That counts what developers publish, so check the ownership of the exact unit you want, on its project page and in your contract.
Do you need to live in the UAE?
No residency is required by the registration itself. The DLD's service page for registering an off-plan sale asks individuals for the sale and purchase contract, a valid UAE ID and, for non-residents, a copy of a valid passport.
What does registering an off-plan purchase cost?
The same DLD page lists these fees:
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Seller | 2% of the sale value |
| Purchaser | 2% of the sale value |
| Knowledge fee | AED 10 |
| Innovation fee | AED 10 |
| Developer's self-registration through the Oqood portal | AED 1,000 |
So the rate totals 4%, shared in these rules, but your contract decides what you are actually asked to pay. Read that clause and ask for the figures in writing. Our purchase cost calculator budgets the whole 4% for the buyer, so the estimate errs high rather than low. On an AED 1,500,000 home, 2% is AED 30,000 and 4% is AED 60,000.
Why does the interim register matter?
Because an unregistered sale can fail. Article 3 of Law No. 13 of 2008 says any sale of a unit sold off-plan is void unless entered in the Interim Property Register. The DLD says its service sends the output to the purchaser by email, so ask for that confirmation and keep it.
How is your money protected while the home is being built?
Mainly by escrow. Law No. 8 of 2007 sets out four protections worth knowing:
- Each project has its own account. Article 9 dedicates the escrow account exclusively to building that project, and requires a separate account for each of a developer's projects.
- Creditors cannot reach it. The same article says no attachment may be imposed on the payments for the benefit of the developer's creditors.
- Some money is held back after completion. Article 14 has the escrow agent retain 5% of the account's total value once the developer has its completion certificate, released one year after units are registered to purchasers.
- There is a plan for a stalled project. Article 15 requires the agent, after consulting the DLD, to take measures so that the project is completed or depositors are refunded.
Escrow lowers a risk; it does not remove it. Before you pay, confirm that the account named in your contract is the project's own, and pay into that account rather than to a person or another company.
Does buying get you a Golden Visa?
It can. The UAE government portal lists real estate investors among those eligible, with minimum capital of AED 2 million. How an off-plan purchase counts is something we have seen described differently, so confirm it with the authorities for your case before you rely on it.
What should you do before signing?
- Confirm the unit's ownership type and that the area allows foreign ownership.
- Read who pays each fee in the sale and purchase contract.
- Check that the escrow account in your contract belongs to this project.
- Get the interim registration confirmation after you sign.
- Have a lawyer read anything you do not fully understand.
You can browse every Dubai project we list, or ask the advisor to narrow them down by budget and handover date. A person on our team can then confirm price and availability for you.
