Buying in Dubai from abroad
The process, step by step, without being in the country.
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The short answer
A Dubai purchase runs from offer, to a signed Memorandum of Understanding with a deposit, to a developer No Objection Certificate, to transfer at a Dubai Land Department registration trustee office. Most of it can be handled remotely, with a power of attorney covering the steps that need someone present. A cash purchase of a ready property commonly completes within about a month; off-plan and mortgaged purchases take longer.
Ask Noor to explain this simplyBefore you offer
Two pieces of due diligence are worth doing before you make an offer rather than after. The first is the title: what is actually being sold, by whom, and free of what. The second is the service charge schedule, which determines what the property costs you to hold and is the single most common late surprise.
For an off-plan purchase the equivalent questions are about the developer, their delivery record, the escrow arrangements, and what the payment plan actually commits you to.
Offer to contract
An accepted offer is followed by a Memorandum of Understanding (the sale contract) and a deposit, conventionally 10%, held by the agent or a trustee rather than passed to the seller. The MOU sets the completion date and what happens if either side fails to complete.
This is the point at which the terms are actually fixed, and the point at which having someone on your side of the table matters most.
No Objection Certificate
The developer issues a No Objection Certificate confirming service charges are settled and they have no objection to the transfer. Getting it takes days rather than weeks, but developers vary considerably in how quickly they move and what they charge for it.
This is a common source of delay, and it is worth starting early rather than at the point everything else is ready.
Transfer
Transfer happens at a Dubai Land Department registration trustee office. The balance is paid, the fees are settled, and the title deed is issued in your name. It is a same-day process when everything is in order.
If you cannot attend, a properly drafted power of attorney lets someone act for you. It must be prepared and attested correctly. This is the step most likely to derail a remote purchase, and it needs to be set up early.
- Balance and fees paid at the trustee office.
- Title deed issued in your name the same day.
- A power of attorney can cover your attendance, if prepared properly and in advance.
How long it takes
A cash purchase of a ready property, with the paperwork in order, commonly completes within about a month of the MOU. A mortgaged purchase depends on the lender and takes longer. An off-plan purchase completes at handover, which may be years away.
The timeline is usually set by the slowest party, and it is rarely the buyer.
Asked and answered
Can I complete a purchase without coming to Dubai?
In most cases yes, through a power of attorney. It has to be drafted and attested correctly, which takes time and is the single most common cause of a delayed remote completion. Start it early.
How much deposit do I need?
Conventionally 10% at the point of signing the sale contract, held by the agent or a trustee rather than paid to the seller. It is negotiable in principle and it should be held properly in every case.
What if the seller pulls out?
The sale contract sets out what happens, which is why its terms matter more than they appear to at the time. Have someone read it who is acting for you.
Ask the specific version of this question.
A guide describes how something works in general. Your answer depends on the property, the building and your circumstances, which is a conversation, not an article.
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