Buying property in Dubai and the UAE from the United States
How buying in the UAE works from the United States: money, tax, borrowing and timing.
For buyers in the United States. Checked
- Share of overseas interest
- 13%
- Dirham peg
- $1 = AED 3.6725
- New York to Dubai
- about 14 h
The short version
The dirham is pegged to the dollar, so a US buyer carries almost no currency risk. The IRS is the bigger consideration: US citizens are taxed on worldwide income wherever they live, and there is no US income tax treaty with the UAE.
- Americans 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.
- The dirham is pegged at AED 3.6725 to the US dollar, so prices, instalments and rent hold their dollar value as long as the peg does.
- US citizens and resident aliens are taxed on worldwide income, so UAE rent goes on the US return; the UAE levies no personal income tax to credit, and the IRS lists no US income tax treaty with the UAE.
- Foreign residential rental property is depreciated over 30 years under the alternative depreciation system, not 27.5 years.
- A UAE property held directly is not reported on the FBAR or Form 8938, but a UAE bank account used for the rent can be.
13%
Which developments do American 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 American buyers” list is a broker's own client mix. Judge a development on its price, plan, developer and location.
Browse developmentsHow American buyers buy
Most of an off-plan purchase can be done from the US. 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. Reservations and sale agreements are signed electronically and instalments are paid by wire 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. 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.
Title and estate planning. A US will or trust does not automatically settle what happens to a UAE property, and UAE courts apply their own procedures. Non-Muslim owners can register a will in the UAE; the DIFC Courts Wills Service is the route most used by overseas owners. Ask your US estate attorney how the two fit together.
Sources for this section (4), checked 12 November 2026
- UAE Government portal: Expatriates buying a property in the UAE (checked 12 November 2026)
- Dubai Regulation No. 3 of 2006 on areas where non-UAE nationals may own property
- UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs: attestation service
- DIFC Courts Wills Service: Property Will
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; confirm them for your own case before you act.
Paying in dollars
The peg removes most currency risk. The costs that remain are the wire and the bank's conversion margin.
The UAE dirham is pegged to the US dollar at AED 3.6725, and the open-market rate published on 12 November 2026 was exactly that peg. An AED 1.5 million apartment is about $408,400, and that dollar figure does not drift between booking and handover as it does for buyers paying in pounds, euros or rupees. The residual risk is a change to the peg itself.
The transfer. Compare the dirhams that arrive, not the fee alone: a bank may convert at a margin over the peg. Wiring dollars and letting the UAE bank or developer convert is one option; ask the developer which currencies its escrow account accepts. 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 (2), checked 12 November 2026
- ExchangeRate-API open data: AED rates, 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 the United States?
An adviser can map a developer's payment plan against your transfers, in US dollars.
US tax on UAE property
General information, not tax advice. A US CPA or enrolled agent should confirm how the rules apply to you.
- Worldwide income. US citizens and resident aliens are taxed on worldwide income from all sources, and file under the same rules whether they live in the US or abroad. Those living abroad get an automatic two-month extension to 15 June for a calendar-year return.
- No treaty, no credit. The IRS list of US income tax treaties does not include the UAE, and the UAE charges individuals no income tax on rent, so there is normally no foreign tax to credit.
- Depreciation. Tangible property used predominantly outside the US must use the alternative depreciation system. For residential rental property that is a 30-year recovery period (40 years for property placed in service before 2018), against 27.5 years for a US rental.
- Gains. A gain on property held for more than one year is long-term, taxed at 0%, 15% or 20% depending on taxable income, and may also be subject to the net investment income tax.
- Reporting accounts. Real estate held directly is not reported on the FBAR or Form 8938. A UAE bank account that receives the rent is a foreign financial account: an FBAR is required if your foreign accounts together exceed $10,000 at any time in the year, and Form 8938 has its own, higher thresholds.
The detail is in US tax on Dubai property.
Sources for this section (7), checked 12 November 2026
- IRS: U.S. citizens and resident aliens abroad (updated 20 October 2026)
- IRS: United States income tax treaties A to Z (updated 3 January 2026)
- IRS Publication 946 (2025): How to depreciate property, required use of ADS
- IRS Topic no. 409: Capital gains and losses (updated 9 November 2026)
- IRS Topic no. 559: Net investment income tax
- IRS: Comparison of Form 8938 and FBAR requirements (updated 19 September 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 US buyers
A UAE bank lending to a non-resident, or borrowing at home: a dollar loan carries no currency mismatch against a dirham asset while the peg holds.
A UAE mortgage. Banks lend to non-residents on tighter terms than to residents, typically 50% to 60% of a completed property's value against up to 80% for an expatriate living in the UAE, and each bank decides which nationalities and countries of residence it accepts. Most lend at or near handover, not during construction, so off-plan instalments are paid from your own funds.
Borrowing at home. A home equity loan or cash-out refinance on US property raises dollars from a lender that knows you, secured on the US home. Because the dirham is pegged to the dollar, repaying a dollar loan from dirham rent carries little currency risk while the peg holds.
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.
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.
Property worth AED 2 million (about $545,000) or more can support an application for the 10-year Golden Visa, and 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 change a US citizen's obligation to file US returns. See the Golden Visa guide and the two-year investor visa. Check visitor entry requirements for your passport with the US State Department or your airline before travelling.
Sources for this section (3), checked 12 November 2026
- UAE Government portal: Golden visa (updated 28 July 2026)
- Dubai Land Department: Investor residence application, Taskeen
- IRS: U.S. citizens and resident aliens abroad (updated 20 October 2026)
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; confirm them for your own case before you act.
Flights and time difference from the United States
When you can call, and how long it takes to get there for a viewing or a handover.
- Dubai
- New York
- Chicago
- Los Angeles
Gulf Standard Time, UTC+4, no daylight saving
A Dubai working day in your time
| Dubai | New York | Chicago | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York JFK | Emirates | 11,001 km | about 14 h |
| Newark | Emirates, United Airlines | 11,021 km | about 14 h |
| Washington Dulles | Emirates | 11,355 km | about 14 h |
| Boston Logan | Emirates | 10,702 km | about 13.5 h |
| Chicago O'Hare | Emirates | 11,641 km | about 14.5 h |
| Miami | Emirates | 12,606 km | about 15.5 h |
| Orlando | Emirates | 12,460 km | about 15.5 h |
| Dallas/Fort Worth | Emirates | 12,919 km | about 16 h |
| Houston Intercontinental | Emirates | 13,124 km | about 16.5 h |
| Seattle/Tacoma | Emirates | 11,927 km | about 15 h |
| San Francisco | Emirates | 13,020 km | about 16 h |
| Los Angeles | Emirates | 13,400 km | about 16.5 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 Boston.
Your budget in US dollars
The dirham is pegged at AED 3.6725 to the dollar, so a budget in dollars converts at a fixed rate. Only your bank's conversion margin varies.
Highest Dubai off-plan price this covers
AED 1,446,000
about $393,737
- Your budget in dirhams
- AED 1,505,725
- Dubai Land Department fees on that price
- AED 58,860
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 American buyers
Buying from the United States: questions we're asked
Can US citizens buy property in Dubai?
Yes. Non-UAE nationals, including Americans, can own freehold property in the areas of Dubai designated under Regulation No. 3 of 2006, and in Abu Dhabi's investment zones and Ras Al Khaimah's freehold areas. You do not need to live in the UAE or hold a visa to buy.
Do I pay US tax on rent from a Dubai property?
Yes, if you are a US citizen or resident alien: you are taxed on worldwide income. The UAE charges individuals no income tax on rent, and the IRS lists no US income tax treaty with the UAE, so there is normally no foreign tax credit. Foreign residential rental property is depreciated over 30 years. This is general information, not tax advice.
Do I report a Dubai property on the FBAR?
Not the property itself. The IRS states that foreign real estate held directly is not reported on the FBAR or Form 8938. A UAE bank account that holds rent or purchase funds is a foreign financial account, and an FBAR is required if your foreign accounts together exceed $10,000 at any time during the year.
Is there currency risk for Americans buying in Dubai?
Very little while the peg holds. The dirham is fixed at AED 3.6725 to the US dollar, so an AED price, an instalment schedule and dirham rent keep their dollar value. You still pay any conversion margin your bank applies.
What is the time difference between New York and Dubai?
The UAE is four hours ahead of GMT all year. It is nine hours ahead of New York while the US East Coast is on standard time and eight hours ahead during daylight saving time. Los Angeles is 12 hours behind Dubai in winter and 11 in summer.
Buying from somewhere else?
Australia
Canada
India
Pakistan
Saudi Arabia
United KingdomSpeak to an adviser in your time zone
Tell us your budget and the best time to call in New York.
- 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
