Getting a Mortgage in Dubai from the UK: Deposits, Off-Plan Limits and Fees

Published 16 October 2026 · satisofisi.com Editorial Desk

Yes, a UK buyer can get a mortgage in Dubai, but not a 100% one. The UAE Central Bank caps how much any lender can lend to a foreign buyer: 80% of the property's value for a first home worth under AED 5 million, 70% above that, 60% for a second home or a buy-to-let, and 50% for anything bought off-plan, and the deposit has to be your own money.

Below we answer the questions UK buyers ask most: how big the deposit is, whether you can borrow without living in the UAE, what changes when the flat is still being built, and what the Dubai Land Department (DLD) charges to register the loan. We checked each rule against the official sources listed at the end.

How much deposit do you need for a Dubai mortgage?

For a completed ("ready") flat that will be your first home, the minimum deposit is 20% of the value if it's worth less than AED 5 million and 30% if it's worth more. It rises to 40% for a second property or one you plan to let out, and to 50% for anything bought off-plan.

These figures come from the Central Bank of the UAE's Regulations Regarding Mortgage Loans (Notice 31/2013, amended in 2019 and 2020), which set the maximum loan-to-value (LTV) for each type of buyer. The regulation calls foreign nationals "expatriates", and those limits apply to you whether or not you live in the UAE.

Be careful with "first home". The regulation's category is "first house / owner occupier", and each borrower can have only one property treated that way; every further purchase falls under the 60% limit. It doesn't say how a home you already own in the UK is treated, so ask the bank how it will classify your purchase before you count on 80%.

These are maximums, not what you'll necessarily get. The Central Bank says lenders may set lower limits where they see more risk. Ask each bank what it will actually lend to someone with your income, residence and type of property.

Can you get a 100% mortgage in Dubai?

No. UAE lenders can't go above the LTV limits shown above, and the regulation says the deposit must come from your own funds. You can't pay it with a personal loan or a credit card.

Offers that seem to need almost nothing upfront are usually developer payment plans, where you pay the developer in instalments while the building goes up. That's a different arrangement from a bank mortgage. How those plans work, and what protects the money you pay in, is explained in our guide to Dubai off-plan payment plans.

You'll also need more cash than the deposit alone. The DLD transfer fee, the mortgage registration fee and the fee charged by the registration trustee office (a centre approved by the DLD that handles the paperwork) all come on top, so budget for them from the start.

Can you get a Dubai mortgage if you live in the UK?

The Central Bank's rules don't bar people who live outside the UAE, and the DLD registers mortgages for "non-resident foreigners", who can use a copy of their passport instead of an Emirates ID (the identity card for UAE residents). Whether a particular bank will lend to you is up to that bank.

Lenders have to get a full picture of your income and existing debts before they lend. For someone living in the UK, expect to be asked for proof of UK earnings or business income, bank statements and details of any UK mortgage or loans. Banks differ on how they treat foreign income, so compare several before you commit to a flat.

Repayments must come from salary, verifiable business income or rent. An end-of-service gratuity (the lump sum UAE employers pay when you leave a job) doesn't count. If the loan runs past retirement age, the bank also has to check that your income after retirement will cover what's left to pay.

How much can you borrow?

Three separate limits apply, and the lowest one decides your loan: the LTV limit, a cap of seven times your annual income for foreign buyers, and the debt burden ratio. All your monthly debt repayments together, including the new mortgage, must not exceed 50% of your income.

The bank must also stress test the loan at 2 to 4 percentage points above the rate it's offering, to check you could still pay if rates rose. If the flat is an investment, the bank has to deduct at least two months' rent from the expected rental income before counting it. The longest term allowed is 25 years, and each bank sets its own maximum age at the final repayment.

A worked example: on a ready flat valued at AED 1.5 million and classed as your first home, you could borrow up to AED 1.2 million, leaving a deposit of AED 300,000 before fees. If the same flat counted as a second home, you could borrow at most AED 900,000.

Can you get a mortgage on an off-plan property?

Yes, but the bank can lend at most 50% of the value, whoever you are and whatever the price. The Central Bank set this lower limit because building takes a long time and there's a higher risk that a project is never finished.

Your money goes in before the bank's. When a mortgage pays a developer in stages, your share of the price has to be paid first; only then can the bank release any of the loan. Payments to the developer should be tied to building stages that have been inspected on site.

To register a mortgage on a property that's still on the off-plan register (Oqood), the DLD asks for a no-objection certificate from the developer, issued through Dubai REST, the DLD's app. Check early that the developer is willing to issue one, because without it the mortgage can't be registered.

What does it cost to register a mortgage in Dubai?

The DLD charges 0.25% of the mortgage amount to register it, so AED 3,000 on an AED 1.2 million loan. Small fixed fees are added for the title deed and the property plans, and the trustee office charges its own service fee.

When the bank files the mortgage online, the DLD takes its fees from the bank's account; at a trustee office, you pay them at the counter. Ask the bank whether its offer covers these fees or adds them to your costs. The bank's own arrangement and valuation fees are separate and vary from bank to bank.

Does a mortgaged property still count for the Golden Visa?

Yes, with a condition. The DLD accepts a mortgaged property for the 10-year investor residence permit if the purchase value is at least AED 2 million and the bank provides a letter showing that the amount paid on the property has reached AED 2 million.

So a buyer who has borrowed heavily could own a flat worth enough and still not be eligible until the amount paid reaches that figure. The full rules, including family members and fees, are in our guide Can Buying Property in Dubai Get You a Visa?

Questions UK buyers ask

Is the deposit the same for UK citizens and other foreigners?

Yes. The Central Bank's limits for expatriates don't change with nationality. UAE nationals have higher limits: 85% for a first home up to AED 5 million.

Can I use equity from my UK home for the deposit?

The UAE rule is that the deposit must come from your own resources and not from personal loans or credit cards. Dubai banks take different views on money raised against a UK home, so ask each one before you apply.

Does the bank value the flat at the price I agreed?

Not necessarily. Banks must use independent valuers from an approved list, and the loan is a percentage of the value the bank accepts. If the valuation comes in below the price, you'll have to make up the difference yourself.

Is there an age limit?

The Central Bank leaves the maximum age at the last repayment to each bank, within the 25-year maximum term. If you're in your fifties or older, ask about the age limit first, because it decides how long your term can be and so how much you can borrow.

What should I check in the loan offer?

The Central Bank requires lenders to be open about all fees, charges and interest rates and how interest is calculated. Ask for them in writing, and check the terms on rate changes and any early repayment charges before you sign.

Sources

We checked the rules against these official pages on 15 and 16 October 2026.

• Central Bank of the UAE, Regulations Regarding Mortgage Loans (Notice 31/2013, amended by Resolutions 96/2019 and 31/2/2020): CBUAE Rulebook, the articles on loan-to-value, maximum term, maximum financing amount and staged payments.
• Dubai Land Department, Mortgage registration application: required documents and service fees.
• Dubai Land Department, Golden Visa application for investors: the mortgaged property condition.

Before you look at specific flats, get a written pre-approval from two or three banks, the Dubai equivalent of an agreement in principle. Then you'll know which price range works, and whether a ready or an off-plan flat suits you better. The checks to make on the property itself are in Buying a Flat in Dubai from the UK: What to Check, and you can browse new residential projects in Dubai to see what's being built and where.