How to buy property in Dubai from Pakistan
Pakistani citizens can buy freehold property in Dubai's designated areas: a valid passport is enough to register the purchase, and you do not need a UAE visa or residence. You can sign in Dubai yourself, or appoint someone there under a power of attorney that has been notarised in Pakistan, legalised by the UAE mission and attested in the UAE. The step that needs the most care happens before any of that: confirm with your bank in Pakistan how you can lawfully send the money, and pay only into accounts named in your contract and confirmed with the bank that holds them.
Steps
Choose the property and check it can be sold to you
Who: You, with your agent
Documents:
- Passport
Foreign buyers can own freehold property in Dubai's designated areas, and freehold status is set plot by plot. Before you reserve anything, have the exact unit run through the DLD Property Status Enquiry; for an off-plan home, also check the project's completion progress in the DLD Project Status Enquiry and confirm its escrow account.
Plan the money in Pakistan first
Who: You, with your bank in Pakistan and a licensed adviser
Documents:
- Bank statements
- Proof of source of funds, with your bank's transfer records
- Latest FBR wealth statement, if you hold foreign assets
Rules on sending money out of Pakistan are set by the State Bank of Pakistan and applied by your bank, not by Dubai. The SBP's Foreign Currency Value Account, introduced by a foreign exchange circular in 2020, was created for investment in foreign-currency government registered debt securities on a repatriable basis. Banks may open it for non-resident Pakistanis and for residents whose foreign assets are declared in their latest FBR wealth statement; it can be credited only with remittances from abroad through banking channels, transfers from your own NRP Rupee Value Account, and profits or proceeds of its permitted investments, and its balance may be remitted outside Pakistan without prior approval. The circular does not mention property in Dubai, so your bank must confirm the route in writing. Send funds only through a bank, and keep the bank's transfer record with your source-of-funds proof. This guide does not cover Pakistan tax; see a Pakistan-qualified adviser. Confirm the transfer route for your own case with your bank or a licensed adviser before you move any money.
Decide how you will sign
Who: You, or your attorney in Dubai
Documents:
- Passport
- Power of attorney, if someone signs for you
You can fly in and sign at the trustee office yourself, or appoint someone in Dubai under a power of attorney. UAE law firms report that the DLD expects the attorney document to be notarised in the country where you sign it, legalised by the UAE embassy or consulate there, attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, translated into Arabic and presented as the original; the documents checklist below gives the age limit. The wording must give the specific power to buy property, ideally naming the unit. Send the draft to the trustee office or your conveyancer before you sign it in Pakistan.
Sign the contract and register it
Who: You or your attorney, the seller or developer, and a DLD trustee office
Documents:
- Passport
- Sale and purchase agreement (off-plan) or Form F (resale)
- Developer no-objection certificate (resale)
For off-plan, you sign the developer's sale and purchase agreement, often electronically, and it is registered in the interim register, known as Oqood, within 90 days of signing. For a resale, buyer and seller sign Form F, the developer issues its no-objection certificate, and the transfer is completed at a DLD trustee office.
Pay safely
Who: You, through your bank
Documents:
- Payment receipts
- Developer's written escrow account details
Pay off-plan instalments only into the project escrow account named in your agreement, and confirm with the escrow bank that the account is held in the project's name. For a resale, the price is paid at the trustee office on transfer day, usually by manager's cheques. Never send money to a personal account, and treat any change of bank details by email or WhatsApp as a warning sign until you have confirmed it by phone with someone you have already verified.
Receive the title deed and plan any visa
Who: You
Documents:
- Title deed or Oqood certificate
- Passport
Once the transfer is registered, the DLD issues the title deed, or the Oqood certificate for off-plan. Owning property does not by itself give residence. A property investor may qualify for the Golden Visa at a property value of AED 2,000,000 or more, for 10 years; for a mortgaged property, the DLD asks for a bank letter showing AED 2,000,000 paid, and applicants must be inside the UAE when they apply.
Costs and fees
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| DLD transfer fee (resale), total; listed by DLD as buyer and seller shares below | 4% |
| DLD transfer fee, buyer share as listed by DLD | 2% |
| DLD transfer fee, seller share as listed by DLD | 2% |
| Oqood registration fee (off-plan), buyer's share | 2% |
| Title deed issuance | AED 250 |
| Map fee (villa or apartment) | AED 250 |
| Map fee (unified map under Dubai Municipality) | AED 225 |
| Map fee (land not under Dubai Municipality) | AED 100 |
| Knowledge fee | AED 10 |
| Innovation fee | AED 10 |
| Trustee office fee, price of AED 500,000 or more, plus VAT | AED 4,000 |
| Trustee office fee, price below AED 500,000, plus VAT | AED 2,000 |
| VAT on services such as the trustee fee and agent commission | 5% |
| Buyer's agent commission on a resale, common practice reported by Property Finder, plus VAT | 2% |
| DLD mortgage registration, of the loan amount | 0.25% |
Source: dlp.dubai.gov.ae, dubailand.gov.ae, u.ae, www.propertyfinder.ae. Data as of .
Deadlines
| Stage | Time |
|---|---|
| Off-plan contract registered in Oqood within | 90 days |
Figures as of ; sources: dubailand.gov.ae.
Documents checklist
- Valid Pakistani passport
- Power of attorney, notarised in Pakistan, legalised by the UAE mission and attested in the UAE, with an Arabic translation, issued within the last 2 years (only if someone signs for you)
- Proof of source of funds, your bank's transfer records and its written confirmation of the transfer route
- Sale and purchase agreement or Form F
- Developer no-objection certificate (resale)
Common mistakes
- Sending money before your bank in Pakistan has confirmed the route in writing.
- Paying a deposit to a personal account instead of the project escrow account or the trustee office.
- Signing a power of attorney in Pakistan before the trustee office has approved the wording.
- Assuming that buying property comes with a visa.
- Taking a district's freehold status on trust instead of checking the exact unit.
Frequently asked questions
Can Pakistani citizens buy property in Dubai?
Yes: Pakistani citizens can buy freehold property in Dubai's designated areas. Dubai's regulation on ownership by non-UAE nationals designates areas and plots for all non-UAE nationals as one group and does not name any nationality, so what matters is the plot; check the exact unit with the DLD.
Do I need a UAE visa to buy property in Dubai?
No: the DLD accepts a valid passport from non-resident foreign buyers for a sale registration. A visa only matters if you later want to live in the UAE.
Can I buy Dubai property without travelling from Pakistan?
Yes: you can buy off-plan, often signing the developer's contract electronically, or have someone in Dubai sign a resale for you under a power of attorney. The attorney document has to be prepared in Pakistan to the DLD's standards, so start it early.
How do I make a power of attorney in Pakistan for Dubai property?
Have it notarised in Pakistan, legalised by the UAE embassy or consulate, then attested by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with a legal Arabic translation. Law firms report that the DLD expects the original document, specific wording to buy property, and an issue date within the last 2 years. Get the trustee office to approve the draft first.
Can I send money from Pakistan to buy property in Dubai?
Only your bank can confirm this; SBP rules apply. The SBP circular behind the Foreign Currency Value Account describes it as an account for foreign-currency government debt securities, limits what can be paid into it, and allows its balance to be remitted abroad without prior approval; it does not mention property in Dubai. Confirm the transfer route for your own case with your bank or a licensed adviser before you move any money.
Does buying property in Dubai give me a visa?
Not automatically: residence depends on the visa you apply for, not on the purchase itself. A property worth AED 2,000,000 or more can qualify an investor for the Golden Visa, valid for 10 years. For a mortgaged property, the DLD asks for a bank letter showing AED 2,000,000 paid, and applicants must be in the UAE when they apply.
Can a Pakistani living in Pakistan get a mortgage in Dubai?
Some UAE banks lend to non-residents, on stricter terms than to residents. ADCB, for example, publishes up to 50% financing for non-residents over up to 15 years, and Pakistan is on its list of non-resident nationalities. For off-plan homes the Central Bank caps lending at 50% of the value for every buyer.
What does it cost to buy property in Dubai on top of the price?
The DLD transfer fee on a resale is 4% in total, listed by the DLD as 2% from the buyer and 2% from the seller; check who pays in your contract. With a buyer's agent, the commission of 2% plus VAT is about the same size as the buyer's share. Add the trustee office fee, title deed and the smaller DLD fees listed in the costs table.