A Dubai mortgage when you do not live there
The UAE Central Bank's regulations cap a mortgage for a buyer who is not a UAE national at 50% of the value of an off-plan property, and at 80%, 70% or 60% for a completed one depending on the type and value (as consolidated on 8 April 2020). But the regulation is silent on people who do not live in the UAE: whether a bank will lend to you at all, sitting in Israel, is each bank's commercial decision.
Written by Gilad HuberUpdated To be re-checked by
Can you get a Dubai mortgage without living there?
The federal regulation sets ceilings on what a lender may advance, and they turn on three things: who the borrower is, what the property is worth, and whether the purchase is off-plan or of a completed property.
For most readers of this page one number governs, and it is the one to start from: an off-plan purchase is capped at fifty per cent — regardless of value, purpose or who is buying. Anyone who planned on eighty per cent will not close that gap by negotiating.1
How much financing the Central Bank rules allow
The Central Bank's Regulations Regarding Mortgage Loans divide borrowers into two groups only — UAE Nationals, and everyone else, whom the regulation calls "expatriates". The ceilings below are the second group's. Whether a bank treats you, living in Israel, as an "expatriate" for the regulation's purposes – and whether it lends to you at all – is its decision, not the regulation's.1
| The case | Maximum LTV |
|---|---|
| First house / owner occupier, value under AED 5 million | 80% |
| First house / owner occupier, value over AED 5 million | 70% |
| Second or subsequent house or investment property, any value | 60% |
| Off-plan purchase — all categories, any value, any purpose | 50% |
Per the regulation as consolidated on 8 April 2020, read on 20 October 2026. These are ceilings, not entitlements. A lender may advance less, and the regulation says in as many words that lenders are encouraged to adopt more conservative limits. (The 65% second-home figure quoted on commercial sites is the cap for UAE Nationals, not expatriates.)1
- The maximum loan term is 25 years.
- The debt burden ratio may not exceed 50% of income.
- The maximum financing amount for an expatriate is up to seven years of annual income.
- Repayment must come from salary, or from verifiable business or rental income. End-of-service benefits are not an acceptable source.
- Deferred principal — "interest only" — is available on investment loans only, and for no more than five years from first drawdown.1
Will a Dubai bank lend to someone living in Israel?
We read the regulation end to end. It divides borrowers into UAE Nationals and expatriates, and never once uses the term "non-resident".
The practical consequence matters: the regulation sets how much may be lent to someone a lender has already decided to lend to. It does not oblige any bank to lend to a person sitting in Israel, does not confer such a right, and does not set conditions for obtaining one. That is a commercial decision made by each lender — some offer non-resident products, some do not, and their terms differ.
So the opening question to a bank is not "what percentage", but "do you lend to non-residents at all, and on what terms". Get the answer in writing before planning around it.1
What Dubai's mortgage law adds
Above the federal regulation sits Law No. (14) of 2008, which governs the mortgage itself in the Emirate of Dubai — and it applies to property sold off-plan as well.2
Who may lend
Article 4 provides that the creditor-mortgagee must be a bank, or a finance company or institution, duly licensed and registered with the UAE Central Bank to provide real property financing in the UAE. A loan from anyone else is not a mortgage within the meaning of this law.2
No registration, no mortgage
Article 7 provides that a mortgage comes into effect only when registered with the DLD, and that any agreement to the contrary is null and void. It also makes the mortgagor liable for the registration fees unless the parties agree otherwise — so it is a cost that belongs in the budget.2,3
Selling before it is paid off
Article 10 provides that the mortgagor may sell, donate or otherwise dispose of the mortgaged property — or create a right over it — only with the mortgagee's approval. Anyone buying off-plan intending to sell before handover should know that a loan adds one more party whose consent is needed.2
Why there is no interest rate here
Interest rates are not in the regulation. What is in it are the ratios above, and the regulation reserves the Central Bank's right to alter any of them — globally, or for an individual lender.
A rate written here would rest on no source, would go stale within months, and would read as an offer from a firm that is not a licensed mortgage adviser. Rate, fees and amortisation come from the lender, in writing.1
Common questions
- How much mortgage can you get on an off-plan apartment in Dubai?
- Up to fifty per cent of the property's value. The regulation sets this for every category — regardless of value, purpose or who is buying — because of the length of the development process and the risk to completion.
- Can I get a Dubai mortgage without being a UAE resident?
- The regulation does not answer it: it divides borrowers into UAE Nationals and expatriates and does not mention non-residents at all. Whether a particular bank will lend to a non-resident, and on what terms, is that bank's commercial decision — and the answer should be in writing before you plan around it.
- Over how many years can a Dubai mortgage be spread?
- Up to 25 years. On top of that the debt burden may not exceed fifty per cent of income, and the financing amount for an expatriate is capped at seven years of annual income — two limits that often bind before the LTV ceiling becomes relevant at all.
- If you buy off-plan in Dubai with a mortgage and plan to sell before handover, what changes?
- Yes. Article 10 of Law 14/2008 makes any transfer of a mortgaged property subject to the mortgagee's approval. The loan adds a party whose consent the transaction needs, on top of the developer and the Land Department.
In the book (Hebrew) 3.4 מימון ומשכנתאות לזרים ולא־תושבים · page 12
Sources
Every link here is to a publication of the issuing body itself. If something on this page looks wrong to you, the source governs – not us.
- Regulations Regarding Mortgage Loans (Circular 31/2013), in force, consolidated as of 8 April 2020
Central Bank of the UAEChecked 20 October 2026
- Law No. (14) of 2008 Concerning Mortgage in the Emirate of Dubai
Dubai Legislation PortalChecked 4 September 2026
- Mortgage registration application – official fee schedule
Dubai Land Department (DLD)Checked 8 August 2026
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