--- title: "Can foreigners buy property in the UAE? Ownership rules emirate by emirate" canonical: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/guides/can-foreigners-buy-property-in-the-uae markdown: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/md/guides/can-foreigners-buy-property-in-the-uae.md type: guide description: "Where non-UAE nationals can own property in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah, what freehold, leasehold and usufruct mean, and how inheritance works." published: 2026-11-12 updated: 2026-11-12 sources: 16 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." --- # Can foreigners buy property in the UAE? Ownership rules emirate by emirate > Where non-UAE nationals can own property in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah, what freehold, leasehold and usufruct mean, and how inheritance works. By Omnia's editorial team. Buying process. Published 12 November 2026, last reviewed 12 November 2026. ## The short version - Foreigners of any nationality can own freehold property in the UAE, but only in areas each emirate has designated; the rules are set emirate by emirate, not federally. - Dubai and Abu Dhabi both give full freehold title in their designated areas and investment zones; Sharjah's published rule is a usufruct of up to 100 years in approved areas. - You do not need a residence visa to buy, and buying does not automatically give you one. - Ownership only exists once it is entered on the emirate's land register, so never rely on a contract, receipt or nominee arrangement alone. - UAE co-ownership has no right of survivorship; non-Muslim owners should register a will that covers their UAE property. Yes. A foreign national of any country can buy and own property in the UAE in their own name, without a local partner and without living there. The limit is geographic: each emirate decides which areas are open to foreign ownership and what kind of right you get there. In Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah that right is full freehold title in designated areas. In Sharjah the published rule is a long-term right of use. This guide sets out the position emirate by emirate, then covers companies, joint ownership and inheritance. It is general information, not legal or tax advice. ## Who makes the rules? Property ownership is governed by each emirate, not by federal law. There is no single UAE land registry and no single list of areas open to foreigners. Each emirate has its own ownership law, its own land department or municipality that keeps the register, and its own regulator. The federal government portal says as much: the laws "may differ from one emirate to another". Two things are common to all of them: - **Designated areas.** Outside them, ownership is reserved to UAE nationals and, in most emirates, nationals of the other Gulf Cooperation Council states. - **Registration.** A right over property exists once it is entered on the emirate's register. In Dubai an unregistered sale is not valid at all. In Abu Dhabi it binds only the two parties and does not transfer ownership. ## What kinds of ownership are there? | Right | What you get | Typical term | Where you will meet it | |---|---|---|---| | Freehold | Ownership of the property, registered in your name. You can sell, let, mortgage and bequeath it | No time limit | Dubai designated areas, Abu Dhabi investment zones, Ras Al Khaimah designated areas | | Leasehold | A registered right to occupy for a fixed term | Up to 99 years in Dubai; in Abu Dhabi a long lease starts at 25 years | Some older Dubai and Abu Dhabi communities | | Usufruct | A right to use and benefit from property that belongs to someone else, without altering it | Up to 99 years in Dubai and Abu Dhabi; up to 100 years in Sharjah | Sharjah; older Abu Dhabi stock | | Musataha | A right to build on and use someone else's land | 50 years in Abu Dhabi, renewable by agreement | Mostly commercial and development land | For a home you intend to keep, let or pass on, freehold is the simplest. A leasehold or usufruct can still be a sound purchase, but the value falls as the term runs down, lenders may be more cautious, and at the end of the term the property goes back to the owner unless renewed. Always ask which right appears on the title before comparing prices. Terms are explained in our [glossary](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/glossary). ## Emirate by emirate | Emirate | Can foreigners own freehold? | Where | Governing rule | Register kept by | |---|---|---|---|---| | Dubai | Yes | Areas designated by the Ruler | Law No. 7 of 2006, Article 4; Regulation No. 3 of 2006 and later decisions | Dubai Land Department | | Abu Dhabi | Yes, since 2019 | Investment zones | Law No. 19 of 2005 as amended by Law No. 13 of 2019 | Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre, via DARI | | Ras Al Khaimah | Yes | Designated freehold areas | Decisions of 2005 and 2007; Law No. 11 of 2021 on the register | RAK Municipality | | Sharjah | Published rule: usufruct, not ownership | Areas designated by the government, with approval | Executive Council Resolution No. 26 of 2014 | Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department | ### Dubai Article 4 of Law No. 7 of 2006 allows non-UAE nationals, in areas designated by the Ruler, to hold freehold with no time limit or usufruct and leasehold rights of up to 99 years. The first designated areas were listed in Regulation No. 3 of 2006 and included Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Marina, Emirates Hills and The World Islands; many more have been added. Non-residents can buy, and the federal portal notes there is no age limit for owning. The full process is in [how to buy property in Dubai](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/guides/buying-property-in-dubai); communities are on our [Dubai pages](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/dubai). ### Abu Dhabi Until 2019 foreigners could hold only apartments and long-term rights. Law No. 13 of 2019 changed that: non-UAE nationals, individuals and companies, may now own and acquire all property rights in investment areas designated by the Executive Council. The federal portal names nine, including Yas Island, Saadiyat Island, Al Reem Island, Al Maryah Island, Al Raha Beach and Masdar City, and more have been designated since. Some official pages still describe the older regime, so you will find contradictory statements; check the specific project on DARI. See [how to buy property in Abu Dhabi](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/guides/buying-property-in-abu-dhabi) and our [Abu Dhabi pages](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/abu-dhabi). ### Ras Al Khaimah Foreigners can buy freehold in designated areas, the best known being Al Marjan Island, Al Hamra Village, Mina Al Arab and Dafan Al Nakheel. Elsewhere ownership is limited to UAE and GCC nationals. We found no single official list of designated plots, so the status of a particular unit should be confirmed with RAK Municipality. See [buying property in Ras Al Khaimah](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/guides/buying-property-in-ras-al-khaimah). ### Sharjah The federal portal states the Sharjah rule plainly: foreign nationals and foreign-owned companies cannot own property, but may hold a usufruct of up to 100 years, registered with the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department, in areas the government has designated and with approval. Developers of several large Sharjah communities nonetheless market homes to all nationalities, some describing the title as freehold. We could not check the instruments behind those approvals against an official text. If you are buying in Sharjah, ask the developer which decision approves foreign ownership in that project and what right, and for what term, will be on your registration certificate. Our [Sharjah pages](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/sharjah) carry what we have been able to confirm for each project. The Sharjah process, fees and residency position are set out in full in our guide to [buying property in Sharjah](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/guides/buying-property-in-sharjah). ### Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Fujairah The northern emirates also sell selected projects to foreign buyers, and each has its own land department and rules. We have not verified their current ownership laws against official sources, so we do not summarise them here. Apply the same test as anywhere else: ask which law or decision designates the area, what right is registered, and with which authority. Each emirate has its own page with the areas and ownership rules in more detail: [Dubai](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/dubai), [Abu Dhabi](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/abu-dhabi), [Ras Al Khaimah](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/ras-al-khaimah), [Sharjah](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/sharjah) and [Umm Al Quwain](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/umm-al-quwain). ## Can a company own UAE property? Yes, within the same designated areas. - **Abu Dhabi.** The 2019 amendment covers non-national natural and legal persons in investment zones. Public companies with up to 49% foreign shareholding can own anywhere in the emirate. - **Dubai.** Law No. 7 of 2006 gives general ownership rights to companies wholly owned by UAE and GCC nationals and to public joint stock companies. Foreign and free-zone companies can register purchases in designated areas, and the Land Department's requirements are specific: a valid trade licence, a legally translated memorandum of association (ratified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a foreign company), a certificate naming the shareholders and, for a free-zone company, a no-objection letter valid for one year. A company that has not dealt with the Land Department before must register with it first. - **Ras Al Khaimah.** A company is treated as foreign, and so confined to the freehold areas, unless at least 51% of its capital is UAE or GCC-owned. Buying through a company adds cost and paperwork. It can make sense for several investors holding one asset or for succession planning, but the tax consequences in your home country matter more than the UAE ones. UK residents should read [UK tax on Dubai property](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/guides/uk-tax-on-dubai-property) first. ## Do I need a visa to buy, and do I get one? You do not need a residence visa, a UAE address or a UAE bank account to buy. A passport is the identity document for a non-resident. Buying does not make you resident. It can make you eligible to apply: - **Dubai two-year investor visa.** Since 29 April 2026, open to the sole owner of a completed, registered property of any value. Joint owners need a share worth at least AED 400,000 each. Off-plan property does not count. - **Ten-year Golden Visa.** Requires property worth at least AED 2 million. Rules on mortgaged and off-plan property differ by emirate. Check your position in the [Golden Visa checker](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/tools/golden-visa-checker) and read the [Golden Visa](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/guides/uae-golden-visa-property) and [Dubai investor visa](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/guides/dubai-property-investor-visa) guides. ## How does joint ownership work? Two or more people can be registered as co-owners, each with a stated share. The shares on the register are what count against third parties. Under the UAE Civil Transactions Law a co-owner can sell their own share without the others' consent, day-to-day management is decided by the majority by value, and selling the whole property needs owners holding three-quarters of it. **There is no right of survivorship.** A UK couple who own their home as joint tenants expect the survivor to take the whole automatically. That concept does not exist in UAE co-ownership. When a co-owner dies, their share is frozen until it is dealt with under inheritance rules, and in Dubai the heirs must register a certificate of inheritance before the title can change. A worked example: a couple buy a AED 3 million villa in equal shares. One dies without a will. The survivor still owns only their AED 1.5 million half. The other half goes through a court process to determine the heirs, which may include children or parents as well as the spouse, and the property cannot be sold in the meantime. ## What happens to UAE property when the owner dies? Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022 on civil personal status, which took effect in 2023, covers marriage, divorce, inheritance and custody for non-Muslims. The government portal says non-Muslim residents may follow their home country's laws or choose the UAE's civil rules. Its wording refers to residents, and an overseas owner should not assume the outcome will match their own country's law. The reliable answer is a registered will: - **DIFC Courts Wills Service.** A Property Will covers up to five properties, or shares in them, located anywhere in the UAE. It costs AED 7,500 for one will or AED 10,000 for mirror wills for a couple (as of November 2026) and is prepared through an online portal. The same service offers a Full Will for owners with wider assets. - **Abu Dhabi.** The Abu Dhabi courts also register wills for non-Muslims. We have not verified the current fee or procedure, so check with the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. - **A will at home.** A UK or European will can be put before a UAE court, but expect it to need legalising and translating first, and the property cannot be dealt with while that happens. Do not rely on it alone. Make the will when you receive the title deed, or for off-plan property when the sale is registered. ## What foreign owners cannot do - Buy outside the designated areas, or hold such property through a nominee. In Dubai an agreement made to get round the law is void. - Assume a property is freehold because the advert says so. The register decides. - Treat ownership as residency, or assume the UAE's absence of personal income tax settles the tax position. Your country of residence may tax rent and gains. To see what is on sale in the areas open to you, browse [developments](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/developments), or [contact us](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/contact) with a specific project and we will tell you what we can confirm about its tenure. ## Calculator Run your own numbers with the [golden visa checker](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/tools/golden-visa-checker). ## Questions and answers ### Can a foreigner own 100% of a property in the UAE? Yes. In Dubai's designated freehold areas and Abu Dhabi's investment zones a foreign national can be registered as the sole freehold owner, with a title deed in their own name and no local partner or sponsor. The same applies in Ras Al Khaimah's designated areas. The right is limited to those areas; elsewhere ownership is reserved to UAE and, in most emirates, GCC nationals. ### What is the difference between freehold and leasehold in the UAE? Freehold is ownership of the property with no time limit, registered in your name and capable of being sold, mortgaged, let or inherited. Leasehold is a registered right to occupy for a fixed term: up to 99 years in Dubai. A usufruct is similar, a time-limited right to use and benefit from property owned by someone else. When the term of a leasehold or usufruct ends, the property returns to the owner unless the term is renewed. ### Do I need to live in the UAE to buy property there? No. The federal government portal confirms that non-resident foreigners can acquire freehold in Dubai's designated areas, and the Dubai Land Department registers non-residents on a valid passport. Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah likewise sell to non-residents in their designated areas. Residency is a separate matter: owning a completed home can support an investor visa or Golden Visa application, but it is not automatic. ### Can a foreign company buy property in the UAE? Yes, in the same designated areas as foreign individuals. Abu Dhabi's law expressly covers non-national legal persons in investment zones. In Dubai the Land Department registers purchases by foreign and free-zone companies, but requires the company to be registered with it first and asks for a legalised, translated memorandum of association, a shareholder certificate and, for free-zone companies, a no-objection letter from the free zone. ### What happens to my UAE property if I die? It passes under inheritance rules, not automatically to a co-owner: UAE co-ownership has no right of survivorship. A federal law on civil personal status for non-Muslims, in force since 2023, lets non-Muslim residents follow their home country's law or the UAE's civil rules. The practical step for any non-Muslim owner is to register a will. A DIFC Courts Property Will covers up to five UAE properties and costs AED 7,500 as of November 2026. ## Sources Facts on this page were last checked against these sources on 12 November 2026. - [UAE Government portal: Expatriates buying a property in the UAE](https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/moving-to-the-uae/expatriates-buying-a-property-in-the-uae) - [Dubai Law No. 7 of 2006 Concerning Real Property Registration (Dubai Legislation Portal)](https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2006/Law%20No.%20(7)%20of%202006.html) - [Regulation No. 3 of 2006 Determining Areas for Ownership by Non-UAE Nationals (Dubai Legislation Portal)](https://dlp.dubai.gov.ae/Legislation%20Reference/2006/Regulation%20No.%20(3)%20of%202006.html) - [Dubai Land Department: Request to register the initial sale (documents required from companies)](https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/request-to-register-the-initial-sale/) - [Dubai Land Department: Registering the sale of a mortgaged property (company registration requirement)](https://dubailand.gov.ae/en/eservices/request-to-register-the-sale-of-a-mortgaged-property) - [Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre: rules governing real property ownership (Law 19 of 2005, Law 13 of 2019, Law 3 of 2005)](https://adrec.gov.ae/en/rules_and_regulations/property-ownership) - [Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre: rules and regulations (fee resolutions, Law 3 of 2015)](https://adrec.gov.ae/en/rules_and_regulations/regulations) - [Mitchell's Commercial Real Estate: How to buy property in Ras Al Khaimah (updated 9 July 2026)](https://www.mitchellscommercialrealty.com/guides/how-to-buy-property-ras-al-khaimah) - [Janus Hermes: Buying property in Ras Al Khaimah 2026 (9 July 2026)](https://www.janushermes.com/blog/buying-property-ras-al-khaimah-2026) - [Leaders Advocates via Legal 500: Joint property ownership UAE (11 November 2026)](https://www.legal500.com/intelligence/united-arab-emirates/real-estate-and-construction/joint-property-ownership-uae) - [UAE Government portal: Personal status affairs for non-Muslims (Federal Decree-Law No. 41 of 2022)](https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/social-affairs/Life-events/marriages/personal-status-affairs-for-non-muslims) - [DIFC Courts Wills Service: Property Will](https://www.difccourts.ae/difc-courts-wills/services/property-will) - [DIFC Courts: services, including the Wills Service](https://www.difccourts.ae/) - [IMI Daily: Dubai removes minimum property value for two-year investor visa (April 2026)](https://www.imidaily.com/mena/dubai-removes-minimum-property-value-for-two-year-investor-visa/) - [Modon: UAE Golden Visa by property investment (4 September 2026)](https://www.modon.com/real-estate/blog/how-to-get-the-uae-golden-visa-by-property-investment) - [UAE Government portal: Taxation](https://u.ae/en/information-and-services/finance-and-investment/taxation) --- Source page: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/guides/can-foreigners-buy-property-in-the-uae. 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.