Buying property in Dubai and the UAE from Australia
How buying in the UAE works from Australia: money, tax, borrowing and timing.
For buyers in Australia. Checked
- Share of overseas interest
- 3%
- AED per A$1
- AED 2.52
- Sydney to Dubai
- about 15 h
The short version
The price is fixed in dirhams and your money is in Australian dollars. An Australian resident is taxed on worldwide income, so the rent and any gain are taxed at home. The UAE does not appear in PwC's list of Australia's tax treaties in force.
- Australian residents can own freehold in Dubai's designated areas, Abu Dhabi's investment zones and Ras Al Khaimah's freehold areas without living in the UAE.
- An off-plan purchase can be reserved, contracted and paid for from Australia; a resale transfer or handover needs you there or an attested power of attorney.
- Banks report international funds transfer instructions to AUSTRAC, and every bank, developer and UAE lender will ask where the money came from.
- A resident individual is taxed on worldwide income, including rent from property abroad. The UAE levies no personal income tax, so there is normally nothing to offset.
- Emirates flies non-stop to Dubai from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.
3%
Which developments do Australian buyers choose?
We do not say, because no official figures exist: the Dubai Land Department does not publish buyer nationality by project. Any “popular with Australian buyers” list is a broker's own client mix. Judge a development on its price, plan, developer and location.
Browse developmentsHow Australian buyers buy
Most of an off-plan purchase can be done from Australia. A resale or a handover needs you, or someone you appoint, in the UAE.
You do not need UAE residency or a visa to own property. Non-UAE nationals can buy freehold in the areas of Dubai designated under Regulation No. 3 of 2006, in Abu Dhabi's investment zones and in Ras Al Khaimah's freehold areas.
Off-plan. Developers sign reservation forms and sale and purchase agreements electronically, and instalments are paid by international transfer into the project's escrow account named in the contract. In Dubai the sale is registered on the Oqood system and the Dubai Land Department (DLD) fee of 4% of the price is paid at registration.
Resale and handover. A resale transfer is completed at a DLD trustee office, and handover means signing papers and inspecting the home. You can attend, or appoint someone under a power of attorney. A power of attorney signed outside the UAE must be authenticated in the country where it is signed, then attested by the UAE embassy or consulate there and by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with a legal Arabic translation, before the land department will rely on it. Limit the power to the specific property.
The distance. Dubai is six to seven hours behind the east coast, so a call during a Sydney evening reaches a Dubai office in its working afternoon. The full process is in our Dubai buying guide.
Sources for this section (4), checked 12 November 2026
- UAE Government portal: Expatriates buying a property in the UAE (updated 2 November 2026)
- Dubai Regulation No. 3 of 2006 on areas where non-UAE nationals may own property
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs: attestation service
- ADREC: rules and regulations, including the KYC policy circular
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; confirm them for your own case before you act.
Sending Australian dollars to the UAE
The dirham is pegged to the US dollar, so the rate that matters is, in effect, the Australian dollar against the US dollar.
The contract price is in dirhams. At the mid-market rate of 0.397387 Australian dollars per dirham on 12 November 2026, about AED 2.52 to the Australian dollar, an AED 1.5 million apartment costs about A$596,100 before fees. If the Australian dollar were 5% weaker on the day a 40% handover payment fell due, that one payment would cost about A$12,500 more.
What your bank reports. Banks and other reporting entities that send or receive an international funds transfer instruction must report it to AUSTRAC, Australia's financial intelligence agency, within 10 business days. The report is the bank's obligation; expect it to ask about the purpose of the payment and the source of the money.
Banks and currency firms. The cost of a transfer is mostly the margin between the mid-market rate and the rate you are given, so compare the dirhams that arrive rather than the fee alone. We do not recommend or partner with any transfer provider.
Where the money goes. Pay only from an account in your own name into the escrow account named in the contract. Payments from third parties, in cash or in cryptocurrency are likely to be delayed or refused.
Sources for this section (3), checked 12 November 2026
- ExchangeRate-API open data: AED rates, 12 November 2026
- AUSTRAC: International funds transfer reports (checked 12 November 2026)
- ADREC: frequently asked questions (escrow accounts)
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; confirm them for your own case before you act.
Planning payments from Australia?
An adviser can map a developer's payment plan against your transfers, in Australian dollars.
Australian tax on UAE property
General information from PwC's summary of Australian tax, reviewed 12 October 2026; the ATO's own pages could not be fetched for this check. A registered tax agent should confirm how it applies to you.
- Rent. A resident individual is taxed on a worldwide basis, including rental income from property abroad. For 2026 to 2027 the resident rates are 15%, 30%, 37% and 45% above a tax-free A$18,200, plus the 2% Medicare levy for most residents.
- Nothing to offset. Residents other than temporary residents can claim a foreign income tax offset for most foreign income tax paid, but the UAE levies no personal income tax, so there is normally nothing to offset. Australia's tax treaty list does not include the UAE.
- Gains. Residents other than temporary residents are taxed on gains from assets wherever they are. For disposals up to 30 June 2027, half of the gain on an asset held for at least 12 months is taxable. From 1 July 2027, PwC reports, indexation of the cost base replaces the 50% discount for most gains. A non-resident individual gets no discount on gains accrued after 8 May 2012.
- Losses. A rental loss can currently be set against other income. PwC reports that for dwellings acquired from 12 May 2026, losses from 1 July 2027 can no longer be offset against other income and are carried forward instead. It does not say whether this reaches property abroad, so ask your tax agent.
- Currency. Foreign currency gains and losses are recognised when realised, so the rate on the purchase and sale dates matters to the Australian-dollar result.
Our UAE property tax guide covers the UAE side.
Sources for this section (4), checked 12 November 2026
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Australia, taxes on personal income (reviewed 12 October 2026)
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Australia, income determination (reviewed 12 October 2026)
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Australia, foreign tax relief and tax treaties (reviewed 12 October 2026)
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: UAE, taxes on personal income (reviewed 9 September 2026)
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; confirm them for your own case before you act.
Mortgages for Australian residents
Two routes: a UAE bank lending to a non-resident, or borrowing in Australia against what you already own.
A UAE mortgage. Banks lend to non-residents on tighter terms than to residents, typically 50% to 60% of a completed property's value. HSBC UAE advertises up to 60% for non-residents who hold or qualify for its Premier or Private Bank service, and says the loan document must be signed in person. The loan is in dirhams, so an Australian-dollar earner carries currency risk for its whole term. Off-plan instalments are normally paid from your own funds, with a mortgage, if any, at handover.
Borrowing in Australia. A loan secured on Australian property raises Australian dollars from a lender that knows you, but the debt is then secured on your home in Australia. How the interest is treated for tax depends on how the money is used and on the loss rules above, so ask your tax agent before you borrow.
Rates, fees and the off-plan problem are in non-resident mortgages in the UAE.
Sources for this section (2), checked 12 November 2026
- HSBC UAE: Non-resident mortgages (checked 12 November 2026)
- Holo: Best mortgage banks in the UAE 2026 (3 July 2026)
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; confirm them for your own case before you act.
Visiting, and residency through property
Owning a home does not by itself give the right to live in the UAE, but it can support a residence application.
Visiting. Smartraveller says tourist visas are issued on arrival in Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Australian passport holders with more than six months' validity. It also says emergency passports are not accepted, and that passports showing an X sex marker or a single name cannot be used to enter. Check the current advice before booking a trip tied to a handover or a bank appointment.
Residency. Property worth AED 2 million or more can support an application for the 10-year Golden Visa. Since 29 April 2026 a sole owner of a completed Dubai property can apply for the two-year investor visa at any value. Both are decided by the authorities. A UAE residence visa does not by itself make you a non-resident of Australia for tax; ask your tax agent before you move. See the Golden Visa guide and the two-year investor visa.
Sources for this section (3), checked 12 November 2026
- Smartraveller: United Arab Emirates travel advice, entry and exit (checked 12 November 2026)
- UAE Government portal: Golden visa (updated 28 July 2026)
- Dubai Land Department: Investor residence application, Taskeen
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; confirm them for your own case before you act.
Flights and time difference from Australia
When you can call, and how long it takes to get there for a viewing or a handover.
- Dubai
- Sydney
- Brisbane
- Perth
Gulf Standard Time, UTC+4, no daylight saving
A Dubai working day in your time
| Dubai | Sydney | Brisbane | Perth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | |||
| 12:00 | |||
| 15:00 | |||
| 18:00 |
Worked out for today's date in your browser, so clock changes are included.
| From | Airlines listed | Distance | Flying time, est. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | Emirates | 12,043 km | about 15 h |
| Melbourne | Emirates | 11,645 km | about 14.5 h |
| Brisbane | Emirates | 11,979 km | about 15 h |
| Perth | Emirates | 9,041 km | about 11.5 h |
| Adelaide | Emirates | 11,006 km | about 14 h |
Routes from Wikipedia: Dubai International Airport, airlines and destinations table (checked 12 November 2026). Distance is the straight line to Dubai International (DXB); flying time is our estimate from that distance, not a schedule. Check the airline before you book. The shortest route listed is from Perth.
Your budget in Australian dollars
Converted at A$1 = AED 2.52, the mid-market rate on 12 November 2026. Rates move: enter the one your bank or provider quotes.
Highest Dubai off-plan price this covers
AED 1,407,000
about A$559,132
- Your budget in dirhams
- AED 1,509,840
- Held back as a currency buffer
- AED 45,295
- Dubai Land Department fees on that price
- AED 57,300
Off-plan in Dubai: the 4% DLD fee and the Oqood admin fee. Developer admin charges, furnishing and any mortgage costs are extra. Estimates, not advice.
Guides for Australian buyers
Buying from Australia: questions we're asked
Can Australians buy property in Dubai?
Yes. You do not need UAE residency or a visa to own property. Non-UAE nationals can own freehold in the areas of Dubai designated under Regulation No. 3 of 2006, which include most districts marketed to overseas buyers, and in Abu Dhabi's investment zones and Ras Al Khaimah's freehold areas.
Do Australian residents pay tax on Dubai rental income?
Yes. A resident individual is taxed on worldwide income, including rent from property abroad, at the resident rates plus the Medicare levy. The UAE levies no personal income tax, so there is normally no foreign tax to offset. This is general information, not tax advice.
Does the 50% CGT discount apply to a Dubai property?
For a resident who is not a temporary resident, PwC's summary says half of the gain on an asset held for at least 12 months is taxable for disposals up to 30 June 2027, with indexation of the cost base replacing the discount for most gains after that. A non-resident gets no discount on gains accrued after 8 May 2012. Confirm with a registered tax agent.
Is there a tax treaty between Australia and the UAE?
Not in the list of Australia's tax treaties in force published in PwC's summary, reviewed 12 October 2026. In practice it matters little for an individual owner, because the UAE levies no personal income tax on rent or gains.
What is the time difference between Australia and Dubai?
The UAE uses Gulf Standard Time, four hours ahead of UTC, and does not change its clocks. Sydney is six hours ahead of Dubai in the Australian winter and seven in summer; Perth is four hours ahead all year.
Buying from somewhere else?
Canada
India
Pakistan
Saudi Arabia
United Kingdom
United StatesSpeak to an adviser in your time zone
Tell us your budget and the best time to call in Sydney.
- Current price list and availability, direct from the developer
- No fee to you on off-plan purchases: the developer pays us
- One salaried adviser, not on commission, from first call to handover
