How to Buy Property in Dubai: Resale and Off-Plan Process Explained

Sources checked: 29 October 2026.

Buying in Dubai works differently depending on what you buy. A resale purchase means a completed unit from its current owner. An off-plan purchase means buying from a developer before construction is finished. The documents, payment schedule and the point at which you receive a title all differ. This guide sets out the stages and what the Dubai Land Department (DLD), the government body that registers property in Dubai, says on its official pages. It also lists what you must confirm for your own situation before signing anything binding.

Start by choosing a route: resale or off-plan

With resale you can usually inspect the unit, assess its condition and find out whether it is occupied. With off-plan you buy from plans and pay according to the schedule in the contract, then take over the unit when the project is complete.

Before looking at listings, settle a few questions, because everything else depends on them:

• What is the property for: your own use, rental, or both?
• Will you need financing, and in what form?
• Do you want a residence visa linked to the property?
• In which country will you be tax resident?

Resale purchase, step by step

For a completed property, the sequence usually runs as follows:

• Agree the price and the security deposit amount. Record payment, custody and refund conditions in the documents before handing over money.
• Sign Form F, the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the parties. It should record the price, the transfer timing, who pays which charges and what happens if the sale does not complete.
• Arrange finance if you are borrowing. The conditions need to be reflected in the contract before you commit.
• The seller obtains the NOC (no objection certificate), which is the developer's clearance for the transfer. For freehold areas, DLD lists a developer e-NOC among the required documents.
• Transfer at a trustee office: documents are verified, the price and fees are settled, the ownership change is registered and an electronic title deed is issued.
• Hand over keys, record meter readings and move utility accounts into your name.

What DLD says about registering a ready property sale

The DLD service description says the trustee verifies the documents, audits the transaction and collects the fees, and the result is an electronic title deed. A non-resident foreigner can use a valid passport, while residents use their Emirates ID.

Ask your agent or the trustee for the full document list for your case. It differs for an individual, a company and a purchase made through an attorney.

Off-plan purchase, step by step

Before reserving, check the project registration and its escrow account with DLD. The developer handles those formalities; do not treat them as something that can wait until after your payment. Then check:

• Reservation: the amount and refund rules come from the reservation form. Do not rely on percentages you have read elsewhere.
• Sales and purchase agreement (SPA): check the price, instalment schedule, planned completion date and what happens if either side is late.
• Registration of your purchase contract in Oqood and confirmation of the document you will receive.
• Instalments are paid into the escrow account of that specific project, according to the schedule.
• Snagging: a documented inspection of defects before you accept the unit.
• Final payments, title formalities and handover of the keys.

Escrow and Oqood: what they mean and what they do not

According to DLD, buyers' off-plan funds go into the project escrow account. The project's status can be looked up by project name or plot, including the completion percentage. Compare what DLD shows with the payment instructions from the developer: the account should match your project.

Escrow is not a guarantee of completion dates or of profit. It concerns how payments are handled, not how the project performs.

Oqood is the initial registration of your contract for a unit that is still being built. It is not the same as the title deed of a finished property. Ask in writing which document you will receive at which stage, from whom, and which conditions (for example, payments made) apply before you get it.

Costs: what DLD confirms and what needs a quote

The DLD page on registering a ready property sale lists a 2% fee on the seller's side and a 2% fee on the buyer's side. In your budget, use the split actually written into your contract rather than an assumption of what is usual. The trustee fee is AED 4,000 plus VAT for a sale value of AED 500,000 or more, and AED 2,000 plus VAT below that threshold.

This is not a complete list of charges. Ask for written quotes for the NOC, the agent's brokerage, mortgage-related costs and currency conversion, each for your own situation. For a fuller breakdown, see Dubai apartment buying and ownership costs.

Financing before you commit

If you plan to borrow, get the lender's pre-approval before signing a binding agreement. Check that the contract includes a financing condition: what happens to your deposit if the bank declines or values the unit differently, and by when you must notify the seller.

Down payment, borrowing costs and required documents come from the lender for your profile. Do not assume them from general information.

Property and residence

DLD describes an investor visa service, Taskeen, giving a two-year residence. A sole owner can apply regardless of the property's value. For joint ownership, the applicant's share must be at least AED 400,000.

The visa is not automatic just because you bought. Confirm your route and your eligibility before purchase, especially if you are buying with a partner or family and the ownership structure decides who can apply. The Golden Visa is a different route, covered in Dubai property and the Golden Visa.

Buying from abroad and powers of attorney

Buying without travelling to Dubai can be possible, but do not assume it is fully remote for everyone in every set-up. If someone will act for you, the power of attorney needs the right scope and must be accepted for that specific transaction by the party handling it.

Before signing, ask who will accept it, what form and translation are required, and whether it covers signing the contract, collecting documents and making payments.

Source of funds and AML checks

You may be asked to document where your funds come from (AML refers to anti-money-laundering rules). Prepare this early, with account history and the paperwork behind the money.

If you are considering a transaction involving cryptocurrency, confirm the accepted payment method and source-of-funds documentation with the parties handling the transaction. An advertisement mentioning crypto does not define the process for your purchase.

Buying a unit with a tenant

If the unit is let, ask for the tenancy contract and agree the following in writing:

• the lease period, the rent and the payment dates,
• the tenant's security deposit: who holds it and how it is passed on,
• who receives rent after the transfer and from which date,
• the condition of the unit and the date of handover.

Checklist before you pay a deposit

Before sending any money, work through these points:

• The agent is licensed: ask for the licence number and verify it in the official register.
• The seller is the owner named on the title, and their identity details match.
• You know whether there are encumbrances such as a mortgage, and how they will be cleared at transfer.
• You know the occupancy status: vacant, owner-occupied or tenanted.
• You know who is liable for outstanding service charges.
• You have checked that your planned use of the unit is permitted in that building.
• The deposit amount, who holds it, and the refund or forfeiture terms are written into the agreement.
• A financing condition is in the contract if you are borrowing.
• You hold written quotes for extra costs, including the NOC, brokerage and mortgage-related fees.
• For off-plan: the project appears in DLD's records, and the escrow account in the payment instructions matches that project.

Tax residence and a Poland-specific note

Buying property or holding a residence visa does not by itself determine tax residence. Check the tests and reporting requirements of the countries to which you have tax ties before purchasing, renting out or selling.

Poland-specific: relevant tests include the centre of vital interests or a stay of more than 183 days in a tax year. If two states treat you as a resident, the applicable tax treaty must also be considered. These Polish tests should not be applied to every international buyer.

Next step

A good starting point is to settle the route (resale or off-plan), the financing approach and the purpose of the purchase. If you would like to go through the checklist using your own case, you can reach the team through the contact page. The DLD service descriptions this article draws on were checked on 29 October 2026.