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International buyers · Canada

Buying UAE property from Canada: steps, paperwork and Canadian tax

Canadian residents can buy freehold in the UAE without living there. Rent after handover and any gain belong on your Canadian return, and a rented property costing over CAD 100,000 can bring Form T1135.

Get an Expert ConsultationPlan Your Purchase from Canada

Choose a property type.

Apartments, townhouses and villas suit different plans. Start with the one that fits yours.

A white apartment tower with deep balconies rising above palm trees against a clear blue sky

Apartments

AED 1M–3M

A row of contemporary townhouses with timber screens, olive trees and a landscaped front path

Townhouses

AED 3M–6M

A modern villa with an infinity pool and a lawn overlooking the sea

Villas

AED 5M–20M

Ranges are target total purchase prices, not guaranteed starting prices and not the cash needed at booking.

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.

Eden House The Park by H&H in Al Safa, Dubai Water Canal, Dubai, architectural renderApartmentArchitectural render

H&H in Al Safa, Dubai Water Canal, Dubai

Eden House The Park

2–4 bedrooms

Price on requestCurrent price being re-confirmed

Payment plan
Schedule on request
Handover
Developer-stated September 2027 · Under construction

Seven low-rise buildings set in their own park on the Dubai Water Canal, beside Al Safa Park, run in-house under H&H’s Eden House brand rather than by a hotel operator.

Request price list and planLast checked 5 Oct 2026
Palm Central Private Residences by Nakheel in Palm Jebel Ali, Dubai, architectural renderApartmentArchitectural render

Nakheel in Palm Jebel Ali, Dubai

Palm Central Private Residences

1–5 bedrooms

Price on requestCurrent price being re-confirmed

Payment plan
Schedule on request
Handover
Not yet stated

Beachfront apartments and penthouses in three buildings at the centre of Palm Jebel Ali, between Fronds M and N, with direct beach access.

Request price list and plan
The Woods Abode by Sobha in Sobha Sanctuary, Dubai, architectural renderApartmentArchitectural render

Sobha in Sobha Sanctuary, Dubai

The Woods Abode

1–2 bedrooms

Price on requestCurrent price being re-confirmed

Payment plan
Schedule on request
Handover
Not yet stated

Apartments facing parks at the front and rear, in a masterplan where about half the land is open and green space.

Request price list and plan
Binghatti Starfall by Binghatti in Al Jaddaf, DubaiApartment

Binghatti in Al Jaddaf, Dubai

Binghatti Starfall

Studio–2 bedrooms

Price on requestCurrent price being re-confirmed

Payment plan
Schedule on request
Handover
Not yet stated

Near Al Jaddaf Metro station on the Green Line, with an observatory deck and telescopes for residents on the amenity podium.

Request price list and planLast checked 16 Sep 2026
Arancia Yards 2 by BEYOND in The Yards, City of Arabia, Dubai, architectural renderApartmentArchitectural render

BEYOND in The Yards, City of Arabia, Dubai

Arancia Yards 2

1–3 bedrooms

Price on requestCurrent price being re-confirmed

Payment plan
Schedule on request
Handover
Not yet stated

Four low-rise buildings around a sunken garden, with 4-metre living-room ceilings in select ground-floor homes.

Request price list and plan
Palm Central Townhouses by Nakheel in Palm Jebel Ali, Dubai, architectural renderTownhouseArchitectural render

Nakheel in Palm Jebel Ali, Dubai

Palm Central Townhouses

4 bedrooms

Price on requestCurrent price being re-confirmed

Payment plan
Schedule on request
Handover
Not yet stated

Four-bedroom townhouses on the ground floor with private garages, opening onto the landscaped deck and the beach.

Request price list and plan

How to buy off-plan from Canada, step by step

Much of this can be handled from Canada.

  1. 1

    Decide on use and check your tax

    Ask a Canadian tax adviser how rent, a future sale and Form T1135 would work for you, which depends partly on whether you let the home or use it yourself.

  2. 2

    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. 3

    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. 4

    Sign and complete checks

    Sign the sale and purchase agreement in person or through an authenticated power of attorney, and provide identity and source-of-funds evidence.

  5. 5

    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 file

    Handover follows the developer-stated timetable. Any rent starts only after handover; report it, and Form T1135 if it applies, with your return.

Apartment terraces planted with greenery above a turquoise lagoon, with the city skyline in the distance

Documents to prepare for buying from Canada

  • 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.

  • Authenticate a power of attorney if you will not sign in person

    A power of attorney signed in Canada generally needs notarisation and authentication before UAE use. Confirm the current route with the UAE Embassy and the registration trustee before signing.

  • 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 cost records from day one

    Form T1135 works from the cost amount of foreign property, so keep the contract price, fees and payment records together from the start.

Find the UAE home that fits your plans.

Get an Expert ConsultationGet a Second Opinion Before You Commit

Moving money from Canada: what to prepare

Buyers usually send staged wire transfers from a Canadian 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 CRA says foreign amounts on a return must be converted to Canadian dollars using Bank of Canada rates, and the same records support the cost amount that decides whether Form T1135 applies.

Canadian tax on a UAE home: what the CRA says, and what to ask

Official CRA and Finance Canada positions as at 16 September 2026. Your residence status decides how they apply to you.

  1. World income

    Residents report world income, meaning income from all sources inside and outside Canada, in Canadian dollars.

    Ask your adviserWhen I let the home after handover, how is the rent reported and what can I deduct?

  2. Personal use or rental

    In the CRA’s examples, a foreign property held primarily for personal use is not reported, while one rented out with a reasonable expectation of profit is specified foreign property.

    Ask your adviserHow would a mix of personal use and letting be treated?

  3. Form T1135

    Residents file when specified foreign property costs more than CAD 100,000 at any time in the year, due with the income tax return. A simplified part applies below CAD 250,000 and detailed reporting at or above it. Penalties apply for late filing and false statements.

    Ask your adviserDoes my purchase cross the threshold, and when does the cost amount count?

  4. Foreign tax credit

    You may claim if you were resident at any time in the year and included foreign income on which you paid foreign tax. The credit is the lesser of the foreign tax paid and the Canadian tax on that income; use Form T2209, and Form T2036 for provinces and territories outside Quebec.

    Ask your adviserWill any UAE tax be charged that I could credit?

  5. Tax convention

    Finance Canada lists the Canada–UAE convention, signed on 9 June 2002, among treaties in force. Article 6 lets income from immovable property be taxed in the state where the property is.

    Ask your adviserHow do the convention and Canadian rules apply to rent and gains?

  6. 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 adviserWhat does that mean for my foreign tax credit claim?

A UAE property or golden visa does not change your Canadian residence

Owning UAE property, or holding a UAE residence permit, does not by itself make you non-resident in Canada or remove world income or T1135 reporting. Take your circumstances to a Canadian tax adviser before assuming any change.

Six commitments behind every consultation.

How the firm is paid, and why it matters to you

A purchase this size deserves someone who shows you the full picture, including what could go wrong, before you commit a deposit.

Every cost before you commit

Total price, registration fees and each payment stage, set out in your own currency before you pay anything.

Honest about fit

Up to three options, and fewer if fewer fit. If off-plan does not suit your plans, you are told plainly.

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.

Told how the firm is paid

Before you decide on anything, including whether a developer on your shortlist pays the firm.

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.

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.

Three steps, no obligation.

No account, no fee, no pressure to proceed. You decide whether to go further.

  1. 1

    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.

  2. 2

    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.

  3. 3

    Discuss next steps

    Talk to an adviser about the options, what to verify independently and what reserving involves. There is no pressure to proceed.

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 an authenticated power of attorney.

Canadian residents report world income, so rent from a UAE property would normally be reported. An off-plan home produces no rent until after handover. A foreign tax credit may be available for foreign tax actually paid; ask a Canadian adviser how it applies.

It depends on use and cost. The CRA says residents file when specified foreign property costs more than CAD 100,000 at any time in the year. In its examples, property held primarily for personal use is not reported, while property rented out with a reasonable expectation of profit is.

Yes. Finance Canada lists the convention with the United Arab Emirates, signed on 9 June 2002, among treaties in force. How it applies to your rent or gains is a question for a Canadian tax adviser.

By staged wire 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. Canadian tax generally follows residence rather than citizenship, and residence is a question of fact, not of holding a visa. 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. Confirm your status with a Canadian adviser.

Apartment terraces planted with greenery above a turquoise lagoon, with the city skyline in the distance

Plan your purchase from Canada, with every cost set out.

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  • Every cost and payment stage set out
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Read before you decide

Guide

Buying remotely

How international buyers purchase UAE off-plan property from abroad: identity documents, power of attorney legalisation and source-of-funds checks.

Guide

Property purchase costs

The costs on top of a UAE property price: registration fees by emirate, fixed charges, trustee and mortgage fees, commission and service charges.

Comparison

Dubai vs Abu Dhabi

Dubai or Abu Dhabi for an off-plan home: which suits which buyer, then ownership areas, registers, escrow, fees and developers side by side.

Comparison

Townhouse vs villa

Townhouses and villas compared for international buyers, with a focus on the AED 5M–6M overlap: space, running costs, phasing and covered developers.

Talk to an adviser