Dubai mortgage guides by country

UAE banks decide mortgage terms by where you live and earn, not by your passport. If you live and work in the UAE, you borrow on resident terms: up to 80% of a first home up to AED 5,000,000. If you live abroad, the same bank treats you as a non-resident: usually up to 60%, with stricter income checks and a home-country credit report.

Each guide below covers what changes for buyers from that country: income in your currency, the credit report the bank asks for, moving the deposit, tax questions to raise at home, and how to sign and transfer without living in Dubai. The UAE rules themselves are the same for everyone and come from MOVA's calculator engine, so the figures on every page match our calculators.

In our bank policy data, 10 of 17 banks lend to non-residents, most from AED 15,000 of monthly income. Purchase costs add the Dubai Land Department transfer fee of 4% plus registration, trustee and agency fees on top of the deposit.

Two things are worth settling before you look at property. First, which side of the line you are on: a resident holds a UAE residence visa and usually earns in the UAE; if you live and earn abroad, you apply as a non-resident. Second, what your income is worth in dirhams after your existing loans and card limits, because every UAE bank tests total debt payments against the 50% limit. A pre-approval answers both in a few days and tells you which banks will actually lend to your profile.