Bright Dubai apartment with keys and purchase documents on the table
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    Aumra Nova / Buyer education / September 2026

    Buying your first property in Dubai

    From the first realistic number to the title deed. What the government programme offers, what it does not, and who helps with the rest.

    Start with your number

    The short answer

    You can buy without living here. The first-home programme is a different question.

    Foreign nationals can own property in Dubai’s designated freehold areas. Eligible UAE residents buying their first Dubai freehold home under AED 5 million may also qualify for the government’s First-Time Home Buyer Programme. Buying from overseas does not itself qualify you for that programme. Before choosing a unit, work out cash due at each stage, verify ownership and financing, and decide whether you need help with banking, residency or relocation.

    4%

    DLD transfer/registration fee to budget for unless a written offer says otherwise

    AED 5m

    Property-value ceiling for the resident first-time programme

    AED 2m

    General qualifying property-value threshold for a property-linked Golden Visa

    Interactive / 01

    What would your first cheque actually be?

    A planning estimate, not a bank offer or a property quote. Ready resale and off-plan are different purchases: switch between them rather than comparing their returns as though they were the same asset.

    Where do you live?

    How will you buy?

    AED 500kAED 5m

    Illustrative 80% financing only. Resident first-home limits depend on nationality, property value and bank assessment; non-resident lending varies. Above AED 5 million the resident loan ceiling may be lower. Get pre-approval before reserving.

    Estimated cash due at purchase / booking

    AED 271,500

    Price paid now
    AED 200,000
    DLD 4%
    AED 40,000
    Illustrative resale agency fee
    AED 21,000
    Other estimated registration / finance fees
    AED 10,500

    AED 800,000 is the example loan principal, not free money: monthly repayments, insurance and interest follow.

    See the full five-route buying cost study

    Assumptions: 4% DLD; 2% plus VAT resale agency fee where applicable; other fees rounded to AED 4,780 cash resale, AED 10,500 mortgage resale, or AED 1,500 off-plan registration. Contracts, bank fees and concessions vary. Allow separately for inspections, furnishings, service charges, upkeep, FX and a cash buffer. This is not a quotation.

    The programme / 02

    Dubai’s First-Time Home Buyer Programme: who it is for

    This is a Dubai Land Department and Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism initiative, not an Aumra Nova discount. It targets UAE residents aged 18 or older buying a first freehold residential property in Dubai for less than AED 5 million. The applicant must not already own a Dubai freehold residential property. Check the current rules directly before relying on any benefit.

    What may be available

    • Priority access or preferential prices from participating developers
    • Instalment options for DLD registration fees with eligible credit cards
    • Preferential mortgage terms from participating banks

    What not to assume

    It is not a universal fee waiver, guaranteed loan, automatic visa or a benefit every developer must offer. Partner offers change, and a home bought solely as an overseas non-resident is not the same as meeting the UAE-resident programme criteria. Ask for the named partner offer in writing before reserving.

    Check Dubai Land Department

    The purchase / 03

    From first conversation to keys

    01

    Set a ceiling

    Separate day-one cash from the total commitment. Decide whether you want to live in the home, rent it or move later. Compare ready and off-plan on their own timelines.

    02

    Check the money

    If borrowing, seek bank pre-approval. For overseas funds, check remittance rules at home and prepare proof of funds. Never plan a handover around a loan you do not have.

    03

    Verify the asset

    Check ownership, title or project status, escrow details for off-plan, service charges, the payment schedule and every written promise. Inspect ready homes where possible.

    04

    Complete and protect

    Review the contract and transfer fees, register ownership with DLD, retain every receipt, and arrange insurance, utilities, tenant management or relocation as needed.

    Check affordability ↗Explore mortgages ↗How our process works ↗

    Beyond the purchase / 04

    The home is one decision. The life around it is another.

    Aumra Nova can help coordinate the property side and introduce appropriate licensed or regulated specialists for the decisions outside a broker’s remit. None of these services or approvals is automatically included with a purchase.

    Banking and moving funds

    Prepare a source-of-funds file, verify payment instructions and understand non-resident versus resident account requirements. Account approval is the bank’s decision.

    Ask us about banking

    Property-linked residency

    Understand when a qualifying property may support a Golden Visa, and what documentation the immigration authority requires. Buying alone is not approval.

    Check visa routes

    Business setup and licensing

    If the move includes a business, compare free zone and mainland costs and suitable activities with licensed specialists. A company is not required to buy personally.

    Compare setup costs

    Mortgage preparation

    Check bank appetite, income documents and deposit before paying a reservation. We help coordinate introductions; a lender makes the credit decision.

    Explore finance

    Relocation planning

    Put housing, residency, banking and daily life in an order that works for your family rather than treating the purchase as the whole move.

    Explore moving guides

    After the keys

    We can help you plan utilities, letting and property-management introductions, or prepare for your own arrival and handover.

    Plan the next steps

    Your questions / 05

    The questions worth asking before you sign

    Your first purchase

    Make a plan before you pick a property.

    Tell us where you live, what you can put down and whether you are buying a home or an investment. We will help you map the property, finance and next steps to your situation.

    For property inquiries only. We'll WhatsApp you within 4 hours.

    Sources and important limits

    Programme offers, mortgage products and immigration criteria change. Confirm current terms with the relevant authority, bank or participating developer before paying. Examples are illustrative, not financial, legal, tax or immigration advice. For cross-border tax or remittance rules, see your country buying guide and seek qualified local advice.

    Aumra Nova · ONKAR REAL ESTATE L.L.C. · Dubai, UAE · For Elevated Thinking.