International buyers · Australia
Buying UAE property from Australia: steps, paperwork and Australian tax
Australian residents can buy freehold in the UAE without living there. Rent is declared in Australia, capital gains tax may apply on a sale, and the UAE is not on Treasury’s treaty list.
- ID for non-resident buyers in Dubai
- Passport; Emirates ID not needed
- Australian residents declare
- Worldwide income
- Overseas rental income
- Declared as if earned in Australia
- Selling an overseas asset
- Capital gains tax may apply
- Tax paid overseas
- May give a foreign income tax offset
- Australia–UAE income tax treaty
- UAE not on Treasury’s treaty list
Australia 01
Choose a property type.
Apartments, townhouses and villas suit different plans. Start with the one that fits yours.
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01 — ApartmentsApartments
AED 1M–3M
Request options -
02 — TownhousesTownhouses
AED 3M–6M
Request options -
03 — VillasVillas
AED 5M–20M
Request options
Ranges are target total purchase prices, not guaranteed starting prices and not the cash needed at booking.
Selected opportunities 02
Off-plan projects available now
Compare them like for like: the price where the developer has confirmed it, the payment plan, the handover date and what to weigh.
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Architectural render Apartment
Palm Central Private Residences
1–5 bedrooms
Price on requestCurrent price being re-confirmed- Payment plan
- Schedule on request
- Handover
- Not yet stated
Why selectedBeachfront apartments and penthouses in three buildings at the centre of Palm Jebel Ali, between Fronds M and N, with direct beach access.
ConsiderPalm Jebel Ali is still being developed, so check which roads, schools and shops will be open when you move in.
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Architectural render Apartment
The Woods Abode
1–2 bedrooms
Price on requestCurrent price being re-confirmed- Payment plan
- Schedule on request
- Handover
- Not yet stated
Why selectedApartments facing parks at the front and rear, in a masterplan where about half the land is open and green space.
ConsiderSobha Sanctuary is planned for around 20,000 families, so nearby phases may still be under construction after handover.
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Apartment
Binghatti Starfall
Studio–2 bedrooms
From AED 759,999Indicative developer price- Payment plan
- Schedule on request
- Handover
- Not yet stated
Why selectedNear Al Jaddaf Metro station on the Green Line, with an observatory deck and telescopes for residents on the amenity podium.
ConsiderThe Etihad Rail stop planned for Al Jaddaf is a future project, so do not rely on it when you decide.
Last checked 16 Sep 2026 Request price list and plan -
Architectural render Apartment
Arancia Yards 2
1–3 bedrooms
Price on requestCurrent price being re-confirmed- Payment plan
- Schedule on request
- Handover
- Not yet stated
Why selectedFour low-rise buildings around a sunken garden, with 4-metre living-room ceilings in select ground-floor homes.
ConsiderIt sits beside the first Arancia Yards phase, so compare prices and payment plans for both before choosing.
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Architectural render Townhouse
Palm Central Townhouses
4 bedrooms
Price on requestCurrent price being re-confirmed- Payment plan
- Schedule on request
- Handover
- Not yet stated
Why selectedFour-bedroom townhouses on the ground floor with private garages, opening onto the landscaped deck and the beach.
ConsiderYou share facilities and service charges with a 212-home development, so ask for the estimated service charge.
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Architectural render Apartment
Arancia Yards
1–3 bedrooms
Price on requestCurrent price being re-confirmed- Payment plan
- Schedule on request
- Handover
- Not yet stated
Why selectedLow-rise homes with 3.1-metre ceilings and private terraces, in the first phase of a masterplan that keeps over 70% of its land open-air.
ConsiderThe school, clinic and mosque are part of the masterplan, so check which will be open by handover.
Australia 03
How to buy off-plan from Australia, step by step
Much of this can be handled from Australia.
- 1/6
Check your Australian tax position
Ask an Australian tax adviser how rent, currency conversion and a future sale would be treated, and which records to keep from the start.
- 2/6
Shortlist with an adviser
In a video or phone consultation, compare up to three projects in your budget with every cost and payment stage set out.
- 3/6
Check the project
Before paying anything, confirm the project is registered with the emirate’s regulator, pays into a project escrow account and holds an advertising permit.
- 4/6
Sign and complete checks
Sign the sale and purchase agreement in person or through a legalised power of attorney, and provide identity and source-of-funds evidence.
- 5/6
Register and pay in stages
Make sure the sale is recorded on the emirate’s off-plan register, then send each instalment to the project escrow account as construction progresses.
- 6/6
Take handover and declare
Handover follows the developer-stated timetable. Rent, if any, starts only after handover and is declared on your Australian return.
Australia 04
Documents to prepare for buying from Australia
Keep your passport valid
Dubai Land Department accepts a valid passport from non-resident foreign buyers to register a sale, and asks for a passport copy for Oqood off-plan registration, so an Emirates ID is not needed in Dubai.
Legalise a power of attorney if you will not sign in person
A power of attorney signed in Australia generally needs notarisation and legalisation before UAE use. Confirm the current route with the UAE Embassy and the registration trustee.
Gather source-of-funds evidence
Dubai Land Department lists Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 as the current anti-money-laundering law. Have statements showing where the money came from ready before you sign.
Confirm ID rules outside Dubai
RAK Municipality’s sale-contract service card lists an Emirates ID for both parties. If you are buying in Abu Dhabi or Ras Al Khaimah, confirm identity requirements before you sign.
Pay only into the escrow account
In Dubai each off-plan project has its own escrow account, used only to build that project, and the developer’s creditors cannot attach it. Send instalments only to the account named in your contract.
Keep records for capital gains
The ATO asks owners of overseas assets to keep records for capital gains purposes, so file the contract, fees and payment receipts together.
Expert consultation
Find the UAE home that fits your plans.
Australia 05
Moving money from Australia: what to prepare
Buyers usually send staged international transfers from an Australian account to the project escrow account. Have evidence of where the money came from ready, and plan to pay by bank transfer: a UAE Ministry of Economy circular requires brokers to report freehold sales paid in cash of AED 55,000 or more, or paid wholly or partly in virtual assets.
For each transfer, record the date, amount and rate. The ATO says all foreign income, deductions and offsets must be converted to Australian dollars, and it data-matches returns against information from banks and other financial institutions, including account information exchanged with foreign tax authorities.
Australia 06
Australian tax on a UAE home: what the ATO says, and what to ask
Official ATO and Treasury positions as at 16 September 2026. Your residency status decides how they apply to you.
Worldwide income
Australian residents for tax purposes must declare income earned anywhere in the world. Temporary residents are treated differently for most foreign income.
Ask your adviserAm I a resident, or a temporary resident, for the years I will own the property?
Rental income
Returns from overseas assets, including rental income from real estate, are declared as if the assets were in Australia.
Ask your adviserAfter handover, which rental deductions apply to a foreign property?
Capital gains
Capital gains tax may apply when you sell an overseas asset. Assets acquired before becoming resident are treated as acquired on the date you became resident, and ceasing residency is treated as a disposal.
Ask your adviserHow would a sale, or a change in my residency, be calculated?
Foreign income tax offset
An offset may be available for tax paid overseas if you paid it, can prove it and the foreign country had taxing rights. It is not always equal to the tax paid, and claims over $1,000 need a limit calculation.
Ask your adviserWould any UAE tax give me an offset?
Income years
Most countries do not have an income year ending on 30 June, so foreign income may need apportioning across Australian returns.
Ask your adviserHow do I allocate rent and costs across income years?
Tax treaty
Treasury’s list of Australia’s income tax treaties, last updated on 24 March 2026, does not include the United Arab Emirates.
Ask your adviserWhat does the absence of a treaty mean for my position?
UAE side
Under Cabinet Decision No. 49 of 2023, an individual’s income from selling or letting UAE property without needing a licence is not treated as a business activity for UAE Corporate Tax.
Ask your adviserHow does that interact with my Australian return?
What you can hold us to
Six commitments behind every consultation.
A purchase this size deserves someone who shows you the full picture, including what could go wrong, before you commit a deposit.
How the firm is paid, and why it matters to you-
Every cost before you commit
Total price, registration fees and each payment stage, set out in your own currency before you pay anything.
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Honest about fit
Up to three options, and fewer if fewer fit. If off-plan does not suit your plans, you are told plainly.
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A second opinion on any offer
Bring an offer from a developer or another agent and have its cost, payment plan and contract points checked before you commit.
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Told how the firm is paid
Before you decide on anything, including whether a developer on your shortlist pays the firm.
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Checks before you see a home
Registration, the project escrow account, the developer’s record and a current price, checked before a home reaches you.
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Your time, your privacy
Video, phone, WhatsApp or email in your time zone. Your details are used only to reply, and launch emails only if you ask.
How it works 07
Three steps, no obligation.
No account, no fee, no pressure to proceed. You decide whether to go further.
- 01
Share your requirements
Your contact details, then property type, price range, emirate, objective and timeframe. It takes about two minutes, and no financial documents are needed.
- 02
Review suitable options
Up to three opportunities, each with its costs, payment timings, the reasons it was selected and what to consider. If fewer fit, you get fewer.
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Discuss next steps
Talk to an adviser about the options, what to verify independently and what reserving involves. There is no pressure to proceed.
Questions 08
Answers before you share any details.
If your question is not answered here, an adviser can go through it with you during a consultation.
Yes. Foreign buyers can own freehold in areas designated for them without living in the UAE. Dubai Land Department accepts a passport from non-resident foreign buyers, and someone can sign for you under a legalised power of attorney.
If you are an Australian resident for tax purposes, yes. The ATO says rental income from overseas real estate is declared as if the property were in Australia. An off-plan home produces no rent until after handover, and amounts must be converted to Australian dollars.
It may apply. The ATO says capital gains tax may apply when you sell an overseas asset, and ceasing to be an Australian resident is treated as a disposal. Keep the contract, fees and payment receipts from the start, and ask an Australian adviser how a sale would be calculated.
The ATO’s foreign income tax offset applies to tax you have actually paid overseas, with records, where the foreign country had taxing rights. Treasury’s list of Australia’s income tax treaties, last updated on 24 March 2026, does not include the United Arab Emirates. Whether any UAE tax is charged on your income is a question for an Australian adviser.
By staged international transfer to the project escrow account named in your contract. In Dubai each off-plan project has its own escrow account, used only to build that project, and the developer’s creditors cannot attach it. Keep a record of every transfer.
Not by itself. The Australian rules depend on residency for tax purposes, not citizenship or a visa, so confirm your status with an Australian adviser. Dubai Land Department describes a 10-year investor permit for property costing AED 2 million or more, but eligibility is decided by the authorities and is not guaranteed.
Expert consultation
Get the current price list and payment plan for Palm Central Townhouses.
Tell us what you would consider. An adviser sends what is available now, with prices and payment plans for homes that fit.
- Every cost and payment stage set out
- Why each option was chosen, and what to weigh
- Free, with no obligation
Thank you. Here is what you shared.
An adviser will send the current price list and payment plan for homes that match what you shared.