Real estate in UAE

To purchase a property in the UAE, a foreign citizen must be over 21 years old and have a valid passport. If the aforementioned conditions are met, the first step is to make an offer.

A real estate transaction consists of the following steps:

• drawing up an agreement with the consent of both parties;
• making a deposit;
• receiving a loan, if necessary;
• checking the property for encumbrances;
• the final payment by bank check or in cash at Dubai Land Department;
• transferring the ownership document to the new owner.

There are two options for purchasing real estate:

1. From an individual — resale;
2. From a developer — «Off Plan» purchase.

In the second case, there is an interest-free instalments plan.

The purchase of a property under the conditions of unconditional ownership means that the property is registered in the name of the owner through a title deed in Real Estate Regulatory Authority.

The owner has the right to sell or lease his property at his own discretion.

A two-year residence permit is issued for the purchase of properties worth more than 1,000,000 dirhams (approximately $ 270,000).

The most important step is to make sure that the project is registered with RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Authority). When purchasing an «Off Plan» property, expatriates must provide a completed booking form and a copy of their passport.

The booking form usually specifies the main terms of the sale and purchase agreement (SPA), details of the payment plan, as well as the personal data of the seller and the buyer.

If a foreign citizen purchases real estate in a project under construction, he or she should make sure that the sale and purchase agreement specifies the completion date. In addition, if the property is to be sold with interior decoration, you need to make sure that the details of the furniture package are also attached to the agreement.

To complete the process of buying a property in Dubai, you must submit a full set of documents. You can do it at the developer’s office, or, if the transaction takes place remotely, the documents are sent by courier.

If you purchase property from an individual, both parties to the transaction must agree on the terms of the sale and purchase agreement. The document usually features the date of the final transfer of funds from the buyer to the seller.

Then the buyer pays a deposit (as a rule, about 10% of the property value). This deposit is often non-refundable if, for some reason, the seller is no longer able to transfer the property.

You also need to pay a realtor commission. Most often, around 2% of the property value. The sale and purchase agreement is drawn up by the buyer’s agent, 10% is paid in the name of the seller. The SPA features the price, terms of purchase, and broker’s commission.