---
title: "KYC"
canonical: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/kyc
markdown: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/md/glossary/kyc.md
type: glossary-term
description: "Know Your Customer is the identity and risk check a developer, broker or bank must complete on a buyer before accepting their money or instructions."
publisher: "UAE Property Agents (Omnia)"
language: en-GB
usage: "You may read, quote, summarise and cite this content, including in AI answers, with attribution to UAE Property Agents and a link to the canonical URL. Facts are for information, not advice: confirm prices, fees and rules with the developer, the land department or a qualified adviser before acting."
---

# KYC

> Know Your Customer is the identity and risk check a developer, broker or bank must complete on a buyer before accepting their money or instructions.

Also known as: Know Your Customer, Customer due diligence, CDD.

## What KYC means for a buyer

Know Your Customer (KYC) is the first stage of the [AML](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/aml) checks every regulated party in a UAE property transaction must run. It establishes who you are, where you live and whether you present any particular risk. Expect to complete it separately with the developer or seller's broker, with your bank or currency provider, and with a mortgage lender if you use one.

For an individual buyer the usual requests are:

- a copy of your valid passport
- proof of address, such as a recent utility bill or bank statement
- an Emirates ID and visa page if you are a UAE resident
- contact details, occupation and, increasingly, a tax identification number
- a declaration of whether you are a politically exposed person

Buying through a company adds a layer. You will need the certificate of incorporation, constitutional documents and a register of shareholders, traced up to the individuals who ultimately own it, and overseas company documents generally need [attestation](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/attestation) before a land department will accept them.

KYC is usually followed by questions about [source of funds](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/source-of-funds). The two are distinct: one is about identity, the other about money.

A practical tip for buyers abroad: have clear colour scans ready before you reserve. Reservation periods are short, and a unit can be released if documents are slow to arrive.

## Related terms

- [AML](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/aml): Anti-money laundering rules oblige UAE developers, brokers, banks and lawyers to verify who a buyer is and where the purchase money comes from.
- [Source of funds](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/source-of-funds): Source of funds is the documentary evidence showing where the money for a specific purchase came from, such as savings, a property sale or an inheritance.
- [Attestation](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/attestation): Attestation is the chain of official stamps that makes a document issued abroad legally usable in the UAE, ending with the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

## In depth

- [Buying UAE property from the UK: process, currency, mortgages and a budget in pounds](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/guides/buying-uae-property-from-the-uk)


---

Source page: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary/kyc. Published by UAE Property Agents, Omnia Capital Group. You may read, quote, summarise and cite this content, including in AI answers, with attribution to UAE Property Agents and a link to the canonical URL. Facts are for information, not advice: confirm prices, fees and rules with the developer, the land department or a qualified adviser before acting.