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.
- ID for non-resident buyers in Dubai
- Passport; Emirates ID not needed
- Where off-plan payments go (Dubai)
- A project escrow account
- Dubai off-plan registration
- 2% seller + 2% buyer (Oqood)
- Oqood registration deadline
- Within 90 days of signing
- Abu Dhabi off-plan registration
- 2% of sale price (DARI)
- Ras Al Khaimah sale registration
- 2% seller + 2% buyer
Europe 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
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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.
Europe 03
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.
Europe 04
How to buy off-plan from Europe, step by step
Much of this can be handled from Europe.
- 1/7
Check your home tax position
Before committing, take the questions below to an adviser in your country of tax residence.
- 2/7
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.
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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.
- 4/7
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.
- 5/7
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.
- 6/7
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.
Europe 05
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.
Expert consultation
Find the UAE home that fits your plans.
Europe 06
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.
Europe 07
Questions to take to a tax adviser in your country
- 01
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?
- 02
Rental income
How is rent from a foreign property taxed after handover, and what can I deduct?
- 03
Capital gains
How would a sale be taxed, including currency movements and purchase costs?
- 04
Treaty
Does my country have a tax treaty with the UAE, and what does it say about property income and gains?
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Foreign asset reporting
Must I declare the property, or a UAE bank account, on a foreign assets or wealth return?
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Inheritance and gifts
How would my home country treat the property on death or on a gift to family?
- 07
Ownership structure
Should I buy personally, jointly or through a company, and what reporting does each create?
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 08
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.
- 03
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 09
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.
Expert consultation
Plan your purchase from where you live.
Share your plans. An adviser sets out the steps, documents and timing for buying from your country, with every cost in your currency.
- 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 plan the steps, documents and timing for buying from your country, with options that fit.