Nine steps, six to ten weeks, entirely remote if you prefer. The Dubai property buying process is more straightforward than most Indian buyers expect — provided every step is handled in the right order.
Buying a Dubai property from India sounds complicated — two jurisdictions, two currencies, two compliance frameworks, a different legal tradition. In practice, the process has become remarkably organised over the last decade. Handled by the right partners in the right order, the whole journey from first phone call to handover keys resolves in six to ten weeks.
What follows is the complete nine-step process as it runs in 2026 for Indian buyers — applicable to both resident Indians under LRS and NRIs using NRE/NRO channels.
Share your budget, timeline, goals. Understand your residency status (FEMA-resident or NRI), LRS headroom or NRE/NRO position, and preferences — investment, family use, or Golden Visa. This is the 30-minute conversation that shapes everything else.
Meet with your Chartered Accountant to confirm compliance structure. For residents: LRS headroom, family pooling, TCS implications, Schedule FA plan. For NRIs: NRE/NRO allocation, any residence-country tax implications. Do this before committing to any property.
We share a curated shortlist of 3–5 properties matched to your brief. Virtual walk-throughs via video call, drone tours for off-plan, detailed financials (price, service charges, expected rental, developer track record). You choose one or two to pursue.
Pay the reservation deposit (typically 5–10% of property value). Your Dubai partner ensures RERA verification of the developer and escrow routing. Within 7–14 days, the full Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) is prepared and signed — this can be done digitally from India.
For residents: submit Form A2 at your bank with purpose code S0005, KYC, and the SPA. TCS applies. For NRIs: wire from NRE (no cap) or NRO (within USD 1M/yr). Funds typically reach Dubai escrow in 24–72 hours.
Payment of the 4% Dubai Land Department transfer fee and 2% broker commission. Registration appointment (in person or via Power of Attorney). Title deed issues digitally in your name — this is the moment you legally own the property.
For AED 2M+ properties, your Dubai partner submits the Golden Visa application via the unified GDRFA-DLD platform. Approval typically arrives in 5 working days, with Emirates ID issuing digitally and physical card couriered. Family sponsorship applications run in parallel.
For ready properties, handover follows DLD registration within days. DEWA (electricity/water) activation, chiller connection, internet setup. For off-plan, handover happens per the payment schedule (typically 1–4 years out). Our Dubai partner handles all operational setup.
Engage a RERA-licensed property manager (typically 5–8% of gross rent for STR, 1 month's rent annually for long-term). Ejari registration for rentals. Annual service charges and residents' association dues. For residents: Schedule FA disclosure every financial year in India.
Gather these before Week 3 to avoid delays:
No. The entire 9-step process can be completed remotely from India. KYC via video, SPA signed digitally, remittance via bank, DLD registration via Power of Attorney, Golden Visa via GDRFA-DLD portal. Many buyers choose to visit for property viewing and handover, but none of the procedural steps require your physical presence.
The process is the same through Step 6 (DLD registration). Step 8 (handover) then moves to the developer's completion timeline — typically 1 to 4 years depending on construction stage at purchase. Payment plans spread remittances across this period, which often helps resident Indians stay within annual LRS caps.
Approximately 7% of property value. This includes 4% DLD transfer fee, 2% broker commission (plus 5% VAT on broker fee), DLD admin/trustee fees (~AED 4,000), developer NOC fees (~AED 2,500 for off-plan), and Golden Visa fees if applicable (~AED 3,500). On a ₹5 crore property, budget approximately ₹35 lakh extra for these costs.
The three most common issues are: delayed LRS remittances due to incomplete bank paperwork (solved by pre-preparing Form A2 and supporting documents), missing RERA verification on an unlicensed broker (solved by using vetted partners only), and disputes over handover condition for ready resale units (solved by thorough inspection or professional snag list). Our Dubai partner pre-empts all three.
Yes. Dubai property has an active secondary market with short typical sale cycles (3–6 months for ready properties in established areas). Standard process: engage a broker, list the property, receive offers, execute sale via DLD. Sale proceeds can be repatriated via LRS-reverse (for residents) or NRE/NRO channels (for NRIs), with Form 15CA/CB from a CA certifying tax compliance.
In the Dubai secondary market, the standard is 2% commission paid by the buyer. For off-plan direct from developer, the developer pays — you pay zero broker commission. We always clarify this upfront in the shortlisting stage. If you are buying off-plan, expect a slight discount versus secondary prices to account for the commission differential.
Share your situation on WhatsApp. We will walk through your specific timeline, budget, and goals — and map out what Steps 1 through 9 would look like for you.
Begin Step One