Buying off-plan property in Dubai from the UK

If you are UK resident, overseas rental income is generally taxable in the UK even if you do not bring it into the country (HMRC Self Assessment foreign notes SA106, 2025–26). Foreign property income is reported on the Foreign pages (SA106) of your Self Assessment return.

A gain on selling a Dubai property goes on the Capital Gains Tax summary pages. For gains from 6 April 2026, GOV.UK lists CGT at 18% on gains within the basic rate band and 24% above it or for higher and additional rate taxpayers; the annual exempt amount for 2026–27 is £3,000 (checked November 2026).

There is a UK-UAE double taxation convention, signed on 12 April 2016 and in force from 25 December 2016; for UK income tax and CGT it applies from 1 January 2017, with Multilateral Instrument changes effective from 6 April 2020 (GOV.UK).

Article 6 says income from immovable property in one state may be taxed in that state, and Article 13 says the same for gains on such property. It does not stop the UK taxing its residents: under Article 21, UAE tax paid on UAE income is allowed as a credit against UK tax. Where no UAE tax is charged, there is nothing to credit, so the UK tax is payable in full.

A UAE resident for treaty purposes is an individual domiciled in the UAE or with a habitual abode or centre of vital interests there; dual residents are resolved by tie-breaker tests. Take advice on your own residence position.

The Dubai Land Department fee schedule (Executive Council Resolution No. 30 of 2013) sets the fee for registering a real property sale contract at 4% of the contract value. Administrative charges come on top and vary by transaction, so ask for the full breakdown before you sign.

An off-plan purchase is registered with the Land Department at the sale stage; this registration is known as Oqood. The Title Deed is issued later, when the building is completed and the unit is handed over.

Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007 requires a developer who sells units off-plan to open a project escrow account. Buyer payments are deposited into that account, which is dedicated exclusively to building that project, and the developer's creditors cannot attach it. Before paying, check that the account number in your contract belongs to the project you are buying.

UAE banks lend to non-residents under UAE Central Bank mortgage regulations, which cap the loan-to-value ratio, and each bank applies its own policy on top. Lending against off-plan units is more restricted than against completed homes. Get a written offer from a lender before committing to a payment plan that assumes a mortgage at handover.

Many off-plan buyers instead pay the construction-stage instalments from savings and decide on financing closer to completion.

Binghatti payment plans in our price list include 20/50/30, 50/20/30, 70/30 and 100% upfront. The first figure is the share paid during construction milestones or at booking, the last is usually due at handover; the exact schedule is in each project's sales agreement.

The catalogue covers 80 lots across 35 projects. We are an independent catalogue, not a broker, and using it is free for buyers.

The sale settles in UAE dirhams, pegged at 3.6725 to the US dollar. A UK bank or FX provider can send AED or USD straight to the project escrow account named in the sale agreement; no UAE account is needed for the purchase. Compare the quoted rate with the mid-market rate before each large instalment and keep every transfer confirmation as cost evidence for your Capital Gains Tax computation later.

A non-resident savings account in the UAE can be opened in person (passport, proof of UK address, six months of statements, source of funds and the developer's purchase letter); a handful of banks offer it, minimum balances start around AED 30,000 and approval takes three weeks or more. It is useful for rent collection and service-charge payments rather than for the first instalment.

Buying with cryptocurrency is possible only through a VARA-licensed intermediary that converts to dirhams after KYC and pays escrow; the Land Department registers the purchase in AED. For UK tax the disposal of the crypto is itself a CGT event, so count it before choosing this route.

The UAE government portal u.ae lists a 5-year Golden Visa for real estate investors with a minimum property investment of AED 2 million (checked November 2026). Rules for off-plan units are set by the immigration authority, so confirm eligibility for a specific lot before relying on it.

In this catalogue, 49 of 80 lots are priced at AED 2 million or more. Prices start from 688,999, the median lot costs 2,301,500 and the most expensive is 165,000,000.

Dubai property passes under UAE succession rules unless you leave a will that the UAE recognises. Non-Muslim owners commonly register a will with the DIFC Courts Wills Service in English or with the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department; ask a UAE-qualified lawyer which route suits your assets.

Payments go from a UK bank account to the project escrow account by international transfer. The exchange rate and transfer fees are set by your bank or payment provider, so compare the quoted rate with the mid-market rate before sending large instalments.