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International buyers · Europe

Buying UAE property from Europe: steps, paperwork and tax at home

Buyers resident anywhere in Europe can buy freehold in the UAE without living there, through the same process. Tax at home depends on the country where you are tax resident, so take the questions below to an adviser there.

Get an Expert ConsultationPlan Your Purchase from Europe

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

Your tax position is set where you live, not by your passport

Each European country sets its own rules on income, capital gains, wealth and inheritance tax, and its own forms for foreign assets and income. Some have a tax treaty with the UAE and some do not, and the treaties that exist differ.

Start from the country where you are resident for tax purposes: a French citizen living in Lisbon starts from Portuguese rules. UK residents have their own detailed guide.

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

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

Much of this can be handled from Europe.

  1. 1

    Check your home tax position

    Before committing, take the questions below to an adviser in your country of tax residence.

  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 a legalised or attested power of attorney, and provide identity and source-of-funds evidence.

  5. 5

    Register the sale

    Make sure the sale is recorded on the off-plan register: Oqood in Dubai within 90 days of signing, DARI in Abu Dhabi, RAK Municipality in Ras Al Khaimah.

  6. 6

    Pay in stages into escrow

    Pay each instalment to the project escrow account named in your contract as construction progresses, and keep every transfer record.

  7. 7

    Take handover and report

    Handover follows the developer-stated timetable. Any rent starts only after handover and is reported under your home country’s rules.

Documents to prepare for buying from Europe

  • 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 Europe generally needs notarisation and legalisation or attestation before UAE use, and may need translation. Confirm the route with the UAE mission in your country 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.

  • Check the registration deadline

    In Dubai, Oqood contracts must be registered within 90 days of signing. In Abu Dhabi, a developer registering an off-plan sale on DARI more than 21 days after the sale pays a AED 10,000 late fee.

  • 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. Pay instalments only to the account named in your contract.

Find the UAE home that fits your plans.

Get an Expert ConsultationGet a Second Opinion Before You Commit

Moving money from Europe: what to prepare

Buyers usually send staged transfers from a European 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.

Your own bank may ask about the purpose of large transfers, and your country may have its own rules on reporting foreign accounts or payments. For each transfer, record the date, amount and rate, because most tax systems want foreign amounts converted into your home currency.

Questions to take to a tax adviser in your country

  1. Residence

    Where am I resident for tax purposes, and could a move or a UAE visa change that during the years I own the property?

  2. Rental income

    How is rent from a foreign property taxed after handover, and what can I deduct?

  3. Capital gains

    How would a sale be taxed, including currency movements and purchase costs?

  4. Treaty

    Does my country have a tax treaty with the UAE, and what does it say about property income and gains?

  5. Foreign asset reporting

    Must I declare the property, or a UAE bank account, on a foreign assets or wealth return?

  6. Inheritance and gifts

    How would my home country treat the property on death or on a gift to family?

  7. Ownership structure

    Should I buy personally, jointly or through a company, and what reporting does each create?

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

Owning UAE property, or holding a UAE residence permit, does not by itself change where you are tax resident or remove reporting duties in your home country. Take your circumstances to a qualified adviser there 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, in the areas designated for foreign ownership. Dubai Land Department accepts a passport from non-resident foreign buyers when registering a sale, and someone can sign for you under a legalised or attested power of attorney. Confirm identity requirements in Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah separately.

Tax rules differ between European countries and depend on where you are resident, so the guide sets out the questions to take to a qualified adviser in that country. UK residents have a separate, more detailed guide.

Dubai Land Department lists 2% for the seller and 2% for the buyer for Oqood off-plan registration, DARI lists 2% of the sale price for an Abu Dhabi off-plan unit, and RAK Municipality lists 2% plus 2%. The contract sets who actually pays.

By staged bank 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 automatically. 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. A UAE visa does not by itself change your tax residence in Europe.

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

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

Receive up to three options that fit, each with its costs, payment stages and trade-offs explained.

  • Every cost and payment stage set out
  • Why each option was chosen, and what to weigh
  • Free, with no obligation

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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.

Buyer guide

UK buyers

For UK tax residents buying in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or RAK: the buying steps, remote documents, UK tax on overseas rent and gains, and questions for your adviser.

Talk to an adviser