UAE mortgage questions, answered.

UAE nationals, resident expats and non-residents can all get mortgages in the UAE. What changes by status is the loan-to-value (how much the bank will lend against the property), the rate, and the documents required. Salaried and self-employed applicants are both well catered for. Your free eligibility check tells you exactly where you stand in about two minutes.

We are a whole-of-market mortgage broker. We compare offers from {{19}}+ UAE banks and lenders, recommend the ones that fit your profile, prepare and submit your application, and manage the bank back-and-forth through to completion. There is no fee to you for our advice and brokerage. The bank pays us only when your mortgage completes, so our incentive is to find the right mortgage for you, not to push one lender's product.

No. We are independent and access the whole market, including Emirates NBD, Mashreq, ADCB, Dubai Islamic Bank, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, HSBC, Standard Chartered, Commercial Bank of Dubai and RAKBANK, among others. We compare your options across lenders rather than steering you toward a single bank's products.

As a rule of thumb, UAE lenders cap your total monthly debt repayments (including the new mortgage, loans and credit cards) at around {{50}}% of your monthly income. That, your deposit and the property value together set your borrowing range. Our affordability calculator gives you an instant estimate, and the eligibility check refines it against real lender criteria. Both are indicative until a bank completes its assessment.

Indicative rates we are seeing include a 3-year fixed at 3.99%, a 5-year fixed at 4.19% and a variable rate around 4.8% (placeholders, confirmed at application). Fixed rates give you payment certainty for the fixed period before reverting to a variable rate; variable rates can move up or down. We will show you the real options for your profile so you can weigh certainty against flexibility.

A fixed rate locks your interest rate, and therefore your monthly payment, for a set period (commonly 1 to 5 years), after which it moves to the lender's variable rate. A variable rate tracks an underlying benchmark and can change over time, so your payment can rise or fall. Fixed suits people who value predictability; variable can suit those comfortable with some movement in exchange for flexibility. We compare both for you.

For a salaried resident, lenders typically ask for your passport, UAE residence visa and Emirates ID, a salary certificate, recent payslips (usually 3 to 6 months) and bank statements (usually 6 months). Self-employed applicants and non-residents need additional documents. Having these ready before you apply is the fastest way to a quick decision. We give you a personalised checklist so nothing holds up your application.

Pre-approval can come back in as little as {{a few days}}, depending on the lender and how complete your documents are. From pre-approval through valuation to the final offer letter typically takes a few more weeks, after which transfer at the Dubai Land Department (or relevant emirate authority) completes the purchase. Clean, complete paperwork is what keeps the timeline short.

For UAE residents buying their first home, the deposit typically starts from around {{20}}% of the property price (indicative, and it varies by property value, citizenship and number of properties owned). Non-residents and overseas buyers usually need a larger deposit. UAE nationals may access higher loan-to-value limits. Your eligibility check gives you a personalised figure rather than a generic rule.

Yes. We arrange non-resident mortgages for overseas buyers investing in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, often with low-documentation options, and most of the process can be completed remotely. Non-residents typically need a larger deposit than residents and a smaller selection of lenders participate, which is exactly where whole-of-market access helps. We match you to banks that actively lend to your nationality and country of residence.

Often not for most of the journey. Application, document submission and pre-approval can usually be handled remotely. Some steps, such as signing certain documents, opening a local account or property transfer, may require a visit or a power of attorney arranged through a notary. We will tell you up front exactly what, if anything, needs to be done in person for your specific lender and emirate.

Yes. Business owners, company partners and freelancers regularly get UAE mortgages. Instead of payslips, lenders assess your business through trade licence, audited financials or management accounts, and personal and business bank statements (commonly the last 6 to 12 months). Lenders vary widely in how they treat self-employed income, so the choice of bank matters more than for salaried applicants. That is where comparing the whole market pays off.

Lenders generally look at sustainable, demonstrable income rather than your headline turnover, typically averaging net profit or regular drawings over a period and checking the consistency of money flowing through your accounts. A trading history of around {{2}} years is commonly preferred, though some lenders are more flexible. We help you present your income in the way each lender wants to see it.

Yes. We work with banks offering Islamic home finance and will compare it alongside conventional options. Islamic finance avoids conventional interest (riba): instead of lending you money at interest, the bank typically buys the property and sells or leases it to you for a profit (common structures include Ijara and Murabaha). You still make regular monthly payments, and the total cost can be compared directly with a conventional mortgage.

Not inherently. Islamic home finance is structured differently, but the monthly payment and total cost are directly comparable to a conventional mortgage, and pricing is often very similar. The right choice depends on your preferences and the specific offers available. We put conventional and Islamic options side by side so you can compare like for like.

Our advice and brokerage are free to you, but standard third-party costs apply on any UAE purchase. These typically include a Dubai Land Department transfer fee (commonly cited around {{4}}% of the property value, indicative and emirate-specific), a mortgage registration fee, a bank arrangement or processing fee, a property valuation fee, property registration trustee fees and life and property insurance. We give you an itemised estimate so there are no surprises at completion.

Many UAE mortgages allow partial overpayments each year and full early settlement, but lenders may apply an early settlement fee, which is typically capped by regulation (indicative cap around {{1}}% of the outstanding balance, subject to a maximum). Terms vary by lender and product, so if you expect to repay early or sell soon, tell us and we will factor that into which mortgage we recommend.

The Al Etihad Credit Bureau (AECB) is the UAE's official credit bureau. Lenders pull your AECB credit report and credit score to see your existing loans, credit cards and repayment history. A strong record and a clean repayment history improve your options and rate; missed payments or high existing debt can limit them. We can help you understand your position before you apply so there are no surprises.

No. Our eligibility check is an indicative assessment against lender criteria, not a hard credit search, so it does not affect your AECB credit score. A formal credit check only happens later, with your consent, once you choose to proceed with a specific lender's application.

Pre-approval is a lender's in-principle confirmation of how much they will lend you, based on your income, documents and credit profile, usually valid for a set period. It is genuinely worth getting first: it tells you your real budget, makes your offer stronger with sellers and agents, and means you can move quickly once you find the right home. We can arrange pre-approval as part of your eligibility journey.

Ask us. A UAE-based advisor can talk through your specific situation, whether you are resident, non-resident, self-employed, after Islamic finance or refinancing. Book a free consultation, message us on WhatsApp, or start your free eligibility check and an advisor will pick it up from there.