Short answer
Yes, you can get a Dubai mortgage without living in the UAE. Expect to put down 40% to 50% of the price and to document your income in detail, and expect a shorter list of banks than residents have.
You do not need a UAE residence visa to own property in Dubai or to borrow against it. Foreign buyers can own freehold property in designated areas, and a number of UAE banks lend to people who live and earn abroad.
The terms are tighter than for residents. You need a bigger deposit, and fewer banks will look at you. The process itself is well established, though, and most of the problems we see come from applying to the wrong bank first.
Where non-residents can buy
Freehold ownership is open to foreigners in areas the government has designated. These include Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, Business Bay, Jumeirah Village Circle and Palm Jumeirah, along with many others.
Freehold does not mean every bank will lend there. Each lender keeps its own list of approved developers and buildings, and for non-residents that list is often shorter. A tower that one bank is happy with may be off the list at another.
How much you can borrow
The Central Bank's 80% cap for resident first-time buyers does not apply here. For non-residents, each bank sets its own loan-to-value limit, typically 50% to 60% of the property value.
On a AED 2,000,000 apartment, the cash you need looks like this:
| Bank lends 60% | Bank lends 50% | |
|---|---|---|
| Loan | AED 1,200,000 | AED 1,000,000 |
| Deposit | AED 800,000 | AED 1,000,000 |
| Fees at 7% to 8% of the price | AED 140,000 to 160,000 | AED 140,000 to 160,000 |
| Total cash needed | AED 940,000 to 960,000 | AED 1,140,000 to 1,160,000 |
The fees are the same ones residents pay: the 4% Dubai Land Department transfer fee, trustee and registration fees, bank charges and agent commission. Our guide to the cost of buying property in Dubai lists them.
The bank lends against the lower of the price and its own valuation, so a low valuation adds to your cash requirement. Off-plan property is capped at 50% for every buyer, and fewer banks will finance it for non-residents at all.
The usual term and age limits apply. The maximum term is 25 years, and the loan normally has to be repaid by age 65.
Income and the debt burden test
Many banks look for income equivalent to AED 25,000 a month or more from non-residents, and some set the bar higher. It varies by bank and by the country you live in.
The 50% debt burden ratio applies to you just as it does to residents. Your total monthly debt payments, including the new mortgage, cannot go above half your gross monthly income. The bank counts debts in your home country as well as anything in the UAE.
Take someone earning the equivalent of AED 40,000 a month:
| Item | Monthly amount |
|---|---|
| 50% of gross income | AED 20,000 |
| Mortgage on their home abroad | minus AED 9,000 |
| Car finance | minus AED 1,500 |
| Credit cards, 5% of AED 30,000 in total limits | minus AED 1,500 |
| Room left for the Dubai mortgage | AED 8,000 |
Most banks apply the same 5% rule to cards held abroad, counting it as a monthly debt even if you clear them in full. And as with residents, the bank tests the payment at a stressed rate above the starting rate. AED 8,000 a month therefore supports a smaller loan than a simple calculator at the advertised rate would show.
The currency you are paid in
The dirham is pegged to the US dollar, so income in dollars is simple for a bank to assess. Income in other currencies is converted, and some banks discount currencies that move a lot against the dirham or accept income only in certain currencies. If your currency has fallen sharply in recent years, expect the bank to be cautious with the conversion.
Documents non-residents need
- Passport
- Bank statements for the last 6 months, showing your income arriving
- Proof of income: payslips if employed, or tax returns or audited accounts if self-employed
- A credit report from your home country
- Proof of address, such as a recent utility bill
- An employment letter, at some banks
The home-country credit report matters because the Al Etihad Credit Bureau in the UAE has little or no record of you. Order it early, since in some countries it takes a while to arrive. Documents in a language other than English or Arabic may need translating. The full list is in our mortgage documents checklist.
Signing when you live abroad
Most lenders want you to open an account with them, and many need to see you in person at some point, either to open that account or to sign the mortgage documents. Plan for at least one trip to Dubai, and we will time it so that one trip covers as much as possible.
If you cannot be here for the transfer at the trustee office, you can appoint someone under a power of attorney. A POA signed outside the UAE has to be notarised and then attested for use here before the Land Department and the bank will accept it, and that takes time. Banks are particular about the wording, so send us the draft before you sign it.
Pre-approval usually takes 3 to 7 working days once the documents are complete, though non-resident files can take longer while the bank checks overseas paperwork. It is typically valid for 60 to 90 days.
Why the bank you choose matters more here
We work with more than 20 UAE banks, and only some of them lend to non-residents. Their rules on country of residence, nationality, type of income and property differ. One bank may accept salaried applicants from a given country but not self-employed ones, and another may lend in one community but not in a particular building.
Applying to the wrong bank first can cost weeks, and those weeks matter if you have signed a memorandum of understanding with a deadline. We match your profile to the banks lending to it at the time, before anything is submitted. Our non-resident mortgage page has more on how we handle these cases.
If you plan to move to Dubai later
If you later move to the UAE on a residence visa with a local salary, you may be able to refinance onto resident terms. The early settlement fee is capped by the Central Bank at 1% of the outstanding balance or AED 10,000, whichever is lower. On a balance of AED 1,100,000, 1% would be AED 11,000, so the fee is AED 10,000. Our refinance page explains how a switch works.
Send us your country of residence, monthly income and the price range you have in mind on WhatsApp at +971 52 871 6915, or start on the pre-approval page, and we will tell you which banks will look at your case.
Common questions
Can a non-resident get a mortgage in Dubai?
Yes. A number of UAE banks lend to non-residents buying freehold property in designated areas. Loans are usually capped at 50% to 60% of the value, so the deposit is larger than for residents.
What income do non-residents need for a Dubai mortgage?
It varies by bank and country, but many banks look for the equivalent of AED 25,000 a month or more. The 50% debt burden limit still applies, and it counts debts in your home country as well as the new loan.
Do I have to fly to Dubai to sign the mortgage?
Usually at least once. Many banks want to see you in person to open an account or sign the loan documents, and you can appoint someone in Dubai under a power of attorney for the transfer itself.
Can I move to resident terms if I relocate to the UAE later?
Often, yes. Once you hold a residence visa and a UAE salary, you can look at refinancing onto a resident mortgage. The early settlement fee on the old loan is capped at 1% of the balance or AED 10,000, whichever is lower.
This guide is general information about the UAE mortgage market, not financial advice for your situation. Bank policies change, and every application is decided by the lending bank.
