The short answer
An expat buying a first apartment in Dubai with a mortgage needs a down payment of 20% of the price, which must be the buyer’s own money, plus about 8% in fees. For an AED 1,000,000 apartment that is AED 279,540 in cash: an AED 200,000 deposit and AED 79,540 in fees. A cash buyer pays the full price plus about 6.3% to 6.6% in fees.
| Apartment price | Down payment (20%) | Fees with a mortgage | Cash you need with a mortgage | Cash you need as a cash buyer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AED 1,000,000 | AED 200,000 | AED 79,540 | AED 279,540 | AED 1,065,720 |
| AED 2,000,000 | AED 400,000 | AED 150,940 | AED 550,940 | AED 2,126,720 |
| AED 3,000,000 | AED 600,000 | AED 222,340 | AED 822,340 | AED 3,187,720 |
With a mortgage, the cash you need is the down payment plus every fee. As a cash buyer, it is the full price plus every fee. Each fee line is in the worked examples below, and the budget calculator works out your own figure.
Last updated 12 November 2026. This date changes only when a fee or a rule changes.
Figures checked on 10 November 2026 against the Dubai Land Department, the Central Bank of the UAE and the published fee schedules of Emirates NBD, ADCB and Mashreq.
For a ready apartment in Dubai bought with an 80% mortgage, the cash you need is AED 279,540 at AED 1,000,000, AED 550,940 at AED 2,000,000 and AED 822,340 at AED 3,000,000. Each figure is the 20% down payment plus every fee. A cash buyer needs the price plus AED 65,720, AED 126,720 or AED 187,720 in fees.
The examples are for an expat living in the UAE who buys a ready first home through a broker. The loan is 80% of the price, the most the Central Bank of the UAE allows an expat on a first home worth up to AED 5 million (Central Bank of the UAE, checked 10 November 2026). The examples also assume:
AED 1,000,000 apartment
Cash you need upfront with a mortgage
AED 279,540
Cash you need as a cash buyer
AED 1,065,720
AED 1,000,000, the full price, plus AED 65,720 in fees (6.57% of the price). No loan, so none of the three mortgage fees.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Paid with or without a mortgage | |
| DLD transfer fee, 4% of the price | AED 40,000 |
| Trustee office fee, AED 4,000 + 5% VAT | AED 4,200 |
| DLD title deed | AED 250 |
| DLD unit plan (apartments) | AED 250 |
| DLD knowledge and innovation fees | AED 20 |
| Broker commission, 2% + 5% VAT | AED 21,000 |
| All fees as a cash buyer (6.57% of the price) | AED 65,720 |
| A mortgage adds | |
| Mortgage registration, 0.25% of the loan + AED 270 | AED 2,270 |
| Bank processing fee, up to 1.05% of the loan | AED 8,400 |
| Property valuation, up to AED 3,150 | AED 3,150 |
| All fees with a mortgage (7.95% of the price) | AED 79,540 |
Income check: the Central Bank of the UAE lets an expat borrow up to 7 times yearly income, so an AED 800,000 loan needs a yearly income of about AED 114,286 or more (about AED 9,524 a month). The 50% debt limit and the bank’s own rules apply on top.
AED 2,000,000 apartment
Cash you need upfront with a mortgage
AED 550,940
Cash you need as a cash buyer
AED 2,126,720
AED 2,000,000, the full price, plus AED 126,720 in fees (6.34% of the price). No loan, so none of the three mortgage fees.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Paid with or without a mortgage | |
| DLD transfer fee, 4% of the price | AED 80,000 |
| Trustee office fee, AED 4,000 + 5% VAT | AED 4,200 |
| DLD title deed | AED 250 |
| DLD unit plan (apartments) | AED 250 |
| DLD knowledge and innovation fees | AED 20 |
| Broker commission, 2% + 5% VAT | AED 42,000 |
| All fees as a cash buyer (6.34% of the price) | AED 126,720 |
| A mortgage adds | |
| Mortgage registration, 0.25% of the loan + AED 270 | AED 4,270 |
| Bank processing fee, up to 1.05% of the loan | AED 16,800 |
| Property valuation, up to AED 3,150 | AED 3,150 |
| All fees with a mortgage (7.55% of the price) | AED 150,940 |
Income check: an AED 1,600,000 loan needs a yearly income of about AED 228,571 or more (about AED 19,048 a month) under the Central Bank’s 7 times rule for expats. The 50% debt limit and the bank’s own rules apply on top.
AED 3,000,000 apartment
Cash you need upfront with a mortgage
AED 822,340
Cash you need as a cash buyer
AED 3,187,720
AED 3,000,000, the full price, plus AED 187,720 in fees (6.26% of the price). No loan, so none of the three mortgage fees.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Paid with or without a mortgage | |
| DLD transfer fee, 4% of the price | AED 120,000 |
| Trustee office fee, AED 4,000 + 5% VAT | AED 4,200 |
| DLD title deed | AED 250 |
| DLD unit plan (apartments) | AED 250 |
| DLD knowledge and innovation fees | AED 20 |
| Broker commission, 2% + 5% VAT | AED 63,000 |
| All fees as a cash buyer (6.26% of the price) | AED 187,720 |
| A mortgage adds | |
| Mortgage registration, 0.25% of the loan + AED 270 | AED 6,270 |
| Bank processing fee, up to 1.05% of the loan | AED 25,200 |
| Property valuation, up to AED 3,150 | AED 3,150 |
| All fees with a mortgage (7.41% of the price) | AED 222,340 |
Income check: an AED 2,400,000 loan needs a yearly income of about AED 342,857 or more (about AED 28,571 a month) under the Central Bank’s 7 times rule for expats. The 50% debt limit and the bank’s own rules apply on top.
Fees take a slightly smaller share of the price as the budget rises, from 7.95% at AED 1,000,000 to 7.41% at AED 3,000,000 with a mortgage, because the trustee fee, title deed, unit plan and valuation are fixed amounts.
The budget calculator below works out the cash you need to buy an apartment in Dubai at your own price. Set the buyer, first home or not, ready or off-plan, mortgage or cash, the loan and the broker’s commission. It uses the Central Bank of the UAE loan limits and the fees checked on 10 November 2026.
Work out your own budget with the calculator on fidudubai.com.
The starting result matches the AED 2,000,000 worked example to the dirham.
The deposit you need to buy an apartment in Dubai is the part of the price the bank will not lend. For an expat buying a first home worth up to AED 5 million, the Central Bank of the UAE caps the loan at 80%, so the minimum down payment is 20%. A UAE national needs 15%.
| Purchase | Expat | UAE national |
|---|---|---|
| First home, up to AED 5 million | 20% down (80% loan) | 15% down (85% loan) |
| First home, above AED 5 million | 30% down (70% loan) | 25% down (75% loan) |
| Second home or investment, any value | 40% down (60% loan) | 35% down (65% loan) |
| Off-plan, any value | 50% down (50% loan) | 50% down (50% loan) |
Source: Central Bank of the UAE, Regulations Regarding Mortgage Loans (Circular 31/2013, amended by Resolution 31/2/2020), checked 10 November 2026. The loan figures are maximums.
The down payment must be your own money. The Central Bank of the UAE rule says it cannot come from a personal loan or a credit card (Central Bank of the UAE, checked 10 November 2026). The same regulation requires an independent professional to value the apartment on site before the bank commits to lend, which is why a valuation fee appears in every mortgage example above.
Each borrower can claim only one property under the first home limits, so a second purchase falls under the 60% limit for expats, or 65% for UAE nationals. If you are new to buying in Dubai as a foreigner, read where foreigners can buy property in Dubai.
The fees you pay when you buy an apartment in Dubai come to about 6.3% to 6.6% of the price for a cash buyer and about 7.4% to 8% with a mortgage, in the three examples above. The 4% Dubai Land Department transfer fee is the largest. Broker commission and bank fees make up most of the rest.
| Fee | Amount | Set by |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer fee | 4% of the price, shared 2% buyer and 2% seller unless the contract says otherwise | Dubai Land Department |
| Trustee office fee | AED 4,000 + VAT at AED 500,000 or more; AED 2,000 + VAT below | Dubai Land Department |
| Title deed | AED 250 | Dubai Land Department |
| Unit plan (apartments) | AED 250 | Dubai Land Department |
| Knowledge and innovation fees | AED 10 + AED 10 | Dubai Land Department |
| Broker commission | No legal rate; set in your brokerage agreement | You and your broker |
| Mortgage registration (mortgage only) | 0.25% of the loan + AED 250 title deed + AED 10 + AED 10 | Dubai Land Department |
| Processing fee (mortgage only) | 1.05% of the loan at Emirates NBD and Mashreq; 0.525% to 0.7875% at ADCB | Each bank |
| Valuation (mortgage only) | AED 3,150 at Emirates NBD and ADCB; AED 2,625 at Mashreq | Each bank |
Sources: Dubai Land Department e-service pages and Executive Council Resolution 30 of 2013; Emirates NBD schedule of charges (July 2026); ADCB schedule of fees (September 2026); Mashreq home loan key facts statement (June 2026). All checked 10 November 2026.
The 4% Dubai Land Department transfer fee is shared equally by buyer and seller unless they agree otherwise. That is the rule in Executive Council Resolution 30 of 2013 (Dubai Land Department, checked 10 November 2026). The worked examples assume you pay all 4%, so if your contract splits it, take 2% of the price off your total.
On the Dubai Land Department fee pages, VAT is added only to the trustee office fee. The 4%, the title deed, the unit plan and the knowledge and innovation fees show no VAT.
Broker commission in Dubai has no legal rate. The Real Estate Brokers bylaw 85 of 2006 leaves the rate to the brokerage agreement, which must be in writing, and the broker is paid by the party that appointed them (Dubai Land Department, Dubai Real Estate Legislation, checked 10 November 2026). The worked examples use 2% plus 5% VAT.
Unless the agreement says otherwise, the commission becomes due when the sale contract is signed and registered with the Dubai Land Department. Agree the rate in writing at the start.
UAE banks charge up to 1.05% of the loan to arrange a Dubai mortgage, plus up to AED 3,150 for valuation, in the published fee schedules of Emirates NBD, ADCB and Mashreq. ADCB charges 0.7875% for Aspire and Privilege customers and 0.525% for Excellency customers, capped at AED 52,500 (bank fee schedules, checked 10 November 2026).
The Central Bank of the UAE does not cap processing or valuation fees, although a bank needs Central Bank approval for any fee outside the Central Bank’s own fee table (Central Bank of the UAE, checked 10 November 2026). The banks state their fees include VAT. First Abu Dhabi Bank’s home loan key facts statement also shows 1.05%, but it is dated May 2022.
Mashreq’s fee table shows AED 2,625 for valuation, while an illustration in the same document uses AED 2,650. Pre-approval is left out of the examples: Emirates NBD charges nothing for it, Mashreq charges AED 1,050 and ADCB lists no fee.
The examples count one trustee office fee, with the sale and the mortgage registered on the same day. The Dubai Land Department charges a service partner fee of AED 4,000 + VAT when the mortgage is registered after the day of the sale (Dubai Land Department, checked 11 November 2026). If that happens, add AED 4,200 to your total.
For the full list of buying costs, and how Dubai compares with other cities, read our guide to the cost of buying property in Dubai.
The salary you need for a mortgage in Dubai depends on the size of the loan. The Central Bank of the UAE lets an expat borrow up to 7 times yearly income, and a UAE national up to 8 times. An AED 1,600,000 loan, 80% of an AED 2,000,000 apartment, needs an expat income of about AED 228,571 a year.
| Apartment price | Loan | Yearly income | Monthly income |
|---|---|---|---|
| AED 1,000,000 | AED 800,000 | AED 114,286 | AED 9,524 |
| AED 2,000,000 | AED 1,600,000 | AED 228,571 | AED 19,048 |
| AED 3,000,000 | AED 2,400,000 | AED 342,857 | AED 28,571 |
The 7 times rule alone. Your other debts, the 50% limit and the bank’s own checks can raise the income a bank asks for.
Two more Central Bank limits apply at the same time. All your monthly debt payments, the new mortgage included, can take at most 50% of your gross salary and regular income, and the bank must test that at 2 to 4 percentage points above your loan’s interest rate. The loan can run for at most 25 years (Central Bank of the UAE, checked 10 November 2026).
7
Times yearly income, the most an expat can borrow
50%
Of your income, the most all debt payments can take
Each bank then applies its own rules on top, including the age by which the loan must be repaid. If the loan runs past your expected retirement age, the bank must check that you can still repay from your income after retirement within the same 50% limit.
Yes. For an off-plan apartment in Dubai, the Central Bank of the UAE caps any mortgage at 50% of the price for every buyer, so at least half comes from your own money. The 4% Dubai Land Department fee is paid when the developer registers your contract in the Oqood register, which must happen within 90 days of signing.
50%
The most a bank can lend on an off-plan apartment
90
Days to register the contract after signing
When you pay for an off-plan apartment in stages under the developer’s payment plan, a bank that finances part of the price must use your own share first. The Central Bank rule says your equity goes to the developer before the bank releases any of the loan (Central Bank of the UAE, checked 10 November 2026).
The fees change a little. The 4% is the same as on a ready apartment, shared 2% buyer and 2% seller by default, plus AED 10 knowledge and AED 10 innovation fees. The developer pays its own AED 1,000 fee to register the sale on the Oqood portal. To register a mortgage on an off-plan unit, the Dubai Land Department lists a service partner fee of AED 5,000 + VAT instead of AED 4,000 + VAT (Dubai Land Department, checked 10 November 2026). Choose “Off-plan” in the calculator to see the 50% limit applied to your price.
No. You cannot buy an apartment in Dubai with a mortgage and no down payment. The Central Bank of the UAE caps every home loan at 85% of the value or less, so 15% to 50% of the price must come from you. The down payment must also be your own money, not a personal loan or a credit card.
An off-plan payment plan changes when you pay, not whether you pay. Under the Central Bank rule, your own share of the price goes to the developer first, and the bank releases its share, at most 50%, only after that.
Borrowing the deposit on a personal loan or a credit card breaks the Central Bank rule, and those repayments would also count towards the 50% debt limit.
After you buy an apartment in Dubai, every owner pays a yearly service charge for the building’s shared areas, besides any mortgage repayments. Mortgage buyers also pay the bank for life and property insurance. These running costs are not part of the cash you need on the day you buy, so they are not in the totals above.
Service charges for a Dubai apartment are set building by building. Under Law 6 of 2019, each owner pays a yearly share based on the unit’s area, and the charges need approval from RERA. The approved charge for each building is on the Dubai Land Department’s Service Charge Index (Dubai Land Department, checked 10 November 2026).
Unpaid service charges stay with the unit: under the same law, an apartment cannot be sold until they are paid. The index publishes no city average, so check the figure for the exact building before you make an offer. Our cost guide covers service charges in more detail.
Your bank also bills insurance as a recurring cost. Mashreq’s key facts statement lists group life insurance at 0.165% a year of the outstanding loan, and ADCB lists property insurance at 0.042% a year of the property value (Mashreq and ADCB, checked 10 November 2026). If you repay the mortgage early, the Central Bank of the UAE caps the bank’s charge at 1% of the outstanding balance or AED 10,000, whichever is less, before VAT.
Yes. Property worth AED 2,000,000 or more in total can qualify you for a 10-year Golden Visa, according to the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP) and GDRFA Dubai (ICP and GDRFA Dubai, checked 10 November 2026). Both accept a mortgaged property. ICP also accepts off-plan units bought from an approved developer.
The Dubai Land Department’s own Golden Visa page is not consistent on how much of a mortgaged property must already be paid off, so check the current requirement before you apply. Our Golden Visa property guide covers the full conditions, and our Dubai property market data shows what apartments sell for now, area by area.
Every figure in this guide is an estimate for planning, not a mortgage offer. If you have a price in mind, Fidu Properties can work through the numbers for that apartment with you, using your own bank’s fees.
Originally published on fidudubai.com.
