Answers · Mortgages and finance

Can non-residents get a mortgage in Dubai?

Yes, a non-resident mortgage in Dubai is available from a handful of UAE banks, without a residence visa. The Central Bank’s rules cap any expatriate at 80% on a first home under AED 5 million, but banks lend non-residents less, typically 60 to 65%, so plan on a 35 to 40% down payment plus 6% of costs in cash.

Updated September 2026 · By Ahmed Kandil

The Central Bank’s mortgage regulation has no separate category for non-residents at all, which a lot of people miss. It sets the ceilings for UAE nationals and for expatriates, so the 80% first-home cap is the most any bank could lend you, and everything below that is the bank’s own policy. In practice the banks that publish a non-resident product all sit well under the ceiling.

So on a AED 2,000,000 apartment at 60% the loan is AED 1,200,000 and your own money is AED 800,000, and then the costs. Since February 2025 the banks no longer finance the 4% Land Department fee or the commission, so those are cash too: AED 80,000 to the Land Department, about AED 42,000 in commission with VAT, AED 4,200 for the trustee, AED 3,270 to register the mortgage plus another trustee fee, and the bank’s processing and valuation. Call it AED 950,000 in cash for a AED 2 million unit. The full breakdown by line is in what it really costs to buy in Dubai.

The published fixed rates at the big banks in September 2026 run from 3.99% to 4.44% for the first one to five years, and variable rates are three-month EIBOR plus a margin of roughly 1 to 1.9%, with EIBOR at 4.17% on 11 September. Those are the resident headline rates, and a non-resident will usually be priced above them on the offer letter, so ask for the actual rate in writing before you commit to a unit. The fees are the same as for anyone: a processing fee of up to 1% of the loan plus VAT, a valuation of about AED 2,600 to 3,150, the Land Department’s 0.25% registration, and the bank’s life and property insurance. The term can run to 25 years, your total debt payments cannot exceed 50% of your income, and if you repay early the fee is capped by the Central Bank at 1% of the balance or AED 10,000, whichever is less, which matters if you plan to sell and settle the loan early.

Here’s the issue. An apartment in Dubai grossed 6.66% in August 2026 on Property Monitor’s numbers, and net of service charges and vacancy that is closer to 5%. If your mortgage costs 5 to 6% all in, the loan is not adding to your return, it is roughly neutral, and in a bad year it is negative. So the case for a non-resident mortgage is not yield, it is keeping your capital. Borrowing 60% on a AED 2 million unit leaves AED 1.2 million working somewhere else, and whether that beats the interest is your decision, not mine. At the same time, the loan does not stop the property counting for residency. A mortgaged unit of AED 2 million or more still qualifies for the golden visa with a letter from the bank, which I cover in how much property you need for a golden visa.

Do I need a UAE bank account?

You will need one for the loan to be paid from, and the bank will open it as part of the process. Mashreq’s minimum is either a salary of AED 15,000 a month or an average balance of AED 25,000.

Can I get a mortgage on off-plan as a non-resident?

The Central Bank caps all off-plan lending at 50% of value, and banks usually want construction past a set stage first, so most non-resident off-plan buyers use the developer’s payment plan and borrow, if at all, at handover.

What is the real down payment once fees are included?

Around 45 to 48% of the price for a non-resident at 60% loan-to-value, once the DLD fee, commission and bank charges are paid in cash. I show the resident version in how much down payment you need in Dubai.