UAE mortgages for non-residents and transferring money from Poland

In short: a Dubai mortgage for non-residents and other foreign buyers is possible, but the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) caps how much you can borrow. For foreigners (expatriates, in the wording of the regulations), a loan on a first home can be at most 80% of the property's value up to AED 5 million and 70% above that amount, 60% on a second or investment property, and 50% on an off-plan purchase regardless of the buyer. The maximum loan term is 25 years. These are upper limits: banks may set stricter conditions, especially for people who do not live in the UAE. The mortgage is registered with the Dubai Land Department (DLD) – the fee is 0.25% of the loan amount. The second part of the article is about transfers from Poland: how to pay instalments and what to watch out for.

Updated: November 2026

Key points

• First home (foreigner): up to 80% of the value for a price below AED 5 million, up to 70% above AED 5 million.
• Second home or investment: up to 60% of the value, regardless of price.
• Off-plan: up to 50% of the value – for all categories of buyer.
• Term and debt burden: maximum 25 years; total repayments up to 50% of income; a loan of up to 7 times a foreigner's annual income.
• Down payment: from your own funds, not from another loan.
• Mortgage registration with the DLD: 0.25% of the loan amount plus small fees.
• We do not quote interest rates: they depend on the bank, the currency and the reference rate on the day of the decision.

Central Bank of the UAE limits

The rules for mortgage lending are set out in the CBUAE Regulations Regarding Mortgage Loans (No. 31/2013, consolidated version of 8 April 2020). They apply to banks, finance companies and other institutions granting mortgages in the UAE and set minimum requirements – a bank may be more cautious, but it may not lend more.

Situation (foreigner)	Maximum LTV
First home for own use, value below AED 5 million	80%
First home for own use, value above AED 5 million	70%
Second and subsequent home or investment property	60%
Off-plan purchase (any category of buyer)	50%

Other requirements of the regulation that matter to a buyer from Poland:

• Loan term: maximum 25 years; the maximum age at the final instalment is set by the bank.
• Debt burden ratio (DBR): all repayments combined up to 50% of gross income. The bank must check that you could afford the instalment at a rate 2–4 percentage points higher.
• Maximum amount: for foreigners, up to 7 times annual income.
• Buy-to-let property: when assessing affordability, the bank deducts at least two months' rent for periods without a tenant.
• Interest-only repayment: allowed only for investment loans and for no more than 5 years.
• Valuation: before the decision, an independent valuer values the unit; the UAE mortgage LTV is calculated from the valuation, not from the asking price.
• Construction: when financing a unit under construction, the down payment is paid first, and the bank releases its funds only after confirmed construction stages.

The regulation refers to foreigners (expatriates) and does not create a separate category for non-residents. In practice, it is the bank that decides whether it lends to people who do not live in the UAE, what proof of income it requires and what down payment it will accept – often higher than the minimum. If you are buying with a golden visa in mind, note that the authorities treat a mortgaged property differently: the DLD and GDRFA accept it (the DLD requires a bank letter), while the ICP says the property must be fully owned by the investor – we compare the sources in UAE Golden Visa through property.

Example: a flat for AED 2,000,000

Item	Ready, first home	Off-plan
Maximum loan under CBUAE rules	AED 1,600,000 (80%)	AED 1,000,000 (50%)
Minimum down payment	AED 400,000	AED 1,000,000
4% DLD fee (if the buyer pays all of it)	AED 80,000	AED 80,000
Mortgage registration with the DLD (0.25% of the loan)	AED 4,000	AED 2,500
Trustee office for mortgage registration	AED 4,000 + VAT	AED 5,000 + VAT
Bank fees, valuation, insurance	as set by the bank	as set by the bank

The example shows that with off-plan a UAE mortgage changes little during construction – most of the instalments in the payment plan have to be paid from your own funds anyway. We describe the full list of fees on purchase in the article on buying costs in Dubai.

Mortgage registration with the DLD

The mortgage in favour of the bank is entered in the Dubai Land Department register. According to the description of the mortgage registration service, the fee is 0.25% of the loan amount, plus AED 250 for issuing the title deed, “knowledge” and “innovation” fees of AED 10 each, and the trustee office fee: AED 4,000 + VAT, or AED 5,000 + VAT for an off-plan unit (Oqood). From a person who does not live in the UAE, the DLD requires a copy of their passport, and for an off-plan unit – the developer's electronic no-objection certificate (E.NOC) from the Dubai REST app. The formalities are most often handled by the bank.

Which documents to prepare

The list is set by the bank, but a buyer from Poland should expect to be asked for: a passport, proof of income (employment contract, employer's certificate, PIT return or company documents), bank statements covering several months, information on other loans, and often translations into English as well. A bank in the UAE does not know the Polish credit bureau (BIK) or Polish forms, so preparing the documents takes longer than in Poland.

Financing from Poland

Some buyers finance the purchase from savings or from funds raised in Poland – for example, from a mortgage-secured loan on a property in Poland, if the bank grants one for any purpose. Availability and terms depend on the bank, and under the CBUAE regulation the down payment in the UAE should not come from another loan – so such a plan needs to be discussed with an expert before reservation. Our mortgage expert will check your creditworthiness in Poland.

Transferring money from Poland to Dubai

• Where you pay. With off-plan, payments go to the project's escrow account, not to a private account of the developer or an intermediary – we describe this in the article Off-plan in Dubai: escrow and Oqood. Check the escrow account number in the project documents with the DLD, not just in an e-mail.
• Currency. The dirham is pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate of AED 3.6725 per USD 1 (CBUAE). Polish banks often do not exchange zlotys directly into dirhams – the transfer goes in dollars or euros and is converted along the way. Compare the bank's exchange rate and fees before the first instalment.
• From whose account. Ideally from the buyer's own account, with a payment reference that includes the contract or unit number. This makes it easier to confirm the source of funds on both sides.
• Source of funds. A bank in Poland may ask about the purpose of a large transfer and where the money comes from – this is standard under anti-money laundering rules. Have the purchase contract and proof of the source of funds ready (e.g. sale of a flat, savings, a loan).
• Cash. We do not recommend it. When carrying cash worth EUR 10,000 or more across the EU's external border, you have to declare it to customs.
• Timing. An international transfer can take several working days. For instalments with a contractual due date, send the money well in advance.

How we help

Before reservation, we will prepare a breakdown: how much you need to pay from your own funds at each stage, what fees are added with a mortgage and how to plan transfers from Poland. We do not promise interest rates – that is the bank's decision on the day you apply. We hold consultations about Dubai in Polish, Russian, Ukrainian and English. We write about taxes on rental income and sales in the article Dubai property and Polish taxes. Ask about a financing plan.

Frequently asked questions