Selling property in Dubai: the process, seller costs and how to sell as a non-resident

Selling a completed property in Dubai takes one appointment at a Dubai Land Department (DLD) registration trustee office, after some weeks of preparation. You agree a price with a buyer in the standard sale contract, Form F, obtain the developer's no-objection certificate (NOC) and, if you have a mortgage, a liability letter from your bank; on transfer day the buyer pays by manager's cheque, your bank is settled from the proceeds and a new title deed is issued in the buyer's name. Non-residents can do all of this on a passport, in person or through an attorney. The UAE does not tax an individual's gain, though your home country may. This guide covers ready property; if your unit is not yet complete, read selling off-plan property before handover. It is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Can a non-resident sell property in Dubai?

Yes, with no more paperwork than a resident. The DLD's sale registration page (checked 12 November 2026) asks for an Emirates ID from each party, or a valid passport for non-resident foreigners, and the developer's e-NOC for freehold areas. Nothing in the process requires the seller to live in the UAE.

You have two ways to complete:

• In person. Fly in for the transfer appointment. It is short, but the date depends on the buyer's bank and the NOC, so it can move.
• Through an attorney. The DLD's FAQ says a duly legalised power of attorney allows the attorney to deal with your property within its stated limits, and that a power used for a sale is valid for two years from notarisation. A document signed abroad must be ratified before the DLD will accept it. See the section on selling through a power of attorney below.

The practical question for a non-resident is the money. Proceeds are paid by manager's cheque, so decide in advance whether you, your attorney or a conveyancer will bank it, and in which account.

How does selling a property in Dubai work, step by step?

1. Price it. Compare recent sales in your building and community; our area prices data shows published figures by area. The DLD also offers a formal valuation service.
2. Appoint a broker, or sell privately. A broker markets your home under Form A, RERA's listing agreement. The DLD's ad permit page requires a broker to provide a marketing contract with the owner before a Trakheesi advertising permit is issued. Read choosing a property agent in Dubai before signing.
3. Agree terms in Form F. The buyer, you and the brokers sign Form F, which fixes the price, deposit, transfer date and who pays which fee. The buyer usually lodges a security deposit cheque with the broker.
4. Clear the property. Settle service charges, obtain the developer's NOC through Dubai REST, and if mortgaged, ask your bank for a liability letter.
5. Transfer. Attend the trustee office, or send your attorney, with ID and the documents. The cheques are exchanged and the title deed issued.
6. Close your accounts. Move out of DEWA, settle the final service charge and hand over keys and access cards.

What does it cost to sell property in Dubai?

The buyer customarily pays the 4% transfer fee, so a seller's costs are modest unless there is a mortgage.

Example. On an AED 2 million apartment with a AED 900,000 mortgage, a seller paying their agent 2% plus VAT (AED 42,000), an NOC of AED 5,000 plus VAT (AED 5,250), an early settlement charge of 1% of the balance plus VAT (AED 9,450, below the AED 10,000 cap) and AED 1,605 in release fees would spend AED 58,305, or about 2.9% of the price. Without a mortgage the figure falls to AED 47,250. In Abu Dhabi, broker commission on a sale is capped at 2% of the price and AED 500,000 under Resolution No. 183 of 2017.

How do you sell a mortgaged property in Dubai?

You do not need to repay the loan before you sell. The DLD runs a specific procedure for it, described on its page for registering the sale of a mortgaged property (checked 12 November 2026).

1. Ask your bank for a liability letter stating the amount needed to clear the loan on the transfer date. Allow for interest to that date and the early settlement charge.
2. Make sure the buyer brings three manager's cheques: one to your bank or developer for the debt, one to you for the balance, and one to the Land Department for the fee.
3. At the trustee office, the transaction is entered and the fees paid. Afterwards, the seller receives the bank's cheque to take to the bank in exchange for the mortgage release certificate.
4. Submit the release letter. The DLD says the registration of the release, the sale and any new mortgage for the buyer is completed once it is submitted.

The DLD's FAQ adds that a mortgagor may not deal with the mortgaged property without the bank's consent, so tell your bank early. If the buyer is also borrowing, their bank's mortgage registration is handled at the same appointment. Ask your bank how long the release letter takes, because the buyer's lawyer will.

What happens on transfer day at the trustee office?

The appointment confirms a deal already agreed. The DLD gives the expected completion time for the registration as 20 minutes on its sale registration page, and its FAQ says it takes an average of 30 minutes if all documents are available.

Bring, or make sure your attorney brings:

• your passport or Emirates ID (the DLD verifies identity and takes no copy)
• the developer's e-NOC, and the bank's liability letter if mortgaged
• the attested power of attorney, if someone is acting for you
• the signed Form F

The trustee checks the documents, enters the transaction, collects the fees and issues an electronic title deed in the buyer's name. The commonest cause of delay is a cheque made out to the wrong payee or for the wrong amount, so ask the trustee office or both brokers to confirm the payee names in writing the day before.

After transfer, close your electricity and water account. DEWA's move-in page says an owner's security deposit is refunded only when the property is sold, so claim it.

Can you sell a property with a tenant in it?

Yes, and many investors prefer to buy a home that is already let. Article 28 of Dubai Law No. 26 of 2007 says a transfer of ownership to a new owner does not affect the tenant's rights under a fixed-term lease. The buyer takes over the lease, the rent and the obligations that go with it, including the tenant's deposit, so agree in Form F how the deposit and any rent paid in advance will be credited.

If you need the property empty, the rules are strict. Law No. 33 of 2008 amended Article 25 so that a landlord may seek eviction at the end of the lease because the owner wishes to sell, but must give at least 12 months' notice through a notary public or by registered mail. The DLD's FAQ adds that the landlord must be able to show the sale is genuine. In practice that means a sale with vacant possession needs planning a year ahead.

Letting and its rules are covered in renting out property in Dubai. A tenant at a rent below today's market, protected by the rental index, affects what an investor will pay, so price accordingly.

Can you sell through a power of attorney?

Yes. The DLD's FAQ says an attorney holding a duly legalised power of attorney may deal with the owner's property within its limits, and that a power for sale is valid for two years from notarisation (five years for a purchase). A power issued outside the UAE must be formally ratified before the DLD will accept it.

From most countries that means notarisation, legalisation in the country where it was signed, attestation by the UAE embassy and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a legal Arabic translation. Allow several weeks. Signing before a notary in the UAE on a visit is quicker. See power of attorney and attestation.

Draft it narrowly. It should name the property, authorise the specific acts needed (signing Form F, applying for the NOC, dealing with the bank, attending the transfer) and say how the proceeds are to be paid, preferably by manager's cheque in your own name. Give it to someone who is not paid by the buyer. A general power over all your assets is unnecessary.

Do you pay capital gains tax when you sell Dubai property?

Not in the UAE. PwC's tax summary, reviewed on 9 September 2026, records no capital gains tax for individuals in the UAE. There is no exit fee for the seller beyond the costs above.

Your home country is another matter. Most countries tax residents on worldwide gains, and a sale in Dubai is no exception. Read the guide for where you are tax resident before agreeing a price, because the after-tax figure is the one that matters:

• UK tax on Dubai property
• US tax on Dubai property
• Indian tax on Dubai property
• Canadian tax on Dubai property

Keep the records your tax authority will ask for: the original purchase contract, the DLD fee receipt, agents' invoices and the transfer documents. A property held through a company, or bought and sold as a business, may fall within UAE corporate tax instead. The UAE property tax guide explains when. If your residence visa depends on the property, selling it removes that basis, so read the investor visa guide first.

How quickly are Dubai properties selling in 2026?

More slowly than in 2025, although completed homes have held up better in recent months than the headline totals suggest.

Betterhomes noted that resale buyers react more quickly than off-plan buyers to changes in sentiment, which is consistent with the sharp fall in the second quarter after the regional conflict began. For a seller this means pricing against recent completed sales, not asking prices, and allowing for a buyer who needs a mortgage and therefore a bank valuation. The wider picture, including the large number of homes due to complete in 2027 and 2028, is in is Dubai property a good investment.

If you are selling an apartment in order to buy a villa or townhouse in Dubai, the order of the two transactions changes how much you can borrow; see upsizing from an apartment to a villa.